Democratic Sentinel, Volume 21, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 March 1897 — FIRE VISITS ST. LOUIS. [ARTICLE]

FIRE VISITS ST. LOUIS.

Ely-Walker Dry Goode Co. Burned Ont-Los. $1,800,000. Fire Monday gutted the mammoth seven-story grauite building at the southwest corner of Bth street and Washington avenue, St. Ixiuis, Mo., occupied by the Ely-Walker Dry Goods Company. The loss will be close to $1,500,000. One human life was sacrificed and several people were hurt. The fire was one of the worst the St. Louis department has had to cope with for a long time, and for a while it looked as though tile Washington avenue wholesale business district would be wiped out. The building burned was known ns the Lionherger Building. It fronted on Washington avenue, running north along Bth street to St. Charles, and extended west on Washington avenue to the middle of the block. The firm’s enormous stock of goods was recently increased by immense purchases from the East, and consequently every inch of available floor space was occupied by great piles of dry goods of every description for the spring trade. The insurance on the stock is about sl,«

000,(XX). The building wan insured for $200,000. It was owned by the John R. Lionberger estate and was built about eight years ago at a cost of $500,000. Before the blaze was mastered one fireman, George Gaultwnld, was killed by a falling wall at the Bth street end of "the building, and during the fire several other firemen were more or less seriously injured. It is the opinion of the members of the Ely-Walker Company and officers of the fie department the fire was caused by an electric wire.