River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-11-22
BURNiNG OF A DRY GOODS PALACE.
the Immense Retail House of FfeIo.
Letter a Go. Hafns.


BURNING OF A DRY GOODS PALACE.
the Immense Retau House of FIsIo.
Letter a Co. Bufns.
From the Chicago IfEsane. Nov. Is.
The dread sound Of the tre-alarm heard
last evening just as people were entering
the theatres, or going home 10 their con-
Portable firesides, proved to be the herald
of very serious disaster.
There was an interest, profound and
general, felt In the fire Of last evening,
for everybody seems to feel that the great
establishment Of Field, Letter d Co. is
part and parcel Of the industrial prosper
ity Of Chicago. The destruction of such
an amount Of property could not but be
regarded as a dire calamity al such time
as this, and SO, a. the news few round,
people left their fresides, their theatres.
Their biiliard-tables, and everything, to
crowd TO the scene of action. The sim
pie intimation that Field, Letter q Co.'S
place was burning was enough to start
every body from their seats, and, before
The fire had made any Roadway, a crowd
had gathered which needed the utmost
exertion Of the police department % keep
IN order. From every quarter OF the city
people kept pouring down toward the
place. until every street leading TO State
street wilnln SIX blocks Of the burning
building was damned with human beings
of all ages, sex and kind. Such an ex-
citement has not been witnessed for many
year. Every fre-eDgine IN the depart
ment was at the spot, playing, and sput-
terng and screaming, and the wide
thoroughfare presented for several hours
such sight as one might expect to see
al Doomsday. Nobody seemed to heed
the pouring rain, or the muddy streets, cr
the rushing engine and affrighted horses.
Women FLASHED through the pud9les,
needless Of the dangers involved ia wet
/ feet, men rushed hither and thither ia
the frantic manners characteristic Of hu-
mainly when under the influence Of
supreme public excitements; pickpockets
piled their handicraft, and boys, as usual,
managed TO dodge around In everybody's
way. 1t seemed as If the entire city had
come down town 10 witness the terrible
scene.
THE FIRST ALARM
came from Box %, located on the corner
Of Randolph and State streets, al 8 :04.
4 The steamers within the district, six in
number, were soon on the ground. Smoke
was then coming out Of the north end of
I tise building, and an occasional fash Of
fame could be seen on the fifth floor
from the street, The fire-escape was run
Up, but Was too short by twenty feet to
reach the top Of the structure. The lad
der was therefore placed against fourth
story window, and pIpemen quickly
mounted with hose. Other firemen took
positions Oh top Of Burley q Tyrrel's
store adjoining, and holes were cut in the
roof of the burning structure, the fire
| having gotten IN between the ceili1g and
the roof. Others again dragged hose in
TO the building and up the stairways.
Great difficulty was experienced in get
1 ting inside The iron doors on State
street had TO be chopped open. This, il
is said. took ten minutes. The six streams
| throwing on the flames at twenty minutes
after eight had no noticeable effect The
/ fire gradually spread south, and east, the
wind having shifted. The flames having
eaten fheir way once to the rotunda roof
large pieces Of blazing timber began
falling to the FIRST floor. 1t was apparent
that
was necessary. So a seconu and third
combination alarm was turned oh, and
this brought twelve more steamers TO the
scene The advantage Of double fire
hydrants was now shown, for ne less than
SIX steamers were able TO get all the
water they could handle from those on
the corners Of State and Washington
streets The reinfoTcements were placed
to the best advantage by Fire-Marshal
Benner, some Of the men going up TO the
| fifth story with hose, the south end Of the
| building, facing Washington street, being
at this tlme-twenty minutes Of Com
paratively free from fire. though il was
/ full OF dense smoke. The men faced this
brayely until they were driven out. They
then stationed themselves on the fourth
floor at the rotunda railing, and, direct
/ ing the streams upward, did all the ext
cution possible. II was evident however,
even at this time that the greater portion
OF the building was doomed. Large
pieces Of burning timbers fell continually
from the roof TO the first floor, but they
were quickly extinguished by fremen
with Babeocks.
At few minutes after 3 O'Clock mass
Of studding, hot plaster and other wood
work fell from floor to floor on the north
ern side of the building near the stairway,
and between the two elevators. I was OF
no great weight, and il is hard to account
for It's fsIl On the second and third
floors there were two streams Of water be.
ing directed up the elevator ways. The
pipemen were directly under the falling
mass, and with pitiful yell they
WENT DOWN WITH THE BURNING MASS.
A moment later one Of them was rescued
but he was only able TO breathe tlS, the
number Of his company. he was badly
bruised about the chest and shoulders
and had fallen from the third floor. Ter
minutes elapsed before any one could Get
near this burning mass, and then some
fireman made bold TO rush in and rescue
one of their brethren. This was Dudley
l the ex-freman. and he died several min
ufes after being taken out. During all this
time could be heard hesrtrending though
smofhered cries Of
asAvK ME, FOR COPS sAKEr
Help, Oh, God I'm burning!" and
then came piercing shrieks as if of great
bodily pain. This shouting continued
for nearly fifteen minutes, and those who
/ were compelled to stand within hearing
distance, yet could not for their lives rem
der assistance 10 the poor creatures whe
were dying the most painful Of deaths,
hope never again TO be in similar posi-
tion. Marshal Shay was among the num-
Der. Once an attempt WAS made st res
cue, by cutting through a stairway, but
il wa Intellectual. The cries grew louder,
then suddenly decreased, and al that
could be heard after we're groans and
cries 81 slight intervals.
There wers Others IN the building also,
clerks and policemen, and they too left
4 IN hurry. Scarcely half had reached
! the Sidewalk when another crash was
heard. and IL s few moments three or
four Sremen were brought out by their