The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-02-20

lNDIANAPOLIS. Feb. 1s.-For four
hours tonight the wholesale district.
bounded by Georgia and Meridian
streets. Jackson Place and the Union
depot sheds was menaoed by a fire
which started in the wholesale ware
rooms of the Fahnley & McCrea Mill
merry company. At $3.50 O clock three
general alarms brought out every
department in the city and suburbs.
When the fire was brought under con-
troll eight buildings. among which We're
three hotels. had been completely de-
strOyed. causing loss estimated at
$500. 900. one fireman was hurt by
falling walls. Firebrands fell in q. per
feet storm over the business portion OF
the city. and on every building were
stationed companies Of men with fire
lighting apparatus. and a general con-
haSration was prevented. I'm the a
kiefer Drug cOmpany's wareTOOms.
we're many barrels of oil and other eX
plosives were stored in the Delmetsch
company's wholesale warehouse. where
a seasons stock of fireworks We're
located. and several serious explosions
occurred. The west wall of the Fahn-
ley & McCrea millinery house. which
faces on Jackson place. across from
the Union station, fell within thirty
minutes after the fire started. One
fireman sustained a broken leg, and in
/
position near the falling walls hun
dredS of spectators who thrOnged the
space of the Union station narrowly
escaped death or serious injury.
Flames Spreading.
Within a few minutes the last wall
| fell across Meridian street, completely
| blocking trac, fiibut no one was in
| jured. The flames, which spread across
/ Louisiana street, were communicated to
! the roof of the Union station train
/ sheds. and for several minutes the eff
/ forts OF the firemen were centered in
l that direction. The fire, which was
/ one of the most spectacular in the his
/ tory of the city, was under full head
/ way before an alarm was sounded. The
| first intimation Of a fire was received
I when n Waterman saw the windows on
the second and third floors OF the east
/ front of Fahnley x McCrea'S building
/ burst open, allowing sheets of flame to
! escape into Meridian street. a gen
] eral alarm was turned in, followed by
/ two others in rapid succession and BY
] the time the first company reached the
| scene the millinery house was almost
J completely Quilted and the fire had
/ spread to the Kiefer Drug company
building. simultaneously the flames
| broke out ia Jackson place which
( bounds the Fahnley q McCrea build
( ing on the west, and almost instantly
! the flames We're communicated to the
/ St. Nicholas hotel, and the Grifiths
Bros. millinery house in Jackson place
and the Savoy hotel in Louisiana street
Guests Escaped.
! The occupants of the hotel. many OF
whom had not retired, escaped without
! injury.
Repeated explosions in the burning
section sent sllyward a veritable storm
of burning embers, which, famed by a
stiff breeze from the southeast. were
carried into the retail district where
| they fell. still burning. upon the roofs
! of the principal business houses.
| Within fOrty-five minutes eight
buildings in the threatened district haC
been totally destroyed. and the atten-
ton of the firemen was conferred in an
effort to prevent the spread of the
/ flames to the warerooms of W. H
Thompson & Co., manufacturers OF
surgical instruments.
When the wall collapsed in the alley
I without damaging the building Occu-
pied by Thompson & Co. the flames
We're apparently brought under con.
troll. The principal losers, as estimated
| by a prominent insurance man:
! FahnIey & McCrea, building, SIPS. 900
! stock, $260 600. A. Keifer Drug conlpa-
| ny building $4,000; stock. s225. 900
Griffiths Bros, building, $4,000: stock
$50. 900. E c. DeImetsch company
building, $4,000; stock, $4,000. Sher
man House. building $45. 600. stock
$4,000. Savoy hotel. $50 900; st
Charles hotel, $22, 200. Total, $11OO. 600