, 1870-08-13
CONFEDERATION,
Total Destruction or Heath 4,
mfilfsan'A Great Paint
and Oil Store.
a Scene Of Terror and Devastation
Loss About $500, ,000-Iusur-
anee About $130,0O0.

AesslA dc8&1 All1RAn, Npa. 1t0 and III East
Randolph street, Was totally destroyed by fire.
last evening, Involving loss in the neRhborhood
Of Ssoo, 900. II is now many months 8ince Chicago
has been visited ty any1hing approaching con-
nag1at1on. A goodly sized nsc Was actually be-
coming novelty 70 CUR people, 40 Injured
to Devastating oondagrat1ons in un1eB pass, and
hence, when the pillar OF IRE that shot up from
the burning ptle proclaimed that something exua
Ordinary waB transpir1ng, people hocked to the
scene from all pazta ot the city, and crowd OF At
least 10 900 people WIS soo1 gathered 10 the-rl
C.ulty of the connaEratiop. A more ravtshiug. .ufe
was never witnessed In Chicago. 1t had the wilt
10 destroy the cntlrr city, ami, hut for cxtranvdi
uafJ tmpedtmeuss, the entire business part Of the
town might have teen destroyed. Safety was &C.
cured oniy ~ pertec, nrv-proof wan-quite an
ubnspa! 'hinK Ia this cttY-and the tremendous
nna dRElnEexettlan ct CUT nobae, ,Ftse Department.
wEI probably never be positively ascer1a!ned.
Some hetleFc tnas Il arose In the euxtue-rnom
situatt In the reaf part OF the basement but this
theors Is somewhat contIadlcted By the fact that
this portion Of the building *a8 considered pei
ftEty re-prDol, anu that there vas no IRE OF
lten. IN ne sng.ne.Eoo ~ hoar before sae na@es
under the sidewalk Ia the a1!eE. and claim ID.
csnts,az1sm as the cause, while still others, and Of
itkhment give Is as their opinion that the me-
uan. The reason Why the locality where the nre
originated Is 50 much in question Is dne to the tact
that The danes, when obstfved, burst our OF III
pa1ts Of The building almost simultaneously. a
lumber 81 gentlemen we're seated u N front Of IT.
the nrst iutimatIon they had OF the 1st WAS when
the ranes burst tn fury cut Of the tr8t and second
door wtndosa p Bssoss they could s,sn a Ea!;e tas
the entire building was enFeloped
The alarm was sounded about half-past
hurried to the scene, aud ,ha Officers IN command
Instantly recognized that an extraordinary effort
would be required Of the nremen to extngu!ah the
w&tz Ant 4
In little rnOrs than ten minutes dozen gteaMess
wcte on the ground nnu at Eork- Owing N the
height Ct The building, aad the iaet that II vas
high baiidlnRq, considerable difficulty wase1-
per4enccd In bringing the water 70 bear oa the
most important pc'ats. 1he STRAINS. too, wrsc
before the water could BE- forced up TO the upper
[ tnt1b} 1ter. However, on the IRE ftsclt, water
had prneons ,n s e1ee! aan she 3e 6s oie ~ ~
did adage Was again established that oil
| and water wont mix. On the ne1shboEtug
enss ssec I'D in seor Of
instances, proved saving grace. When the 1rE
waa ri ts he,eht-aul no n1e 10 this city ever
salamanders felt safe IN entertaining the opinion
that the havoc could be confined to the original
place. 1t seemed tney!.able that The ad,oln!19 oil
and ratnt establishment. that OF Aessra- Aston,
| Devoe Co. No. l7e Randolph street, divided
| from The other by single nall and, In fact,
Tnls p!sce Is stored viii stock fully lie cqnai
| Vi that destroyed, and haa The nancs entered
/ np6atts destruction. no one can tell whete the
end ~olad have been. as Ihe beat OF the conda-
| Rrntion xonld have made thenelghhu1hooa entire
| lyuutenabif.
Although the frc was couaned to a colupara-
llyely small apaee--smal, NJ least. when compared
to several Of cur great Lake street ars-tt hurried
With unparalleled 0ttceness, and presented sight
truly awe-tnspitng. At the rear The danes rushed
through the Ioof at the start. bus tewafa the
ing for the space Of ten OF fifteen MInutcR Hut,
| suddenly, The dense rnass Of black, oily smoke
| semtiine lie rushing 81 mighty waters tho danes
thot out and upward to height ofsnea1lF m hna-
J dr.h feet.
street nnd opposite Sidewalk iu spite Of the ear
nest Efforts OF the police to clear the way. hut
when this awful mass OF dame shot forth. tnreat-
| enlhg instant obstruction to I'LL surroundings.
there YVES j fearful stampede, and men and bays
rushed and fell npon, each other as II pursued BY
ii ~ ten % nausrs All III he toTn seens1 on n tite. and
w.uduws y mile from the scene elowct IS IL Of
| FURNISHED Euiu.
lug property y as u: the leas, 1n Court PLACE II
I WAS span esrlelat that the Wills would fall. sad
IA caur, r'aee IL but nasIsw pass,ge.way, tae
n.rmen were threatened with Inevitable sltrtruc-
st.uctt0n II iaiey vcnturcA within sttktE dis
lance. Accordingly they were compelled 10 plsy
Materially with the play OF taer streams, a. nons
.uull he brought 10 Il direct brariHE. But the
services Of the hose. were soon required 10 save
l
hut running back along the Alley t
the scene ct the nrt. was basely sasetl- AZ ons
roinrs, ami it was most fortunate that TWO streau
wefr in position to PLAY upon It. OF It would hayt
bcsn doomed 70 !ncsitabls ne! destruction.
| aud the worz et saving live stock aud carriage
! rum the Threatened baitt,ing WAS exciting an,
carts Pushed into itsc alIcyway =, times when par
ties dragging carriages desired to rush out, cuu
: t.ons were frequent, and profanity profuse. Bu
{ ber OF pitched hastles would hare ensutr,.
I The rear wall robbed oi its supports, and force
e hy the intense 5eat swayed llke tirs,nken ma ma
| for several ultnIte4 but finally ca1nc down Wit
!. terrible crash 1n failing 1t burst number {
barrels n1Iel with oil that were mass't In The rea
i | aud eutidcnlE column Of IRE shot heavenward
II distance Of over ntty feet 1t~as a round shaf
!. alont ten feet In diameter, and presented al III
culcts OF the 1anboW. As soon as the danger fro'
!he thtratet.inE Wa vas nast tas n5smgn . nn fsns
and dozen wclf-ilrertctt streams soon PLACED II
% surToundlrg property out 81 danger.
q The building, which efuhyaceat Nos 40 aud !
n was fve story brick, With 3 trans Of sak te
E. on Randolph street. and depth Of $50 feet, t!
On G.u pas i vi fs5f s5,sa *s fe
Hiout 100 trtt Ut tho side walls arc still s1andtn
II the latter being protected hy the buildings .
e,tnea ae anq h tns ~ =, H. III
q fell In. The estimated danage 10 the butlAlns
Is {9 0Un but several insurance Agents think 1t c
|
i tettol and labor being cheaper now taan when
1e was nut IN, The heirs Of the late William Jon
own it, aul It is insured ior sto,ooo In city q
The occupants. Mcss,s- Heath L MI1ugs
lose their entire STOCK and machinery. TneT NE
general malufActurets Of na4uts, nud had cue
the completest establishments of The Kind In I
Il country. 10 tho basement were the bo!!tss q
engine The former were worth = quo and
latter &, roc. On the aEst 1ooF were the mills
s11n,iing white lead and colofs- Their stock
lead amounted TO four hundred tons. On the 8
0nh noof were fourteen Hlll!s TOR mixing. 7
= thin! door was The wholesale department. AMI
taken on The lst Of January last footeti tsst,o
lot tne last month Of two the nr.n have been
ting IN thciE ta1] stock. They cst1maie their l
~ an stock at between tle'No and ssstN. 7
he Everything In the building was destroyed, Il
fe- their loss viii nu1 he lar from k7ao, They h,
nt Insurance policies tus about kiu0e00 in foca1
n | placed bs =. u. anaT. ai,h Miilrr Il DFew.
f1remeh's, Fhrnls. aud other city companies
~ ~ Thr hui,.,i.s adjolng, Ne, III, WIS owned
IT. ! e,heE htlfs III William, JoHea+ AMI occupied
he Alstor. neype 4 10, dealers 4n paints, OILS
= Ihs , s'1stnrs x!rn, Va " ,ss nv
Ie1 10, go Ill city ani Eastern companies The
II thu ocenrants is arproxi11atsl At fsao
en | water. They haze pnfictes fdr k10h.fS1.
- The 1pnr stoiv hEsrk adjoining No. 10. {.
.l- Auo~n as Nts- 166 and los. was somewhat In
Ut aTtti- II II ON ned GF t1s NJ. AsAn, All otENp
.,y different firms. The roof was slightly hufl
ailt, The ceilings d1naerh by watc-. The los
ias estimated 1T sl.:u0: iuily insured in comra1
es- | unknown.
The nrst noos was occupied by llnlbani,
t1cE 4 Ia dealers In hardware. ThslT loss
wafer viii not exccet. <s00; insured The cell
plas,erint fell down ant! damaged some cutler.
The rear part OF The third door was occupied
sitRisman 1 AtidWeyer, dry Eooas cotn1niss
a1 merchants, Their loss By water WIS about s.
~, inaurtd,
nd: The fou1th door wns the hook hinderT Of r.
ri: Tids whose loss hy water ls $:oo: Insured
du 35.t4p IN the 4Etua-
I'd. None Of the other occupants lost ANYTHING,
.s \ Story frame hulltfE IN The rear Of
L. | 1Gs owned by William Mos1cr, carpenter,
e demolished by the east wall fai.ng upon X s
H. burning tinDers to:iu1eti The Y An an't COMPILE
II; the destruction OF the building and lts conte
Ct; Morley estimates his loss II Il, lie has 81
IN; tneurancc In q city company.
o. The 4Etna Building, Nos St aud So Las
street, tho side 0, whicn faces Court place.
ere .lansee.l hy tlre about s5n. Nearly cteTr pan
1T. glass Ia thr wintuws was broken By the heat
1a; votving an additional loss Of $500. The owr
on' ! F1y i RawteiEh, ale insured.
M: The tutal Loss viii reach about $eor, co.,