The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-05-11
THE RECORD OF RUIN
DETAILS OF THE LOSSES IN THE
CHICAGO LUMBER FIRE.
Total Destruction of About 500, 900
worth-wind Plays Havoc In Ala
bama and Gets a Citizen to
Praying-MiracuIous
Escape.

CHICAGO, May 1.-THE great fire in the
lumber district was mastered after 500, 600
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 it's first pile,
and Friday there was standing on the
forty acres over 80, 000, 900 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 it
its office. Across the river, and beginning
at Thirty-tifth street, was the lumber yard
of Rittenhouse & Co, extending south along
the river $50 feet; then came the large yard
of Bigelow Bros. l, 200xS00 feet and stored
in it were 100000 feet of pine South
again was the yard of. Adams Hasting &
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 planning mill of j. W.
Hinkley, consisting of a shed, 12Oxl20 in
dimension, and brick building containing
the machinery, 4Sx60 feet. Further to the
east was, fortunately, broad prairie, run
ming almost to Halsted street, and devoid of
buildings; had 1t not been the fire would
have run TO the lake. For this broad terri
tory just described, consisting of over fifty
acres, and piled high with lumber valued at
over $1,000 900, was the scene Of a 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 a loss of 500, 600
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 locomotive. The intense heat
prevented the fremen 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
towards saving property, and COM
paratively little was saved. Several hun
dred feet Of docks were damaged and de-
stroyed, The estimated losses of the four
firms which are the chief suffers are:
Chicago Lumber company, $3.50, 600; Bige-
low Bros, 500, 900; Adams, Hastings G. Co.
$4,000; Hinkley & Co, SIG, 900; total, 1856, :
600. To this might bs added the loss on
docks and some five or six houses which
will bring the loss up to somewhere in the
neighborhood of $780, 900.
The Chicago Lumber Co. had $279, 500 in
surance, Bigelow Bros. $IS2 500, Adams
Hasting & Co., $40. 900 and Hinkley's plan
ing mill SIS, What the salvage will be
it is impossible to say but the Chicago Lum-
Der Co. estimate that rs per cent. of their
stock is in ashes