The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1907-05-02
KAUFER. SMITHING
STORE DESTROYED
FIRE BREAKS OUT IN BASEMENT
ND SOON ENTIRE BUILDING is
WRAPPED IN FLAMES.
LOSS MAY REACH 500, 900.

LOSS MAY REACH $1,000
Neighboring Property in Great Danger
Girls Flee in Terror from Whole
sale Millinery.
MILWAUKEE, WIS, April -. - y
fire which started in the basement of
the building ut 31G Broadway, occupied
By kauter. Smithing y Co., auction
GERS, spread rapidly to every portion OF
the structure and soon threatened the
block with destruction this afternoon
The building was filled with second
hand articles of all descriptions. Much
Of it was Of a highly niammable nature
and the when the fire department arrived
on the scene few minutes after |
O'Clock, the fire and smoke pouring from
every floor warned the chiefs to send in
second alarm.
Girls in Panic.
The smoke crcpt into the building on
the south occupied by the wholesale mil
llnery firm of Blumrufeld, Locher x
Brown, where several hundred girls are
employed, and panic was started. The
girls fled in fright from the place, many
of them screaming with terror.
Defective Wiring the Cause.
1t is supposed that the blaze was start
ed by defective wiring in the basement.
Ii gained rapid Roadway owing to the
miscellaneous assortment of goods stored
there. Old furniture, mattresses and SINH
lea af.f i,.lI 1n huh ,g Ia,
stock which furnished food for the
flames.
The fire was communicated to the
building on the north occupied by the
Ilennecke Iron Works and prompt meas
urcs were taken TO save the structure.
Loss Will Be 100000.
The block occupied by kaufer, Smith
ing X Go. was owned by the estate of
Emil Schneider and was in the hands
of the late John Barth as agent. 1t was
an old substantial block valued at $40
600.
The building will be completely Quilted,
before the flames can be eNtnguished.
The stock of the firm OF kaufcr,
Smthlng X Co. was valued at 100000,
fully insured. The goods were held in
storage and on consignment to be sold at
auction.
1t is estimated that the total loss will
exceed 100000.
Basement Like Furnace.
The basement appeared ike a blast
furnace immense clouds Of dense black
smoke being forced from both the front
and rear basement windows. The great
est amount of smoke came from the
basement, and fourth floor windows
Several small explosions were heard
from time to time but it is not known
that any explosives or chemicals were
stored in the building. 1t was mpossi-
bic for the men to reach the interior of
the building except at the Intermediates
floors and ladders were placed Mt the
front and rear from which numerous
pipe lines threw great quantities of wa
ter into the flames,
Tie three-Story brick store north Of
the burning building is occupied by the
Hennecke company dealers in art statu-
ary and manufacturers Of iron work.
The building is owned by the +. Bos-
worth estate.
Several Firemen Injured.
Several tircmen were injured during
the fire, necessitating their removal to
the Emergency hospital. They were:
John Mccarthy, yiPeman. Engine com
pany No. 8, overcome 10y smoke.
David Rupert, lieutenant No. ., injured
In left foot,
Cut by Plate Glass.
Rupert was cut by flying glas, his
hands. feet and face being badly cut by
the heavy pieces of plate glass which fell
when one Of the large windows broke
under the water-pressure He and Me
carthy were taken by ambulance to
the emergency hospital,
\ number Of other men were slightly
cut about the hands and face by glass
but not seriously enough to cause them
to desst III their efforts against the
flames.
The insurance patrols succeeded in
completing their work i'll covering all Of
the stock in the neighboriug stores with
tarpaulins before > o'clock thus saving
the stock from the torrents of water
which leaked through the ceilings
Frank Mccullough Overcome.
Frank Mccullough of Company 40. 10
was partly overcome by smoke at 3:l5.
lie was brought out Of the burning build
ing, and revived, but WAS unable to con-
tiuue work at the fire for over half an
hour.
Several frcmcn came in contact with
live electric wires in the basement. burn
ing their hands severely. The wires were
not cut until nearly ) O'Clock as the fire
men were told that the current had been
shut off.
Fire Under Control
At / 30 the fire was apparently umlcr
control and the immense clouds Of smoke
issuing from the basement. had subsidized
sufficiently to permit the iiremcn to ap-
proacl close enough to direct the streams
of water.
Thousands See Blaze
Thousands of people crowded the
street along Broadway and Michigan
streets watching the work. lh.. streams
of water pouring down the hill towards
Michigan street made Broadway u rush
ing torrent and the street was almost
mpassahlc The alley east Of the burn
ing building was flooded and much water
American Express office and the offices
in the McGeogh building, east Of the al
ley.
Mayor Becker Responds
MAYOR Becker was seen at the scene
shortly after the second alarm and tool,
great interest in the fight against the
flames.
In the Offices Of the United States Ex.
press company several doors north Of I'll,
burning binding, the clerks and en-.
poyes made all haste to pack up the
money and other valuablcs in shape to
leave the place Immediately il was found
to have become dangerous.
Ready to Save Money.
The Marshall 4 llsiey bank nCrth Of
the United States Express company in
the same block was also the scene of
much busting and confusion, The bank
was closed for the afternoon, but the
clerks who were still working were max
ing every effort to place MI papers and
books in the vaults, No goods We're