The sun., 1891-04-13
GREAT FIRE In CHICAGO.

IT LOOKED As THOUGH THE FIREMEy
COULDN'T CONTROL IT.
A Heavy Wisd Sweeps the Planes Across
Madison strset-Farts or Two Bieeks
Destroyea-Panie In . Dine Museun-
Monkeys BarseA by the DoseA-A The.
atrs Auaie.cs Turned Out tsf Doors.
CHICAGO. April l2.-Chicago this evening
suffered one Of tho most destructive fires since
the big FIRE OF 1871. The loss is fully 81 100000.
1t occurred at the geographical centre OF the
city, and. like the disaster Of twenty years ago.
began In stable. In this case the stable was
the property Of the furniture manufacturer.
and Politician John NJ Smyth. In the rear OF
his house furnishing establishment on West
Madison. near Hastsad street. The flames
speedily communicated to the furniture estab-
lishment. and moment later to Kohl 4 Mid
dleton's dime museum. A general alarm TO
the Fire Department was soon followed by
special calls for extra engines. - the flre was
seen to be gaining ground with extraordinary
rapidity.
In less than five minutes smoke was pouring
! from every window In the museum and was
enveloping the six-story building occu-
pied BY Smyth. When In a short time
both structures had turned into a
mass OF flame the fire darted across
| the street and lodged in the upper stories OF
tho buildings on the north side OF Madison
| street. moment later the hremen found
themselves working between two towering
| walls OF fire. For time 1t looked a. though
| the connagration would got beyond control
and thatas in ls7l.it would sweep toward the
| lake directly across the business district
Ao tn ad to fha Tar aki ho vu;o I'D
had suddenly arisen and was blowing stir
gale from the west. Probably 10000 people
| gathered In the neighborinR streets and help
| lessly watched the progress Of the fire.
The fremen stood steadily In the street.
where the flames scorched them from
either side. and after fierce battle at length
| brought the fire In . measure under control.
Tho blaze. however. continued to race with in-
tense fury In the buildings already partly
| destroyed.
The museum WAS nothing but Q heap of
ruins. and the walls Of the smyth building
| were falling one after another. Fortunately.
they all foil into the ruins. and no person was
injured.
Across the street also. the walls soon sue
cumbed. Here tho upper story OF tho three
story building on the northwest corner Of
Madison and Union streets caught fire.
Then the flames lodged about the
windows Of the ffth story Of tho
Haymarket Theatre building. and were soon
stretching along under the manssrd roof. Just
west OF the Hsymarket building was the flve-
story building occupied By tho Peoples
Clothing Company. Hero also the win
dows were ON fire. Despite all efforts
the buildings between Union street and
tho Hsymarket block shared the fate Of
those across the street. and wsre wiped out
completely. In the Haymarket the tlre was
Suss 70 ns sd Nth xas
West Of the HHymarket tho damage was COM
Tss 4st insnaton the ueopl. in Kohl
Middle!on's museum had Of the close pro1im-
~ q the FIRE was AZ, When % some one opsned 3
no fioor. A p p.sic followed s%ons tho 100 PERSONS
on the hrss door watching variety perform
.S5:ss 81 hss sas dancer Ant 0e ss .tan
tas heir ee. aas sd sssa
crowd. The emeTeenoy brought out q hero il
Who were retafdinF each other in the Jam at
dlans ss bis lie
he A.. es.:sSn H5o 5si1:sd
as sna
The exception was T. =. Aess3nGof. @ young
landing: made 3 rush for the front Of the build
nd GRsP, The Tudow umDsd
sDd
sSSSSh sSSsTl to be o0rra'l'd by sheeh' and his re-
one old lady who va. in this crowd fell when a
81 she eSs Was x up Sy lsnds
T. $:s; IS ss Sss ss
s' The poor bsuses xsfs ehsttefins and scream q m
sheeSy huEriedy seized S6s e. irSn ,S bars. : snd q
forcing them apart permitted the escape OF
hnman ns Ths saa When YIIdis
ran about the room for moment. and then
ap npI Stair in in heri. and were burned 70 death
The policeman was forced to grope bis way
n.s4y s%Sss saa reached
on 1es on sns shsd w:. p.tsi e
s:s II; e:
Rs|s the ,s. SSy zes Lo
Mere sag non on the sDe platforms Mms Carver
Sssis ss ss SSs sSss &.
strained BY Manager Belmont. who with dif1i-
then dSH n. tSs soy
was 70 topheavy hs could not walk alone.
leading him out iound the albino almost blind.
cropping, about In M The emoke: With tns big pig,
and dragged rather than led her to the stair
way and reached the street
It took forty hre engine; and nearly three
lection. Several times It seemed ss II the mon
would be compelled 10 sbandon their engines,
Withstand the heat by turning tho hose upon
| themselves.
heightened BY the fact that all the time they
knew a. least : hundred barrel. Of oil were
lishmeut likely at any time to create terrific
just tsfors tho west wall Of the ,smyth
building fell o venturesome lad climbed mp tc
the third floor Of the building adioininc and and