Omaha daily bee., 1912-04-14
Only THE WALLS STANDING
Grim Witnesses Of the Devastation
Wrought by the Fire.
STREET CAR LINES BLOCKED
Manager Discovers fire at same
Tire NJ Policeman and Two Re-
ports Are Turned In
Thousands View Ruins.

Grim witnesses TO q terrible and dsyas-
tatng spectacle which wiped out over
ssres worth Of property. the walls CT
both wings Of the AInss building which
fronts on Sixteenth and FaInam siree's.
Furnished food for comment 10 huTrylns
pedestrians yesterday morning.
The sslls OF both wings are standing
uprig,it, but standing on the street one
can look through the first floor window
ana have an unohstructed view Of the
say above. the roof and ceilings 20 Ell
fioors being gone. Chief saiter and some
Of his men stayed IN the vicinity until
hate this morning after the last spark
had sesn extinguished and their be-
drsggisd appearance together with the
towering skeletons Of what were once
Aaadscme buildings. lent solemn air
20 the bury downtown district
From 9 O'clock on this morning both
YarnEm and Sixteenth streets were Incl
with thrones Wis Toasted their eyes upon
the cold dead walls. booking as though
shsy expected them to again burst forth
In flans
May Ont Of work.
several seore Of shop girls employed IN
the Nccrorey store came downtown ear1y
IN ths morning expecting TO begin another
day Of work at Their various eountsrS
ana booths and they we're considerably
surprised 10 learn that they mere jubless.
Many Of these instead OF turning around
ana leaving the vicinlty crowded the ep-
polite curb and sweiisd the throns OF
eurssas who were keeping their eyes
Glued 10 the buiidins
Il vss not until after : O'Clock ths;
rtrsst esr traffic on Fsrnsm street was
! rssumsd and IN eonssdussce saxi drivers
ana nvsrymen rsaped a harvest from
pundss residents and persons living In
The wsss pert Of town. Stree, cars could
not eS~ste on Sixteenth street until
about Ne same hour.
nsssbnes Discovers Fire.
nm sus first observed BY W. G.
i Dspshman. sscesa assistant manager OF
thu Mccrorsy store. and he turned IN tho
aiwn. The Mecrofey Waterman having
bsen siek. Mr.. Baughman volussered to
sshs he place for the night Al if:N
WV Hc ms W. hottH I9AtEi 41lu
zouna everything all right. Al ii.o he
startsd out again and heard a crashing
Hes> IN the cedar. the sound apparently
0oning from the elevator shaft. He ran
70 the elevator SHAFT and opening the
door vps driven back By . volume Of
1anse smoke The fire was above and
he ran 10 the fiffh floor 10 find every
thing In flames The alarm was then
turned 10 from The nearest Telephone.
wstrAnss sees fire.
About the saps tine that the assistant
nanssss q Accrerey's store discovered
Che ira Pairoiman n G. Roby. who was
webbing that bear. parsed By. AZ with
the niskt Waterman, the first. intima-
sioa he had that soEnsthinE was wrong.
was vhsn the elevator fell from one 81
the uDper floors and crashed In the
hassmsnf. Thsn seeing smoke pouring
frsen ths fourth floor windovs In the
siisy ~ turned 10 he alarm OF firs. z
Ms LseAev raiHs. f.ir
~ lssgs sisvsssd ladder which ~as
spDisvsd by the firv dspsrtments IN
ys@phing the 10 4 the Mccrsrsy r-ors
fpli sssis this upsusnr bit fortunately
no sas w. hurt lust bsfnrs q ~. the
p>ileemAa had novsd the crowds back
from n front % the building.