St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-05-09
Disastrous Fire in the Vicinity of the
Union Stock Yards, Chicago,
Yesterday.
Grave Fears for Time of Terrible
acknowledgement Loss
About 100000.
A Romantic Career of Young Lady
of New York End ed at Mon
trea1 by Suicide.
Two Defense1ess Women Bound Hand
and Foot by Brutal Italians
and Then Assaulted.
An Extensive Fire.

CHICAGO, May s.-Shortly after noon to-
day spark from passing locomotive en-
gine set fire in the heart Of the great pine
lumber yard district, which lies along both
sides of the south branch of the Chicago
river and near the southwestern city limits.
Bordering upon this district are wooden
portion of the city known as Bridgeport,
and the Union stock yards, with its acres
of wooden sheds and pens filled with
cattle, hogs and sheep. A fierce
wind was blowing from the west and the
flames spread with great rapidity. The en-
tire fire department was called out and be-
gan fighting the flames, but the twenty or
thirty streams of water which could be
thrown upon them had little or no effect as
far as staying their progress was concerned.
The dry pine boards and shingles were piled
tONgreat height only narrow lanes between
being left for wagons to pass through. The
narrow interStices between the boards fur
nished unusual facilities for the
PROGRESS OF THE FLAMES,
while they broke the force OF streams OF
water and prevented it from penetrating to
the blazing pine in the center of the piles.
The news of the fire spread rapidly to the
business center of the city and created
much alarm lest the fire should assume pro-
portions approaching those of the great con-
flagration of 1871, which came from the
same direction. Great brands were carried
forward by the wind, setting fire to
new piles and several fire steamers,
and the men running them had
narrow escapes from destruction. Starting
upon the west side of the river the flames
ate up all the lumber between Thirty
fifth and Thirty-eighth streets, an area of
about 400 by 1000 feet. 1t set fire to canal
boat moored at the dock, and it fioated across
the river, which is $50 feet wide at this
point, and set fire to the lumber on the east
bank, which covered about an equal area,
and this, with one or two planning mills, was
consumed.
BRANDS WERE CARRIED
eastward and set fire to several small frame
houses occupied by employees in the lumber
district. The fire department., however,
made stand at this point and succeeded in
preventing the spread of the flames into the
residence district The fight continued
throughout the afternoon, and it was nearly
Z o'clock before the conflagration was
brought under control, having practically
burned itself out to the limits of the imme-
diate district in which it began. A heavy
rain during the afternoon was of material
assistance. The entire area burned over is
S70x2, 500 feet. The aggregate of lumber
destroyed was 45, 900, 900 feet, and with the
other property burned makes total loss Of
about S7OO,OOO Individual losses and in
surances are as follows: Chicago Lumber
company, %, 900, 900 feet of lumber valued
at S4GO, 600, with an insurance of $500, 000;
Bigelow Bros, 10, 900, 900 feet of lumber,
valued at s175, 600, with insurance of $780,
600; Adams, Hastings & Co.. 5000, 600 feet
of lumber, valued at $S5, 600, Insured for
$50, 900; j. w. Hinckley, planning MILL loss
$26, 600, insurance $12, 1000. Five cottages
burned aggregate loss of about $4,000,
with insurance of about SIS, 900.