The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-11-02
THE FIRES OF A DAY
AND THE LOSSES OF LIFE AND
PROPERTY THEREBY.
Narrow Escape of Gamblers Whose
Places We're JpOpardiEed by the
chicago IOriiagratiOn.


CHICAGO, Ill, DC ober 31.-A con.
fiag'a on cou NJ the loss of nearly
$3.50, 600 n d p obRbly several ives oc
curIe1 in tue Knight & Leonard
fix stoly bu lding, NUe. 100 to Ill
Eat Mad sou teei, between 4 O'Clock
and 3 o'clock th morning. TIE in,
ma es OF The dozens or gambling
houses in the vic nifty were unaware
Of he fire at the Outset ard it mode
such rapid hesdwsy that none had
1t rrsd from the tables until the ives
of most ofthem were imperiled. Then
a vi d stampede eusued. The propri-
etors hurried their gold and green
backs into satchels, others shoyeled
ivory chips into bags, a few rushed
downstairs loaded with roulette
wheels, faro tables and gambling para
phernalia Of all descriptions, But
these We're the exceptions. The ma
jority OF dealers. ~lookouts and play
ers rose together and came tearing out
OF the buildings, many hstless and
coAtless and all frightened. AZ
ter an hours work by the
firemen the flames = were under
comparative control. At this time six
men of the insurance patrol were in
the building elinging %tarpaulins over
the stock OF the Goodyear Rubber
Company. Suddenly there was a terri.
BILE crash, followed by q dense wave of
smoke and sparks, which pulled out
into the street. The roof and top floor
had fallen through 10 the basement,
burying the men OF the insurance pa
troll in the ruins. A moment aflerth
crash q detachment of firemen and in
Rursuce pstrclmeD, led by Chief
Swenie, rushsd to the rescue. The
cries of the imprisoned men could be
heard above all the din. Hardly were
scuey at work chopping and tearing
away the fallen beans and splintered
flooring, when there was another
crash and a heavy piece Of machinery
fell from the third floor. 1t was 80 far
back in the building that no enc was
hurt, and the escuers continued man.
fully without a sop, George Furreld
YVES the first mi our. He came up
through a hole which had baen
made in the sidewalk lights.
over the basement. He was only
slightly injured. William Darby slso
managed to crawl out OF the ruins
with only slight injuries. The re Gu
ing party found Osrt Hume pinned
down under a fallen beam and wedged
in between two boxes of goods. He
was carried ou'. Both legs were
crushed aud lett foot completely
turned. P. L. Mullins wGs dragged
from under two heavy beams. He
was cut about the head and his body
fearfully bruised Gus BOergenke was
being held Gown by o heavy piece OF
printing machinery, 80 that all efforts
to release him seemed useless. The
imprisoned man clutched coavulsively
at the iron bars and wheels, begging
his comrades to kill him, IS they could
not get him out. The sewer OF the
basement had become choked up, and
the immense amount Of water thrown
into the building was rapidly rising
under Boergenke's eyes, while the
flames were gradually eating their
way toward him. Chief swenie
ordered an engine detached from
a fire plug and set to work
pumping the basement of the fools
from the other engines, whose efforts
were redoubled against the fire. The
waters had just reached ~BosrCenke's
chin when they began TO 60 down and
the hsmes commenced torecede. With
the aid OF jackscrews the machinery
was at last raised, and Boergenke, who
for nearly three.quarters Of an hour
had given himself up for lost, was car
ried to the hospital. One Of his legs
is broken and an arm is shattered, bat
it is thought he will live. @. Papineu,
aged 80, could not be found and after
a long search was given up for lost. 1t
was not until eleven hours after that
his body was found. In the recovery
OF the corpse another fireman was
injured and a patrolman seri-
ously wounded. The fire and fall of
the roof had damaged many telephone
aud telegraph wires. Gangs OF line
men were sent to the roofs Of adjoin-
ing buildings to s 'raighten the tangled
ass. They were requested to wait
until the fremen found Papineu's
body, but the wire workers did not
comply. While pulling a heavy cable
a wall q piece of Jagged
iron comics wss dislcdged. 1t fell to
the basement and struck Fireman
Michael AGGovern. The sharp iron
struck him in the small of the back,
and while his companions picked him
up a policeman hurried to the roofs
and intercepted the linemen. While
to carry out the wounded
man William Cornell, of the Insurance
fell through a hole in the
broken sidewalk and was 30 seriously
injured that he had to be taken to the
hospital. McGovern was horribly
maDgled by the cornice and is dying.
Eighteen Of the linemen were put
under arrest, but afterward released,
telegraph officials becoming their
The building was occupied
by a number of large firms. The
Goodyear Rubber Company bad the
basement and first floor OF Nos. 05
and 107. Their stock was val aedt !
100000, insured for $4,000. TIE
companyIs loss is $4,000. Ss aleouZy
& Cline, agents for the Goodyear
Manufacturing Company, Boston Belt
ing Company, Gosssmer Rubber
Clothing 0ompany and ]. Davis & Co.
mad the basement and first floor of
No. 8. Their $l50,000 stock is dam
lged s30,000; insured for $50, 1000.
& Leonard, printers, in the up
per floors, lostabout $4,000 insurance,
$4,000. VIM. Wilson q Co., book
and publishers, lose $4,000;
md have but $4,000 insurance. y. NJ.
printing establishment is
damaged $4,000; fully insured. R. O.
& Co, publishers, and the
Derby Paper company aslo have
mall losses. The building is owned
" Judge L. Q. p. Freer, whose loss