Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-08-02
QUARTER MILLT0N
LOSS In BIG FIRE
CONTINUED from First pare1

kIOntlnueu from First PaEe.)
No. company received a like injury to
his left hand in a similar manner. His
left thumb was lacerated. Police Surgeon
Long dressed his hurt.
The high wind driving sparks and burn
ing embers toward the south endangered
the large Union Pacific freight depot for
time. Some Of the firemen were sta
toned to watch over this building and the
Kingman Implement company. which is
across the street to the west OF the depot.
Big Structures Threatened.
The building Of the Richardson Drug
company across the street west of
burning building was also threatened
and across the twenty foot alley
to the north of the implement and
transfer company was the Willow Springs
Distillery company the Baker Manufac-
turing company, the Southern Pacific Stor-
age and Warehouse company, the Union
Carbide company and the Carter White
Lead company, all large and valuable con-
Germs, to be protected.
The police were kept busy in keeping
back the crowds which gathered about the
block. People began gathering from the
start of the fire from all parts of. the
city. -..--
Thousands Of persons occupied every
available place within block and a half
OF the blazing structure Boys perched on
box cars and in streets, women and chill
dren peering from the windows of neigh
boring buildings and men and women
lined solid mass from street to street
the whole brought out distinct by. the
soaring flames. presented a picturesque
sight ,.' -
W0I1a
At o'clock firemen were on the roofs
overhanging the platforms which surround
the building, when, the first section of the
east portion of the, warehouse fell.
The walls, built OF wood with tin sheath.
Ing, crumbled quickly falling before the
inside floors. Seven streams were playing
into the fire when the first wall fell, and
soon II was found necessary to shift the
nose lines into the west building and fight
the fire from there, as Il was rapidly gain
ing ground into the brick building
AT $40 the work of the firemen began
TO tell In the east section, although the
east wall was stIn crumbling under the
attacks of the fire and the force of the
streams Of water upon it.
Firemen's Work AvaiIs.
Dense volumes of smoke arose, where
before the flames were shooting into the
air. From this time on the fire slowly
abated, although it was a long fight to
keep 1t out of the western building
The falling of the floors, crashing sounds
Of the great weights falling into the cell
lars, next assailed the ears of the specta-
tors, many of them backing up from even
the safe positions they were in for fear
the walls were coming down.
The Acme Harvesting Manufacturing
| company. the largest lessee of the build
ing, waS the heaviest loser. r. E. Mason
| manager OF the company. estimated his
loss. after a cursory examination. at S75.-
00O. The Acme company had large CON
signment of engines, threshers, clover hui
lers,i sawmills and. wind sackers stored
in the warehouse. which was entirely de-
molished. D. ], Weisburg. cashier OF the
company, was at the scene shortly after
the fire companies arrived. and saved the
eompany's records of past sales and CON
tracts. Mason said the company's loss
was covered by insurance
Implement Company Lessee.
The Omaha Implement and Transfer
company has a lease on the building, which
is owned by the Thomas Davis estate. ].
Y. Nelson, manager, estimated the loss of
the warehouse building at $4,000 and 10
his company at 5000. The building was
erected from lumber used in the building
OF the Transmississippi exposition exhibit
| ton structures. II was one-story high
with a basement covered with sheet iron.
| The Omaha Implement and Transfer com
| pany handled the goods OF the various
| tenant companies, storing them in the
warehouse and shipping them at orders
The Capital City Carriage company OF
| Des Moines, the EckhArt Carriage com
pany OF Auburn and the Buerkens Manu-
featuring company lost $4,000 worth Of
| property. C. o. Nelson. who Is the local
/ representative and manager OF the com
panies, placed that estimate on the loss
which is nearly covered, he said, by in
surance. More than 200 buEgies and
wagons OF the companies represented by
him were total loss, there being no IN
surance on them. One hundred poles and
shafts were also burned.
Grand DetOur saves Records.
| The Grand Detour Plow company had
farm implements stored In the warehouse
to the value OF 5000. according to p, G.
| Walton, manager. This company saved all
| its records and its offices were only
slightly damaged BY smoke and water.
The ]. S. Rowel company manufae-
turers OF drills and farm implements. also
| lost considerable, but an estimate OF their
damage could not be approximated.
| Captain Pete Mcclure, fire station No.
4. had his nose slightly cut by a falling
| beam.