Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-12-12
Third Big Fire Which Has Struck What is
Called Implement Row.
MON TRANSFER COMPANY THE VICTIM
Blaze Starts in Roof Of Four Story Ware
house in Unknown Manner
lREHEN HELPLESS TO STAY ITS SPREAD
Amount of Insurance Not Dennitcly
known, but Thought TO he In
the NeighbOrhOod of Eighty
Thousand Dollars.

I
! What is known as Implement row IN
/ Council Bluns suffered its third disastrous
fire last evening, when the large carriage
warehouse on the west side of South Main
street between Thirteenth and Fourteenth
( avenues was completely destroyed. to-
gether with the big stock OF the Union
I Transfer company and several other con-
Germs for which the company acted as
/ shipping or transfer agent.
Fact hgures on the loss could not be Sc
cured last night, but 1t will, in ell proba-
| bnity, be close to $4,000. with $4,000 in
surance.
! w. a. SOuthard, manager OF the Union
| Transfer company, estimated the value OF
/ the stock carried by his company at from
/ $4,000 to 5000, with $1,000 insurance Two
! of the larger companies for which the
/ Union Transfer company acted as trans
fering agent. carried their own insurance,
and the smaller concerns possibly did the
| same.
The building belonged to Dan Carrigs.
who erected it, but was mortgaged and
| T. G. Turner, cashier Of the First National
/ bank OF this city, was trustee for the
/ mortgage. It was stated there was either
900 or $4,000 insurance on the building.
which, however. could not be rebuilt for
under $4,000 or $780, OOO
The building and contents were entirely
consumed and It is not thought possible
/ that there will be any salvage.
/ The building was practically two struc-
lures with fire wall between, being
erected by Mr.. Carrigg about a year apart
The south part was four stories and base
ment, while the north building was three
stories and basement. The structure,
which was erected in 1890 and 1891, was OF
brick. about 40 feet frontage on Main
street and 13O feet on Thirteenth avenue.
Move Saves One Company.
The south portion OF the building was oo-
cupied by the Union Transfer company.
while the north section was unoccupled
the Peru Plow and Implement company
! having moved from it about two months
4 ago to the warehouse across the street.
I which had been rebuilt after the fire when
J the building was occupied by the Fuller
Johnson & Shugart company in 1904 The
Union Transfer company, however. had
| a few gasoline engines in the basement OF
the north half.
The Ore started in the roof at the south
west corner Of the portion occupied by the
Union Transfer company, but from what
cause is not known. At first the blaze was
supposed to be insignificant, but II made
tremendous. headway and in less than an
hour the entire structure was a seething
mass OF flames and all hope Of saving 1t
was gone. First one wall and then an
other fell, the dividing wall being the last
! to drop, with a noise like thunder into
/ the basement of the north portion. The
hremen had hard work preventing the
blaz spreading across Thirteenth avenue
| to the building occupied by the Sandwish
Manufacturing company and the Rock ISL
and Plow company, and for time II looked
as II this building was also doomed. Had
! there been strong wind from the south
nothing could have prevented the fire de-
stroying the Sandwich company's building
and probably sweeping farther north up the
street.
At times there was considerable danger
Of the Burlington freight depot. a frame
| structure directly across the street from the
burning building, catching fire, and a
stream Of water had TO be played on It con-
stantly.
Boy Discovers Fire.
| How long the fire had been burning in the
roof, which was composed OF tar and gravel,
before II was discovered is not known, but
1t undoubtedly had been eating its way
along and under the roof for sometime. II
/ was shortly after $50 o'clock when a
young son OF Frank Beebe, owner on an
express wagon service, saw smoke issuing
from the roof He at once notified the Of
fee force in the Union Transfer companys
Office.
/ w. ]. Anderson. the foreman, ascended
to the fourth floor, where he found melted
tar and sparks Of hre. The latter he
I smothered with a canvas before the arrival
Of the FIRE department The fremen got a
hose up to the fourth floor by means Of the
Z elevator, but were soon driven back by
smoke and heat. In the meantime the Of
fee force made haste 20 transfer all books,
accounts and everything else movable in
the Office into the large vault IN the south
east corner OF the building. Whether the
value withstood the immense heat cannot
be learned until later.
Driven from the fourth floor the aremen
found It necessary TO fight the blaze from
/ the outside, but II was soon evident that
they were perfectly powerless with the
water at their command 10 even as much
I as check the flames By o'clock the big
building was mass OF ruins. with nothing
more than the four walls up TO the first
story standing.
Statement OF Manager.
Mr.. Southwark, when seen. said: Il havs
no idea how the FIRE started All I know
is that II started IN the roof but from
what cause / cannot even surmise. When
I and Deputy City Marshal Crum went TO
the fourth floor. after the arrival Of the
hremen. ! could not perceive any IRE and
I am at a loss 10 understand why AT that
stage II could not have been entirely ex-
tinguished and the building and stock
1 saved We carried, l should Judge. close
upon $500 stock, with $500 Insurance"
The Union Transfer company was organ
ized several years ago by o. p McKesson
and II. l. Forsyth as principal owners
Mr.. McKesson. Il Is understood stil has
an interest IN the company. but Mr.. South
ard secured Mr.. FoTsytrs Interest and sue
ceeded him as manager. The company
acts as transfer agent for the Sterling
| ManufacturlnE companY Of Sterling. Ill.