Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1918-01-17
100000 FIRE
At INDIANAPOLIS
Firms Working on War Con-
tracts Suffer Heavy Loss.
STARTED BY AN INCENDIARY
STARTED BY AN INCENDlARY
Four-Story Industrial Building, Six
Dwellings, Church and Other Struc-
lures Destroyed-Firemen
Handicapped by Cold.

indianapolis, Jan. 14.-Fire, believed
to have been started by an incendiary,
probably an alien enemy, last night
razed the four-story Industrial build
Ing, occupying the entire block bound
ed by Tenth, Eleventh and Fayette
streets and the canal, and periled the
entire district bounded by Tenth street
On the south, the canal on the west,
Fall creek on the north and Illinois
street.
The property loss is estimated at
more than $1,O00,O00, but, in spite of
the fact that six dwellings, a church,
grocery and saloon were also de-
stroyed, it is believed that no lives
were lost.
Affects Thirty Firms.
Thirty manufacturing firms have es-
Establishments in the Industrial building,
and the fact that many of them are en-
gagged in making machines and sup
plies, under war contracts, for the gov
ernment, leads the authorities to be-
lieve that the fire was started by an
'11CH CuCluy.
Fire Chief Loucks is of the opinion
that the blaze was of incendiary ORR
gin and federal agents and the city
Lolice are proceeding on this theory.
The flames appeared to break out
simultaneously in two widely sepa-
rated parts of the structure Famed
by gale that swept from the south
west, the flames spread with such
rapidity that the 81 companies-In-
dianapolis' entire equipment-had to
struggle desperately to save adjacent
blocks to the north and east.
Handicapped by Cold.
The firemen were handicapped in
their work by the zero weather. In
order to augment the water supply
Chief Loucks had holes cut in the ice
Of the CANAL and was thus able to
get additional streams.
Falling walls placed the fire fighters
in danger and cut line after line of
hose.
The rapidity with which the fire
spread was explained by the fact that
the automatic sprinkler system, with
which the building was equipped
throughout, had been shut off in all
but the southwest corner. In small
section of the plant only did the
sprinklers work..
So quickly did the fire spread that
it was impossible to save the contents
of the factories in the Industrial build
ing. 1t was estimated that fully $780,
600 worth of new automobiles were
stored in the basement.
The building was owned by the Gen.
eral Industrial and Manufacturing
company, composed of local capital
lists. Insurance on the building is
placed at 100000 and on the contents
at from $5OO,OOO to 100000.
The fire was one of the most spec
tacular in the city's history and thou
sands stood on the frozen canal to
watch the work Of the firemen.
Big Fire at Grand Rapids.
Grand Rapids, Mich, Jan. 14-The
Hawkins block six-story Office build
ing in the business district, was de-
SIAoyCu anu I"O olHeI DiS uu1luiASS
adjoining were being swept by fire
Of undetermined origin. Almost i'm
passable drifts of snow impeded the
fremen in their efforts to control the
flames
Million Dollar Fire in Washington.
Washington, Jan. 15.-Quantities of
army supplies, including $1,OOO,OO0
worth Of food was destroyed, the quar-
termaster's warehouse ruined and sew
eral other buildings damaged by fire
at the Washington barracks, occupied
by engineer troops.