Jasper County Democrat, Volume 1, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 December 1898 — BIG FIRE AT TERRE HAUTE. [ARTICLE]

BIG FIRE AT TERRE HAUTE.

laass of Property by Conflagration Estimated at sl,ooo*ooo, The worst fire in the history of the city of Terre Haute, Ind., occurred Monday night. The blaze started in the big ahow windows of the Havens & Geddes Company, wholesale and retail dealers in dry goods and notions. It is supposed flint n live electric wire set fire to the cotton with which the window was decorated, and before the blaze could be extinguished the firfe spread to’the decorations of evergreens in the store and the building was wrapped in flames in an incredibly short space of time. A conservative estimate of the damage is $1,000,000, and the following firms are the losers; Havens A Geddeg c0mpany...,,,.,5500,000 Brelnig & Miller, furniture 25,000 Plxley & Co 100,000 Terre Haute Shoe Co., wholesale... 150.000 Albrecht & Co., retail dry g00d*..,. 150,000 United States Hiking Company.... 80,000 Thornran & Schloss, clothiers...... 50,000 There were a number of small concerns which were utterly annihilated in the fall of the rear wall of the Havens & Geddes wholesale house, and the loss in their case will more than bring the total losses up to the $1,000,000 mark. The fire started at 5:30 o’clock, when half the employes of the establishment were at their homes for supper. There is a force of 300 or more iu the retail department of the establishment and bad the entire force been present the loss of life would have been frightful. As it is, Kate Maloney, a clerk in the notion department. sprang from a window In the second story and sustained injuries from which she will probably die. Miss Lnelle Ferguson, a clerk in the same department, jumped just before Miss Maloney, but was caught by some meu who were watching for her. She is internally injured, but will recover. Louis Kramer, the trimmer, who was In the show window when the blaze started, is frightfully burned about the head and arms. When rescued from the burning building he was insane from the pain and begged to be killed. Firemen Anaterloo. Walsh and Sha.v were badly injured in the falling of a floor in the Albsscbt building and are now in the city hospital. The fire department worked admixably and there were many narrow escapes among the men.