Arizona citizen., 1877-11-23
Fire in Chicago--LOss Upwards of a
 Million Dollars.

OldNG.
 Fire fin ChIcagO--LOss Upwards of a
 Million Dollars.
 CHICAGO, November 15.-A fire broke out last evening at eight o'clock in the retail dry goods establishment of Field & Letter. It quickly communicated,
 by means of the open elevator hatch way, with the lower floors, and at ten o'clock almost the entire stock of dry goods was completely destroyed by fire or by water The building seems to have been completely gutted except on the two lower floors, which remains less injured than the others.
 i Following are the known casualties :I Charles A. Dudley, of San Francisco, but a member of Chicago fire com pany, which he was assisting tonight, killed a watchman in the building, Il name unknown, killed; J. H. Shauen- berg, fireman, injured dangerously in formally; Francis Flanagan, internal ly hurt and asphyXiated-dangerous; :; R. c. Payne, cOlored fireman, severely hurt; Jerome Barley, pipeman, badly burnt about the face and hands. The following are missing: John O'Rourke, engineer; Sweeny, pipeman, supposed to be in the ruins; Pat Smith, an en- ploye, was hurt badly by falling tim. Der, which struck him on the head. All the injured are more or less burn ed. The injuries, however, resulted largely from the falling stairs and elc- vator, which fell on account of thel breaking of rope. Three men were under it, and two were probably killed thereby. Eight hundred and fifty per sons are thrown out of employment by this disaster, of whom 1j0 are women employed as dressmakers, filters, etc The building was owned by the Sin ger Manufacturing Company, and cost when built some five years ago, $750,- 900, and is worth at least $500,000 The walls, which were impaired by al former fire, have never heen as strong as they should be, and are now sol shaky that they will probably come down. The building may therefore be considered very nearly total loss.
 MT. Field furnishes the followingI statement: The fire originated in al sort of demi-story or attic, in an unoc- cupied room just above the fifth story Its origin cannot be accounted for on Il any theory. The fourth and fifth stories are gutted and the stock was entirely consumed. The masonry is valueless The lower three stories may be repair ed at considerable outlay, but it would be nearly as cheap and safer to tear the whole structure down and build 1 anew. The stock of the lower stories is almost entirely destroyed, but some of it may be worth twenty-five cents on the dollar. Packages of goods in the the basement are less injured, but none are intact. Perhaps $1OOOOO worth off goods were carried out The stock, wholesale and retail, was worth from $9OO,OOO to S1,2OO,OOO, but probably nearer the former figure. Insurance, $950,000 on the stock. The wholesale department, being several blocks away, is not affected. MT. Field says the re- tail business will be resumed as soon as suitable quarters are obtalned.
 At 3 a. m. the fire was entirely under control. The captain of the Insurance Patrol estimates the total loss from all sources at $600,000 to $70O,00O.
 straightforward Replies from the
 President and Secretary Sherman.
 WASHINGTON, November 15.- The Senate Commerce Committee are ex- pected to ask Sherman's reasons for the removal of Arthur and Cornell, the New York Collector and Naval Off cers. The Secretary will reply sub stantially that they were made because , an official report anG other circum- stances show that the officers had been ; connected with the old vicious system of carrying on the Custom House in l partisan interests, and that the good , of the public service required the in- { trusting of the new and purely com , mercial system of the administration 10 new men. Such reply will proba- bly, cause a favorable report on the new by one maj Drity. AntI- f Administration Senators have frequent T. Iy called for the cause of removals, md have always been disappointed by frank and courteous replies, T which diSarned their hostility and : -endered etfectual opposition impossi- ole The Presidents theory is said To Je that the Senate has q right to in-I n