The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1910-02-24

building into a roaring and seething
furnace.
1t seemed but short time until the
iron girders heated TO white heat
gradually gave way and the roof fell
in with a deafening crash. The ice
and cold. the difficulty in running long
lines of hose and handling them ali con-
spired to defeat the work of the fire.
men.
TELEPHONE GIRLS HERoINEs.
The IRE had several spectacular fea-
lures. Two night telephone operators.
Miss Hattie Stevens and Charlotte ches-
mes. proved heroines in every sense of
the word. The exchange. which is To-
Gated in the building adjacent to the
Ohio building. soon filled with smoke
and the flames could be heard cracking
from where they were operating the
board. Both of them became badly
frightened, but never for an instant did
they falter in the performance of their
work at the switchboard, rendering in
valuable assistance to the fremen in
obtaining help and in notifying the
various tenants of the buildings
At various times the fremen told
them to leave the building. but. half
suffocated and blinded by smoke they
refused to leave the board They stated
that they would never leave their posts
until ordered to do so by Manager l.
II. Meyers. Finally. however. Miss
chesna became dazed from the smoke
and was led from the room, but she
had not ceased her work until forced
to do SO.
Frank Ford. the colored porter en-
ployed by ]. A. Ump1eby. was nearly
In n is orroxx
building. His story of the fire is dra-
matte. He said this morning:
COLORED PORTER TELLS stony.
I woke up this morning on my cot
in the basement of the building, where
1 had been living. and found the room
nlled with smoke and saw flames
creeping along the ceiling above me
About half-choked, CROPPED about my
bed trying to find my clothes 1 nut |
on as many things as I had time and
grabbed what else I could find and
then started for the doorway. Luckily |
| found that my way to the stairway |
had not been barred by the flames and
[ rushed up the stairs and out of the /
building as fast as 1 could go I start
I'd across the street to turn in the
alarm but before 1 could get to the
restaurant / heard some one shout halt.
and turning. I looked into the muzzle
'f policeman's revolver 1 realized
mat my actions looked suspicious to
mem and went to the station with the
police without any protest"
UMPLEBY HEAVY LOSER.
The sympathy of the entire city was
extended to J.. A. Umpleby. the owner
II the billiard room, who was accred-
ted with having the finest place in
# = I
me of the best in the state. The ia
lies, the best..that could be purchased.
nd chairs. cost $4,000 alone. The CT
'ar fixtures and stock were es timated
t $4,000. 1t was one of the msot pop
lar places in the city and patronized
y the best people OF the city. Umple-
y said in regard to his loss:
me cost Of fitting out my place was
bout $4,000. I carried $4,000 worth
insurance. I have lost everything I /
a din the world.
i believe that my Indebtedness will
lst about cover the amount of the In
france, end don't believe that when
lese are paid 1 will have a dollar left. lv
hat insurance ! had was covered by
firm for which Guffin & Mauzy were t
gents" G
The principal owners of the building v
%
nd, Ohio, who have invested heavily I
Gary property Other men inter c
tied in the building were H. V. At t
Inson and NJ. Harris Of the same CITY.
heir local representative the Gayrl n
rokerage & Insurance company. p
trough Secretary ]. NJ Patterson re- h
orted that his firm carried all of the o
surance, which was $4,000, in the s
influential, Agricultural Germania and e
merican companies. Mr.. Patterson said a
lat there was no mortgage on the
Hiding and that the owners will sus -
in the entire loss He was also au-
ority for the statement that the
Hiding would be rebuilt Immediately.
MASONIC LODGE LOSES
On the third floor Of the building the
WHY organized Masonic lodge of Gary
ID recently completed the fitting out
splendid lodge rooms. Expensivei
rpets and chairs and equipment had
en- installed but few days previous =
the fire. These of course are a total ~
SIS, but Trustee A. S. Hess said TODAY y
at he thought that all but about ST. o.
worth was covered with Insurance M
Other offices luxuriously furnished
re in the building and occupied by
e. E. Eckert, H H. Dil1s
d insurance men, DIR. Charles George
d by Mrs E. J. Kelly, who conducted
dressmaking establishment AS fas ~
Is known no insurance was carried %
any of this furniture a.
In the course of the fire only one in !"
~ was reported, and that was to VI
plain William J Frazier who recent ~
resigned from the department. but %
IS asked to assist in fighting the IN
mes In working behind Chief Feel
the latter suddenly slipped and fell +,
the ice and Frazier fell over him.
staining bad cut on the wrist and -,