The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-04-13
COSTLY CONTEMPLATION
In Chicago Last Night, ST.,
900, 900 Goes up in Smoke.
THEWoRsTSINCE THEBIG0 ONE.
Panic in Kohl s Middleton's Muse
um...Monkeys Burned--.Freaks
Frishtened.-.People Killed by
Failing Walls.


ming suffered one Of the most destruc
tive conAsgrations that has occurred herl
since the big fire Of 1872. The loss Il
fully 100000. The fire broke out il
the rear Of John NJ. smythe's furnish
ing establishment on West Madison
street, near Halstead. The fRmel
rapidly communicated to Kohl & Mid
dleton's Dime Museum and then gen
eral alarm was sent out.
In few minutes smoke was pouring
from every window in the museum and
was enveloping the huge six.stoly build.
ing occupied by Smythe. When, in a
marvellously short interval, both struc-
lures had turned into mass OF flame,
great fiery tongues darted across the
street and lodged in the upper stories Of
the buildings on the north side OF Madi.
son street. "A moment later the tiremen
found themselves working between two
towering walls Of fire. Asii to add to
the CONSERVATION, the wind had sudden.
" arisen and was blowing stid gale
from the west. The immense blaze con.
tinued to rage with intense fury in the
buildings already partly destroyed. The
museum was nothing but heap OF ruins,
and the walls OF the Smythe building
were falling one after another. Fortu.
nately they all fell into the ruins and no
person was injured.
Across the street, also, the walls soon
succumbed to the furious onslaught.
Here the upper story OF three.story
building on the northwest corner Of
Madison and Union streets caught FIRE.
Quickly following, the flames lodged
around the windows OF the fifth story
Of the Haymarket Theatre building and
soon were stretching along under the
roof. Just west OF the Haymarket
building was the fye.story building oc
cnpied by the Peoples Clothing CON-
pAny. Here also, the windows were on
FIRE.
Despite all efforts the buildings be.
tween Union street and the Haymarket
block shared the fate OF those across the
street, and were wiped out completely.
In the Haymarket the fire was confined
to the upper story, but the whole build.
ing was filed with smoke and water.
West Of the Haymarket Theatre the
damage was comparatively small.
The first iutimation the inmates Of
Kohl & Middleton's Museum had Of the
close proximity Of the FIRE was when
some one opened window, through
which volume Of smoke poured. A
wild panic followed among the 400 per.
soDs in the building, most OF whom,
however, were on the first floor watch-
ing a variety performance. By the cool
ness and determination OF Policeman
Sheehy he succeeded in quieting the
panic, and with one exception every
body reached the street in safety. The
exception was O. d. Messeiger, a young
man, who jumped from the third story
to the stone pavement, and was uncon-
scious when picked up.
Officer Sheehy liberated several mon.
keys, which were Gagged in the third
tlAor OF the Museum; they rushed up
stairs in herd and nearly all were
burned to death. The excitement
among the freaks who were on exhibi.
ton on the third floor was pitiful to be-
hold. 1t was with the greatest difficulty
that Manager Belmont succeeded in
ouieting them, and succeeded in getting
all out Of the building safely.
Just before the west wall OF the
smythe building fell, venturesome lad
went up to the third floor OF the build.
ing adjoining and stood watching the
flames from his lofty position. When
the wall tippled over with loud crash
and the smoke cleared away be was not
to be seen, and It is feared that be went
down with the debris and was lost.
The insurance will be very light, John
NJ. Smythe carrying only about $l25, 900,
while Kohl & Middleton carried no in.
surance whatever, having allowed their
policies TO expire without renewal, as
they intended moving within fortnight.
While the FIRE was at lis worst side.
walk at the corner OF Union and Meri.
den Court collapsed, and precipitated
forty people into an excavation beneath.
Mrs. Bessie Higgins wss probably fatally
injured by the fall. Bernard sloth had
leg broken.
Francis Gamble, who was struck by
dying debris during the FIRE, but was not
supposed TO be dangerously hurt, died
at the County Hospital shortly before
midnight.