MUCH SMOKE, MORE WATER.

A Fire Breaks Out In Levy Bros.’ Clothing Store.

Comparatively Little Burned, But the Loss Will Be Heavy.

Panic Seizes the Employes and There Were Many Thrilling Incidents.

Fireproof Structure of the Building Held the Flames In Check.

FIREMEN’S FINE WORK.

Fire broke out in Levy Bros.’ clothing store at Third and market streets at 4:40 o’clock yesterday afternoon. When the first cry of the fire rang through the store the employees, who numbered about seventy five, were thrown into a panic. All escaped fortunately, only three being injured. No one was seriously hurt. This was due to the prompt and efficient service of the Fire Department and a few other citizens.

Nothing like a correct estimate could be made on the loss last night, but it is believed it will not fall short of $30,000. The splendid construction of the building was the only thing that saved it. There is no other instance in this city of a fire having been put out so quickly after it had got in the elevator shaft.

The fire started in the corner display window, and is supposed to have followed the explosion of an incandescent lamp. […] the chief window trimmer, was at work in this window, preparing his Christmas display, which he expected to finish by the time the store closed at 6 o’clock. He was standing on the floor of the window arranging shoes on a rack, when he heard a loud pop above him. He looked up and saw that the […] cheesecloth with which the glass ceiling of the window is covered, was afire. The blaze traveled along this flimsy material and light cotton in an incredibly short time. As soon as Brown saw the blaze he ran excitedly to the door leading to the window and yelled “fire.” He tore loose long strips of the burning cloth and bunches of the flaming cotton. The heat became so intense, and the smoke so thick and stinging in a short time, though, that he was compelled to leave the window. He started to climb down the ladder, but was so nearly overcome that he fell with a twist of his body to the floor. He crawled from the window and just as he was getting out the intense heat cracked the big windows with a loud report. The heavy plate windows left with a crash and narrowly missed Brown, who scrambled to his feet and ran as fast as he could out of the building.

As soon as the roof of the display window cracked and caved in, the smoke and flames shot up the elevator shaft, which is in the corner of the building next adjoining the window. Most of the men on the first floor when they heard the cry of fire and saw the smoke and flames, ran out into the street without hats or coats.

On the first floor with the men was Miss Anna Rhodes, who lives at 627 East Chesnut street. She was standing in the middle of the first floor when she heard the loud report of the exploding window. She was horrified to see the flames and smoke burst out. She tried to run, but felt herself fainting. She was about to fall when two of the employees seized her and bore her out of the building. When she regained consciousness, she was in a chair at George Mortiz’s barber shop, just a few doors above. She was not hurt beyond a severe nervous shock and was able to walk home. Those who were on the third and fourth floors found themselves in the most dangerous position.

John F. Wisotzki, who works on the third floor, was one of those who started down the steps. He came back with his coat over his head, but this did not seem to protect him from the thick, penetrating smoke. He felt himself about to faint, so he dropped to his knees and buried his face in a leather sofa. In this way he got a bit of fresh air, which revived him.

By this time the Fire Department was on the ground and doing valiant service. They had responded to the three alarms sent in my the fifty or more automatic fire […]. The aerial ladders were hoisted to the third floor and the firemen began their work of rescuing the imprisoned people. The women were lifted out and carried down the ladder to the ground and then taken to the barber shop near by. Mr. Wisotzki was also helped down and taken to the same place, where Dr. Godshaw applied restoratives and stimulants. Mr. Wisotzki was soon able to get about.

Miss Katie […] was another of those on the third floor. She was wrapping up a pair of shoes that had just been purchased when the heat and smoke attracted her attention. She tried to get to the bottom floor, but was forced back by the heat.

By this time there were faces white with fear appearing at all the windows on the fourth and fifth floors, and some that peered anxiously over the big cornice around the roof. The linemen, fearing that they would be unable to rescue all the people in the building, called for volunteers.

The first to respond was Philip […] who lives at […] Washington street. He scrambled over the trucks and climbed hastily up the ladder. He reached the third floor in a moment, and, seizing Miss Diebold, pulled her out of her dangerous position, and, holding her about the waist with one arm, picked his way down to the ground. As the thousands of people who were crowded around the building saw the brave rescue, they gave a mighty shout.

The young woman was carried into the barber shop unconscious, and it was some time before she could be resuscitated.

A MOST DARING ESCAPE.

How Miss Mamie Hayden Swung Herself From a Third Story Window To a Ladder.

The most daring escape from the third floor was that made by Miss Mamie Hayden. She stood coolly at the front window waiting for the ladder to be sent up. When the ladder settled the top of it rested in the second window of the five under the big arch. The window in which she stood was separated on the outside from the window against which the ladder rested by a short column.

When she saw the ladder settle she stepped out on the cornice, wound her arm around the column and then swung herself lightly over onto the ladder.

The crowd fairly stood on tiptoe as they saw the daring act, and when the young woman was safely on the ladder and began her descent, the crowd cheered and the men threw up their hats in excitement. When she reached the ground her friends took her and carried her home in a back.

PENNED BY THE HEAT.

Had To Return To the Fourth Floor After Going Down Two Flights.

There were between ten and fifteen on the fourth floor when the fire was first discovered. Mr. Abe Levi was on this floor and first saw the smoke piling up the elevator shaft.

“Why, look at the smoke,” he exclaimed, and then some one yelled fire.

Mr. Henry Benis, the manager of this floor, held up his hand and called: “Don’t be in a hurry, boys.”

His warning was useless, however, for at the first cry of danger the men and the one woman on the floor, Miss Julia Fogarty, made a rush for the steps. They rand down them recklessly that they stumbled over each other and C.L. Crouch was knocked over and caught himself on the balustrade as he was about to fall. The whole crowd fought their way through the smoke to the second floor. It was so hot here that they almost smothered and they were compelled to get back to the fourth floor as best they could.

When they reached the fourth floor this time, the whole room was filled with a dense smoke. Crouch, who is a delicate man, was almost suffocated by the smoke. He fell on his face to the floor and was enabled in this way to get enough fresh air to keep his senses.

Hicks Collier was able to get to the third floor […] was forced to back and reached the fifth floor, where he […], with his face scorched and his lungs full of smoke.

Miss Fogarty was the last one to try to get down stairs. As she reached the second landing she was told that escape that was was completely cut off. She followed the rest back, and she, with eleven others, climbed up the steps in the tower that led to the roof. While going up, the flying sparks burned her hands until they were filled with blisters. When the little group of people stepped out on the roof they felt that they were cut off from escape completely, and that death was only a matter of a short time.

When a man went to the edge of the roof and peered down into the streets, the crowd held its breath lest he should pitch himself off.

THE RESCUE.

Thirty-Five Foot Ladders Were Too Short – An Electric Wire Put To Good Use.

In the meantime the firemen were making steady efforts to reach those on the roof. The thirty-five foot ladder reached to the third story. A […] ladder was then pressed into service, and the fifth floor was reached. Capt. Tyson, Ed. C. Cline and Baldy […] all of the no. 2 Hook and Ladder Company, […] the ladders, and disappeared through the windows on the fith floor. […] arrived by Capt. Tyson […] swinging on the roof. The crowd again cheered. Ed Cline carried Miss Fogarty down off the roof to the fifth story and then to the ground.

She was taken to J. Winter and Co.’s tailoring establishment where she was attended by Dr. Garvin. Her hands were dressed, and she was sent to her home, 1927 West Market.

Crouch was found lying on the fifth floor where he had fallen. He was carried to the ground by Fireman Monsch, and thence to Moritz’s barber shop.

When the crowd of about ten reached the roof their escape seemed to be cut off. They looked around the north edge of the building. They saw the roof of the Turf Exchange below, but the distance was too great to risk jumping.

Ernest Hambleton spied a long stepladder leaning against the tower, and three of the men seized this at once and tried it over the edge of the building. This was found to be too short. A coil of extra electric light wire was found lying on the roof. This was doubled and tied around the top step of the ladder. The ladder was then lowered to the roof of the Turf Exchange.

The crowd of people on Third street had been attracted by the actions of the men, and when they saw what the men were up to they gave a loud cheer. After the group finished making their […] escape, they seemed a bit timid about using it, but the loud cheer of the encouragement gav ethem heart.

Charles Hurst was the first man to attempt a descent. Six of the men on the roof held the wire, while he wrapped his legs around it and slid quickly down to the ladder. When the crowd saw this first escape it yelled itself hoarse. Hambleton followed next in the same way, and after him William Pope, colored; […] Morris and a cash boy named Lee. The last man to attempt to get down was Henry Benis. He tied the wire to one of the chimneys, and reached the pavement in safety.

LOSS CAN NOT BE ESTIMATED.

Believe That It Will Not Fall Short of $30,000 – Covered By Insurance.

By 7:30 o’clock last night, the Fire Department had every vestige of fire out. It never got beyond the windows on the lower floor. The steel work surrounding the lower elevator shaft was warped by the heat. All the ceilings in the building are of steel and the space between the ceilings and floors is filled with asbestos. There is very little woodwork in the building and it is as near fireproof as a building can be.

Mr. Abe Levy said last night that if the employees had run down stairs and kept on instead of turning back and trying to get to the roof, there would have been no occasion for a panic. He said he was on the fifth floor when the cry of fire was made and he ran down as fast as he could. When he reached the second floor, he said some one of the employees cried to him to go back, but instead of doing this, he dashed down the last flight of stairs and out into the street. Mr. Levy said the fire would not interrupt their business much. In an hour and a half after the alarm was sent in he telegraphed to New York for a fresh stock of Christmas clothing. This will reach here in a week’s time and will be ready for sale, if not in the present handsome building, in some other environment to it. Mr. Levi says they propose to continue their business right along if they have to sell in a tent.

The only damage done by the blaze was in the show window, where it started, and to the hats on the first floor. Also on the first floor were men’s furnishings and the finest clothing in the stock. These were totally damaged by smoke and water. Two inches of water stood on this floor overnight. On the second floor was boys’ clothing. This was almost as badly damaged by smoke and water as the clothing on the first floor, as the firemen carried a line of hose to the second story and shot a stream of water down the elevator shaft. This method of fighting the fire kept it confined to the lower floor.

The third floor is filled with shoes. The patent-leather shoes are damaged by the heat and the other shoes are damaged by water which shrunk the linings. The clothing on the fourth and fifth floors was damaged by smoke. Levy Bros. carried at least $200,000 worth of stock. Mr. Abe Levy said last night that he could place no estimate on the loss. It was doubtful if he could do so today. However, it is believed the damage will not fall short of $30,000. This is fully covered by insurance.

When the fire broke out at Levy Bros. the clerks in the cashier’s office of the Turf Exchange were counting the proceeds of the day’s bets and putting them into parcels. They had $7,000 lying about on the counters when some one came running in and called upon them to save themselves, that there was […] through Levi Bros. into the Exchange. The clerks looked out and […]the money until they had all of it gathered into packages. Then they dashed it into the safe, slammed the doors to, turned the […] combination and made a wild scramble for the door. They all got out without being injured.

Last night a […] was stretched around Levi Bros.’ building and a special detail of police placed there to watch the place.

Dr. Garvin and Deputy Jailer Keily were on the fifth floor when the fire broke out. They got separated in the escaping, and when they met some time afterward out in the street, found that each was only damaged by the smoke.

MUCH SMOKE, MORE WATER: A Fire Breaks Out In Levy Bros.’ Clothing Store Comparatively Little Burned, But the Loss Will Be Heavy Panic Seizes the Employes and There Were Many Thrilling Incidents Fireproof Structure of the Building Held the Flames In Check FIREMEN’S FINE WORK – ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Louisville Courier Journal (1830 – 1922) – ProQuest [Louisville, Ky] 11 Dec 1894: 7.

ALSO

“If there was ever any doubt about Levy Bros.’ building at Third and market streets being fire-proof, the doubt was dispelled Monday afternoon when it was called upon to stand such a severe test. The fire caught in the most dangerous possible place, the corner window, filled with the most combustible materials, yet the fire did no serious damage out of the window or off the first floor.

This fact was due somewhat, of course, to the efficient work done by the firemen, but, had the building not been fire-proof, no power could have saved it from going up in flames. When the flames reached to the ceiling of the first story they met a solid sheet of steel. behind this steel ceiling, between the ceiling and the second floor, a layer of asbestos had been placed, so that the entire first floor might have been completely burned out, and still the second floor not have been injured by the flames. Every ceiling in the building is of steel, reinforced by this asbestos padding.

In spite of the strong fight made by the firemen against the building, it still stands without a crack inside or outside, and with no sign of the recent fire on the outside except the broken windows on the west side. This is a great satisfaction to Levy Bros. and a matter of congratulation. It helped them to shoulder their loss with commendable resignation, and gave them an opportunity to give another example of their great business enterprise and pluck, in spite of the great disadvantages under which they labored. The fire came in the midst of the holiday trade, when the store was full of such goods as are sought by the holiday-shopper. It looked to one not acquainted with the splendid business resources of this firm as if they would be cut off from doing business during the best two business weeks in the year.

But the firm was not to be discouraged by any handicap. Within an hour and a half after the alarm of fire was sent in they were making preparations to begin business again. The day after the fire temporary quarters were opened at 315 West Market Street. All the firm’s employees stood ready to do anything in their power to readjust things without solicitation from the firm. The offers of some of the young men were accepted. The others were given the week as a holiday, but will receive their salaries the same as if they were working, showing the great liberality of the Levy Bros.

The big fire sale began yesterday morning at 9 o’clock at both places, the old stand, corner Third and Market, and at the 315 West Market. Immense crowds of purchasers went to take advantage of the great reductions…”

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