Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-08-06
CHICACO'S BIG FIRE.
Million Dollar Blaze at the Corner of
Adams and State
Streets.
Siegel, Cooper & Co.'s Store Entirely
Consumed and NeighbOring Es-
Establishments Damaged.
No Lives Lost, But Fireman Hit on
the Head and In
jured.

CHICAGO, Aug. 3.-The Siegel, Cooper
notions establishment at State and
Adams streets was totally destroyed by
fire this morning. Half million dol
lars worth of assorted stock was en-
tirely consumed and nothing but bare
walls are left where yesterday a mag
nlticent trade palace stood. Unfortu-
nately the fire could not be prevent
ed from spreading, and at $50 o'clock
number of other firms had suffered
much damage. The Leader" dry
goods store on the opposite corner
caught fire several times on the roof.
Mr.. Fincus, the manager. thought that
the damage by fire, smoke and water
would reach from 500, 900 to $50, 900.
Next door north of Siegel, Cooper &,
Co, is j. W. Berry's large confection-
cry house. The total loss is about 81.
COO, 600. Eight hundred employees are
thrown out of work. Siegel. Cooper &
Co. will at once rebuild. No lives
We're lost in the fire.
Soon after the fire started large
crowds had collected and the seventy
five officers under the command of
Lieut.. Backus had hard work to keep
Gue people OUT OF QdnGCr.
Messrs. Siegel & Cooper's block was
by this time a mass of fame and the
heat was intense. 1t was with the
greatest difficulty that the firemen
could get sufficiently near the burning
pile to check the flames.
"The Leader premises, ON the oppo-
site corner, then began to light and the
fremen had to play water on the mag
nificent windows filled with hats,
shirts, drapery and general goods.
Fortunately the fire was held in check
here, although the whole of the build
ing on the outside is badly scorched
and the goods in the store damaged to
the extent of several thousand dollars.
The smoke and flames from the
burning pile could now be seen all
over the city and thousands of persons
crowded the adjacent streets. Three
or four trains CT cable cars blocked the
way on State street and their occu-
pants made the most of their position
by watching the flames.
Shortly before o'clock the roof OF
Siegel & Cooper's premises fell in with
a crash and great volume of sparks
and flame burst into the air.
The burning store occupied a portion
of a solid block, the adjoining premi'
ses being tenanted by Berry & Co, con.
PETITIONERS, and the Hildreth furniture
company. The firemen exerted their
strength from the first to save these
buildings. So successful were thei.
efforts in the face of strong wind that
threatened to overpower them that
they beat back the flames and confined
them to the Siegel & Cooper building,
only slight damage being done to
Berry's stock.
1t was rumored that three watch
men had been buried in the ruins but
the runner could not be confirmed.
Charles Johnson, me S @ger boy
climbed up the fire escape to see the
blaze and his perch getting rather
warm he left suddenl striking the
pavement with consid BILE force. He
was not seriously injured,
Lieut.. Feeney of truck was struck
on the head by a falling shutter and
seriously though not fatally injured.