South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-01-27
Several Stores and Buildings
on Fifth AV. Are Total
Losses - Others Are
Badly Damaged.
NEARLY FIFTY FlREMEN
HIT BY FLYING DEBRIS
The Presence of a Large Guam
tity of Moving Picture
Films Added Danger
to the Fighters.
international News Service:

International News Service:
PITTSBURGH. Pa, Jan. IA
property damage OF at least $1,000
600 is today represented by nearly
block of blackened ruins ia tho
heart Of Fifth av.. the center of the
Pittsburgh shopping district, the re-
suit of one of the citys most disas-
trous fires which swept the block
early today. IL was not until after
o'clock this morning. seven hours
after the fire started. that the
flames were entirely under control.
despite the heroic efforts OF the en-
tire city fire department Dyna-
mite was used as a last resort 20
prevent the further spreading or
the flames
The following large establishments
were destroyed.
McCrory and 10 cents store. $50
Fifth av., complete loss
Frank and Seder. dry goods,
Smithheld and Diamond SITS. with
entrance in Fifth ay.. complete loss.
Grand theater buildings. including
Davis arcade and restaurant, Grand
and Olympic theaters.
Besides these establishments a
number OF shops. Offices. several
dental parlors and stores In the
block were burned.
Sarts at 1888 O'Clock.
The fire started at 1853 O'Clock
this morning. It was discovered b.
a night Waterman Of the McCroy
store who turned IN the first alarm
As the flames gained Roadway
feeding on tinder-lilze stocks and
finding but slight resistance In walls
of the old buildings in the block. a
second. third and fourth alarms
were sounded. calling out all avail
able fire lighting equipment in
Pittsburgh. Even these. with the
mbined efforts OF the firemen. had
not brought the fire under full con
troll six hours later
Nearly 90 fremen were injured
by flying debris. but none seriously.
Only the presence Of all Of the po-
lice reserves i'm the city kept back
the huge crowd which gathered in
the vicinity of the FIRE. The FIRE
lines we're drawn a block away from
the IRE zone and thousands sUrged
about them today including hun
dreds OF girls and women employed
I'm the burned department stores.
Movie Films Burn.
The presence OF a large quantity
OF moving picture films stored in
the Grand opera house building
added danger 20 the fighting OF ths
flames and caused several pyrotech-
nical displays as they exploded
To prevent the flames spreading
across Smithdeld st.. where other
large department stores are located.
fremen dynamited the ruins OF the
Frank and Seder department store
this morning.
A 1O-minute delay in locating the
source Of the FIRE was one OF the
elements which probably contribu-
ted much 90 ITS spread. When the
first fremen reached the scene.
smoke was issuing from the Fifth
av. entrance TO the Frank and Seder
store. Lines OF hose were run into
the store and frenen tried vainly %
find the danes After they had been
in the establishment for several
minutes 10 was discovered that the
smoke was coming from the base
ment OF the McCrory store. The
delay was fatal BY the time water
was turned on into the NcCrOrY
basement 10 was roarfng volcano
Roofs Fall In.
First the lIcCrory store went BE-
fore the sweep - the flames. Then
came the Frank and Seder establish
men- Frank and Seder's walls feu