Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1914-11-23
LARGE WAREHOUSE
IN CITY OF OMAHA
DESTROYED BY FIRE
Seventy-Five Thousand Loss When
Sherman & Mcconnell Property
at Druid Hill Station Burns.
FREDRICKS0N HEAVY LOSER
Fifteen Automobiles Stored in the
puild;uu Arc All Rurned hut
Fifteen Automobiles Stored in the
Building Are All Burned, but
Covered by Insurance.
FIREMEN HINDERED IN WORK
Hose Crushed Beneath Falling Walls
and Put Out of Commission.
FLAMES MAKE RAPID HEADwAY
Building Erected by Murphy n
Massey Chair Company, at Cost
of 100000, Twenty
Years Ago.

Fire Sunday afternoon completely de-
stroyed the Sherman & Mcconnell ware
house at Thirty-third and Spauldlng
streets. together with the contents. The
fire originated in the office at the north
east corner, on the main floor of the
building, and in a few minutes had swept
through the entire five-story structure
from front to back. The building con-
tanned 100000 square feet OF floor space,
covered a complete city block and was
the largest warehouse in the city. The
loss is estimated at around $4,000,
Watchman T. +. Shirley, living at
Twenty-seventh and Evans streets, who
was supposed to have been in the build
ing. was located later in the evening, safe
and unnjured
The fire was fought by practically the
entire fire department Hose was laid
from Thirtieth and Spaulding streets, a
distance of more than three blocks.
Small station Burns.
The Druid Hin railway station on the
Belt line, directly across the tracks,
caught fire and burned. Edgar Peters,
watchman. who with his family lived i'm
the rear of the station, saved a portion
of his furniture, when onlookers came
to their aid and helped carry the articles
into the open.
The warehouse was practically at the
mercy of the flames from the start, and
what progress had been made I'm fighting
the fire was halted when the brick wall
at the north end of the building crumbled
on top of the hose. which was burned
BY the time new lines were laid the build
ing was q seething oaldron of flame and
within three-quarters OF an hour the en-
tire structure, with the exception of the
southeast corner. was burned TO the
ground. A crowd of fully $4,000 people
congregated in the immediate vicinity and
In a manner hindered the work of the
firemen.
Fifteen Automobiles BurB.
Charles r, Sherman stated that ,ths loss
TO his firm, which owned the structure
and had a considerable stock of fixtures
stored within. would reach $4,000, por-
ton of which is covered by insurance
II. e. Fredrickson. who had fifteen
automobiles stored on the second floor
asserts that his loss is practically covered
by insurance. The loss is around s25,0OO.
A Nebraska City firm lost considerable
property stored in the building. This also
is believed to be insured.
The warehouse was inspected by the
fire warden during the last week and de-
clared to be the cleanest of its kind in
the city. 1t was erected about twenty
years ago at cost of 100000 by the
Murphy & Massey Chair company, that
about six years ago moved TO Detroit,
Mich, and leased the place TO the Beebe
& Runyan Furniture company. This com
pany moved to new quarters over year
ago, when Sherman & Mcconnell pur-
chased the structure.
A. r. Mcconnell estimates that about
one-third of the loss is covered by insur-
ance. The only portion of the plant saved
was a small annex at the southeast cor
rer, which was vacant.
Edgar Peters, the watchman at the
Druid Hill station. discovered the fire.
BY the time he had notified the fire sta
tion at Thirtleth and Spaulding streets
the fire was beyond control.