Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-11-05
HAVOC BY FIRE.
Chicago suffer, to the Extent Of s25O QUO


CHICAGO, ILL.,, Oct 81, 1856 A fire in the
knight & Leonard six-story building, 100
and Ill East Madison street, Chicago, be-
tween 4 and o'clock Sunday morning
destroying nearly $3.50, 600 of property and
probably several lives The flames spread so
rapidly that the inmates of many gambling
houses in the vicinity were surprssd
a. the tables. A wild stampede ensued The
proprietors hurried their god and green
backs into satchel', others shoveled ivory
chips into bags and few rushed downstairs
loaded with roulette Wheels, faro
tables AMI gambling plraphernalia
of all descriptions After an
hours work by the firemen the flames were
under comparative control. At this time six
men of the in urance patrol were in the
building singing tarpauins over the stock of
the Goodyear Rubber Company. Suddenly
there was a terrible crash, followed by q
dense cloud of smoke and sparks. The roof
and top floor had fallen through to the
basement, bringing tho men of the pa
troll in the ruins. A detachment of firemen
and insurance patrolmen, led by Chief
Sweenie rushed to the rescue. The cries Of
the imprisoned men could be heard above
the din. Hardly were the rescuers at work,
chopping and tearing away the fallen beams
and splintered flooring when there was an
other crash, and heavy piece Of machinery
fell from The third floor. 1t was
so far back in the building that no one was
hurt, and the rescuers continued without
stop. Geo. Furne was the first man out.
He came up through a hole which had
been made in the sidewalk lights over the
basement. He was only slightly injured.
William Darby also managed to crawl out
of the ruins with only slight injuries. The
rescuing; Iarty found Capt Hume
pinned down under fallen beam and we'd
Un1 in bptUC two bOxas Of cgOo1q Ha WA
carried out, boh legs crushed and his left
foot turned completely. P. L. Mullins was
dragged from under two heavy beams. He
was cut on the head and his body fearfully
bruised Gus Beerg gemenke was held down
by a heavy piece of pinting machinery
so that all efforts to release him seemed
useless, The imprisoned man clutched con-
vulsively at the iron bars and wh els begging
his comrades to kill him, as they could not
get him out. The sewer Of thu basement had
become choked up and the immense amount
of water thrown into the building was rap
idly rising under Boergemenke's eyes, while
tho flames were gradually eating their way
toward him. Chief Sweenie ordered an en-
gne detached from fire plug and set to
work pumping the basement Of the floods
from the other engines, whose efforts were
redoubled against th fire The waters hal
just reached Boergenenkes chin, when they
began to 60 down and the flames commenced
to recede. With the aid OF jackscrews the
machinery was at last raised, and Boerg9-
menke, who for nearly three-quarterS Of an
hour had given himself up for lot, was
carried to The oSpital One Of his lsgs is
broken and an arm is shattered, but it is
thought he will live. c. Papeneau, aged 30,
could not be found and after a long search
was
Given up for Lost.
1t was not until II hours after that his body
l.,t l,a, nf ha
ano her fireman was fatally injured and
patromnn seriously wounded.
The fire and the fall of tie roof had dam
aged many telephone and telegraph wires.
Gangs of linemen were sent to the roofs adj
joining 10 straighten the tangled mass.
1hey were requested to wait until the
fiIemen found Papeneau'S body but the wire
workers did not comply. While pulling a
heavy cable over the wall, piece of jagged
iron cornice was dislodged. 1t fell to tue
basement and struck Fireman Michael Me-
Govern. Tue sharp iron lit him in the small
of the back, and while his companions picked
him up, policemen hurried to the roof
and intercepted the liuenen. While
helping to carry out the wounded man,
William Cornell OF the insurance patrol fell
through hole in the broken sidewalk, and
wes SO seriously injured that he had to be
taken to the hospital. McGovern was horri-
bly, mangled by the cornice, AMI is dying.
Eigh cen of the linemen were put under ar
rest, but were afterwald released, telegraph
officials ecomng Their surety.
The building was coupled by a number of
large firms. The Goodyear Rubber Company
had the basement and first floor Of Nos. 1O5
and l07. Their stock was valued at 100000;
insured for Si2 000 The company's loss is
S5j,O Salisbury & Cline, agents for the
Goodyear Manufacturing Company, Boston
Betting Company, Gossaner Rubber Cloth
ing Company and James Davis & Co.
had the bas,m ard first floor of
109 Their $50, 900 stock is damaged
$4,000; insurance 100000 knight
& Leonard, printers, in the upper floors, los,
about So, 900: insurance $4G,O00 William
Wilson 6S Co, booAbinders and publishers,
lose $50, 600; insurance, $4,000. G. N. Ma
giles printing establishment is damaged
$1,000; fully insured. r. G. Badeaux & Co,
Publishers, and the Darby Paper Company
also have small losses. The building is owned
by Judge L, c. P, Greer, whose loss is be-
leved to be about S35, 900: fully insured.