Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 307, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 December 1913 — INDIANAPOLIS ARMORY DESTROYED BY FIRE [ARTICLE]

INDIANAPOLIS ARMORY DESTROYED BY FIRE

Building Occupied by Soldiers During Strike and All Equipment Went Up in Smoke. The, infantry armory, located at -9ab puufqsy pua nue in Indianapolis, was totally destroyed by fire Tuesday night The fire was discovered at about 10:45 o’clock, at which time flames were issuing from the roof. ""Jerry, the colored fireman and janitor, had made a round of inspection about an hour before and states that everything was all right at that time. **

This was the armory In which Company M and fourteen other companies of the national guard were quartered during the recent strike of the street car employes, and the fire seemed to have started on the balcony at just about the place where Company M was located.

There was a large imount of ammunition stored in the armory and this kept up a continual popping and served to frighten the firemen so that only a feeble effort was made to put out the flames. The building cost about $15,000, while the equipment belonging to the state and government wsa valued at about $60,000. The building was owned by the Indianapolis battalion armory association. It was quite large but was only a shell of a building and it is probable that there is not another city the size of Indianapolis in the country where the state has not provided very «u----peror quarters for its troops. In respect to the care of its state troops Indiana is probably one of the most derelict in the United States and it is certainly hoped that the next legislature will provide for an armory of commensurate proportions in Indianapolis and take a forward step to providing them for all national guard companies in the state. ’