The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1891-04-16
GREAT FIRE IN CHICAGO,

GREAT FIRE IN CHICAGO.
A Number Of Magnificent Business Houses
ON West Madison Street Destroyod-A
Boy Killed-several Persons Injnred.
CHICAGO, April 13.-One of the fiercest
and most disastrous fires the Chicago
department has fought in many years
swept through West Madison street
Sunday afternoon. The big Smyth
building that extends from Union half
way to Halsted street was DESTROYED,
and with it the contents of
John NJ. Smyth's furniture house,
the largest retail establishment in the
world. All that is left of Kohl & Mid
dleton's west side dime museum is a
heap of bricks and charred timber. On
the north side of Madison street from
Union street to the Haymarket theater
block five buildings were destroyed.
Three of them tum bled down before the
maelstrom of fire, and at one time the
roof and portion of the front of
the theater building was burning so
fiercely that every body thought it would
share the fate Of its neighbors, but the
firemen managed to save the structure.
but in a seriously damaged condition.
The total loss is estimated at 1862, 300
John NJ. Smyth & Co. alone will lose
100000. The fire originated in the
wagon shed of John NJ. Smyth' & Co.,
directly in the rear of the museum.
Shortly after o'clock the fire
started, and from the first it was Stub
born, almost resistless. Kohl & Mid
dleton's museum, on the second floor,
was filled with the usual crowd of Sun
day visitors. They were scattered
through the curio hall and the gal
leries, and big audience was in one of
the theaters watching stage perform
ance. The first intimatiOn of danger
came whom every window cracked and
shattered and flames leaped into the
rooms. Where the fire came from no
one seemed to know. There were
shrieks and cries, people pushed over
each other and ran panic-stricken down
the stairway and into the street.
When the fire department threw the
first stream the Smyth building was en-
tirely in flames. The great building
burned as though it was stored with
naphtha and finder. Almost at the
same time the buildings across the way
were ignited and each side of the street
became ablaze
theater a row of business houses faced
the terrific onslaught of firebrands from
the burning Smyth block. They did not
withstand it long. Each one was afire
within fifteen minutes after the first
alarm, and the corner of the Haymarlxet
theater building was smoking, with
tongues of flame in dozen different
places. "A determined and successful
effort to save the theater was made,
but the row of buildings between it
and Union street was doomed from the
first.
All later efforts of the firemen were
directed to checking the spread of the
flames. These efforts were successful
At o'clock last evening the two sides
of West Madison street were tumbled
and smoking ruins.
The losses are attributed about as
follows:
John M. Smyth, $50 to 16S Madison street,
building and stock Of furniture, $500 600; Kohl
Il Middleton, 154 Madison street, $50 0 10; Nicely
Bros, boots and shoes. l52 Madison street, s2O,-
900; Adelbert kaempfer, jewelry, $50 Madison
street, $4,000: Alfred Peats. wall paper and
furniture, l55 Madison street, $4,000;
P. J. Casey, building, 1855 Madison
street, $4,000: Baer Bros, hats. 157
Madison street, 5000; NJ. Irrman CT
CARS and tobacco, 159 Madison street.
$4,000; Hannah ? Hogg, saloon, 1871 M:>lison
street, $4,000; Royal Tailors, 1853 Madison
street, 5000; Haymarkct thearer 5000; l55
Madison street (f1ats), $1,000; 1871 Madison
street (flatsl. 5000: lo9 Madison street (hats),
$500; l6l to 1853 Madison street (Haymarket
building). $1,000: board OF education property,
in the rear Of the Smyth block, S., OOJ; othe.
losses, 5000.
The insurance is light, John NJ.
Smyth carrying only about $125, 900,
while Kohl & Middleton and NJ. Truman,
the cigar dealer, carried no insurance
whatever, having allowed their policies
to expire without renewal, as they had
intended moving into new buildings
soon.
Alexander Grant, an employe in the
museum, was seriously injured while
making his escape from third-story
window. He crawled out on a sign
and attempted to swing down by
means of wire. The wire broke
under his weight, however, and
he fell to the pavement, dis
lance of so feet, breaking his leg and
frightfully bruising his head and shout
ders. His injuries, however, are con-
sidered not necessarily fatal About
fifty persons, including two policemen,
<ohs
corner of Union and Meridian streets.
The officers were keeping the crowd
back, and as it was pushing
and swaying the wooden walk
gave way and they fell about 10 feet.
Mrs. Bessie Higgins was probably fatal
ly injured by the fall and was taken to
her home, 1863 Washington street
Bernard Stoth had leg broken at the
same time and was removed to the
Emergency hospital. After the firemen
had got the flames under control and
were playing upon the west end of
the Smyth building Francis Gamble,
aged about 10 years, accompanied by
Gus HanshaW, who was a trife older,
went around behind the building and
into shed used as storehouse. The roof
came downnvith a CRASH, burying young
Gamble in the ruins. Gamble was
quickly dug out and taken to
the Office of DIR. Mac Kay, 1O1
South Halsted street, where it was
found that his injuries were probably
fatal. His hips and left leg were broken.
1t was thought also that his skull was
fractured. A patrol wagon was sum-
moned and he was taken to the county
hospital, where he died at midnight.
E1-Gov. Waterman, of California, Falls a
Victim to Pneumonia.
SAN DIEGO, CAL, April 13.-Ex-Gov.
Waterman died at 7:3O Sunday evening
of pneumonia after brief illness
lR. W. Waterman was born in Fairfield,
Herkimer county, N. Y, in 1925. When very
young he moved to Sycamore, ILL.,, with his pa.
rents, where he grew up and engaged in mer-
camille business. He came to California in 1889
and engaged In mining for two years. He re-
turned to Illinois but came back to California
In 1873, locating ut San Bernardino In 1888 he
received the reDub lean nOmin ation for 1iou%o,, .