, 1879-03-30
Several Blocks Destroyed Yester-
day at Seneca, LaSalie
County.
Terrible Explosion at Fire in
Madison, Wis.
:
Four Flrsmen Fatally and Several
Seriously Injured.
lttempt to Burn The Newark, O., Courthouse and
Destroy the Records.
Narrow Escape Of the Deaf and Dumb In
stitution at Jacksonville, III.
Fire Persons Perish in Burning Hotel
at Claremont, n. H.

SENECA, LaSa1le Co., Ill, March ga fire
broke out here about noon today apf is still Up.
NJ burning fiercely. Nearly three cntire blocks
have already been destroyed. and there is little
hope of immediate relief, as We arc without
Fire Department, and the flames hare obtained
such headway that 1hesihple means at our
command are in no way adequate tomeet the re-
quirements- The loss will be heavy.
TERRIBLE FIRE AND EXPLOSION.
6pectG1 Dispatch to The Tribune.
MADISON, Wis, March IA terrible acci-
dent occurred here this afternoon ut the burn-
ing Of the Fairchild Block which ia as horrible as
it is mysterious. About l o'clock fire was dis
covered in the ceiling OF the third floor Of the
old Fatrchild Block. The firemen ascended to a
room on the second floor with two B.bcock fire.
extinguishers, and had barely commenced to
play upol the fire overhead when terrific ex-
plosion took place, knocking several men to the
floor aud others down the stairs leading
to the St. Julien saloon, and badly
burning several, three or four Of whom
cannot recover. Those the worst
burned are tailor named August Schocnig,
William SDaulding, Robert Heurichs, and
Tommie Morgan. Those not SO seriously bu1n-
I'd are Albert Cheney, foreman, and A. NJ.
Dasgett, Secretary and Treasurer OF Sack Com
pany; Jake Vanetta, proprietor Of the villa
House; Robert Wootton, James Reynolds, Dis
trct-AttorneY; J. L. Sheldon, Z. G. Grove,
Alfred Goderdon, Peter Firkel, Henry Waltzi
ger, Charley Bixby, and Matt Lynch. Robert
Wooton, member Of Sack Company, who
was in the room holding the nozzles Of the
Babcock e1tinguishers, in describing the
explosion, says it came from overhead,
and was like sheet OF flame, gave huge
puff, and was gone. The first explosion broke
all the windows in the two stories where the
fire was, and the second explosion caused the
rear. wall Of the building to fall inward. After
this there WAS still third explosion. An i'm
mense crowd had collected in Capitol Park aud
in the streets around the building, and the Wild
est excitement prevailed. When The men were
thrown down the St. Julien stairs by the first
explosion, Tenturesome friends bounded to
the top Of the stairs and aided those
who were injured in the building to
escape, and they we're taken to drug
stores near by and received prompt medical at
tenuon. It was pitiful sight to see poor
Spaulding lying on the floor of the drugstore
with his eyes all gone, hair burned from his
head, moaning. schoentg and Tommy Morgan
were in an equally terrible plight. The fire vas
stayed finally, both upper stories being burned
out: The loss to Rowlcy T. Co, gcnt1emen's
fancy goods; G. i. Damon, tailor; S. k1auber,
clothier; and Mcconnell & Smith, is $1,000; in
eured for $4,000. The loss on the building will
be from s15,o00 to $4,000, and is covered by
insurance, Several theories exist as to
the cause of the fire and explosion, but none
are satisfactory. There are rumors, which seem
to be well founded, that explosive material was
placed between the door and ceiling on the third
floor and the fire set for the purpose Of destroy
ing the building. II this was the object, terrible
suffering has followed, and for which, were the
perpetrators known, sufficient punishment
could not be meted out to them.