Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1885-05-13
THE RECORD OF RUIN.
DETAILS OF THE LOSSES IN THE
CHICAGO LUMBER FIRE.
Total Destruction of About @TOO, ,OOO
Worth-Wind Plays Havoc In Ala
bama and Gets Citizen to
Praying-Iiraculous
Escape.

CHICAGO, May l1.-The great fire in the
lumber district was mastered after $500, 00C
worth Of property had been destroyed. Be-
tween Thirty fifth and Thirty ninth streets,
and just west of the river, stretches along,
with 1857 feet Of dock frontage, the i'm
mense yards of the Chicago Lumber com.
pany, the longest in the world. Just three
years ago Friday the company, of which M.
I. Greene is president and S. r. Frazier
secretary, built there its first pile,
and Friday there was standing on the
forty acres over 30, 100000 feet of pine lum.
Der, finely selected stock. West Of the
yards on the southwest corner of Thirty
fifth and Iron streets, stood the large plan.
ing-mill Of the company and just south of il
its Office. Across the river, and beginning
at Thirty-flfth street, was the lumber yard
OF Rittenhouse & Co., extending south along
the river $50 feet; then came the large yard
of Bigelow Bros. l, ,200x300 feet and stored
in it were 10000, 900 feet Of pine South
again was the yard of Adams, Hasting 8
Co., 400 feet in length, and containing
100000 feet Of lumber. Adjoining this
was the yard of Wyatt, Wells & White,
and, swinging around to the left, were the
yards Of Bishop & Fox and NJ A. Anderson.
Just east Of Bigelow Bros. yard and across
Ullman street was the planing-mill of j. w.
Hinkley, consisting of a shed, 120xl20 in
dimension, and brick building containing
the machinery, 4Sx60 feet. Further to the
east was, Fortunately, a broad prairie, run
ming almost to Halsted street. and devoid Of
buildings; had it not boon the fire would
have run to the lake. For this broad terri
tory just described, consisting of over fifty
acres, and piled big Oh with lumber valued at
over $l,000,000, was the scene of fire
Wednesday afternoon, that began at the
western border and never stopped until the
last piece of fuel on the eastern edge had
been totally consumed, and loss of $7O0,00O
entailed
The fire began in the southern half of the
Chicago Lumber company's lumber piles
and is supposed to have been started by a
spark from a locomotive. The intense heat
prevented the firemen from fighting the
flames effectively, and it was not until the
fire had burnt itself out from east to west
that anything could be done
paratively little was saved. Several hun.
dred feet of docks were damaged and de
stroyed. The estimated losses of the fou1
firms which are the chief suffers are.
Chicago Lumber company, $3.50, 900: Bige-
low Bros, 00,O00; Adams, Hastings & Co.,
: 50, 900; Hinkley & Co, $26, GOO; total, $685.
OJo. To this might be added the loss on
docks and some five or six houses, which
will bring the loss ur to somewhere in the
neighborhood of $500, 900.
The Chicago Lumber Co. had $279, 500 in.
Bigelow Bros, $132, 500, Adams,
Hasting & Co., $40, 900 and Hinkley's plan
ing mill $4,000. What the salvage will be |
it is impossible to say but the Chicago Lum-
Der Co. estimate that rs per cent. Of their |
Itock is in ashes.