The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1891-04-18
big FIRE In CHICAGO.
OVER A MILLION DOLLARS
WORTH OF PROPERTY BURNED
Kohl q mIddlcton's DIme Museum
and John M. smyth's mig Fur
nisure House I'm Ruins. ~

CHICAGO, April 1a-The most de.
structive fire Chicago has experienced
for many years broke out very sudden
ly In the most crowded business dis.
trict OF the west side. and involved O
loss OF over $1,0(0,000.
It originated in the rear OF the six
story block at 1850 1855 West Madison
street, owned by John M. Smyth, and
occupied by the Smyth furniture house,
the Kohl & Middleton museum, several
retail stores, and O number of attorneys
and Justices Of the peace.
Kohl & Middlcton's museum, on the
second floor, was filled with the usual
crowd OF visitors. They were scatter
ed through the curi0 hall and the gal
leries and big audience was In ono Of
the theatres watching stage perform.
ance. The first intimation OF the dan.
ger came when every widow cracked
and shattered and flames leaped into
the rooms.
Where the fire came from no one
seemed to know or care. There was
shrieks and cries, people pushed over
each other and ran panicstricken down
the stairways and into the street. Be.
fore they reached the street with the
first alarm curling cloud of black
smoke was rising from the rear OF the
building. An officer ran to the corner
OF Halsted and Madison streets and
turned In the alarm.
In the museum were speciality per-
formers, attaches and "freaks," who
did not rush out when the visitors beat
their TASTY retreat. Some wore their
stage costumes and were hurriedly en-
deavoring to collect wardrobes and val.
uables. Within brief time they, too,
were forced to leave, many without
saving anything except the stage
clothes they were wearing, The fat
woman. the big-headed boy the gyp-
sizes and the albino rushed into the
street. Two or three policemen and
several pedestrians who had gone into
the museum ut the first alarm attempted
to save some OF the property, but were
driven back by binding smoke through
which they could see growing flames.
Officer Shelley succeeded in breaking
open the cage which held the monkeys.
The frightened and chattering animals
clambered out and several escaped, one
down the fire escape. Another jumped
to the pavement and had his leg broken.
When the fire department threw the
first stream the Smyth building was en-
tirely in flames. The great building
burned as though It were stored with
naphtha and finder. A mass or blaze
swept through the front and flung
itself half way across the street. Then
il curled up and made the front wall
OF roaring flames. Firemen retreated
before the attack, and from q safe dis
lance, their rubber coats steaming and
scorching, they sent few punny
a nj IN n H.n A.N ~ L..
same time the buildings across The way
were ignited and each side of the street
became ablaze.
From Union street to the Haymarket
theater row of business houses faced
the terrific onslaught OF firebrands
from the burning Smyth block. They
did not withstand it long. Each one
was ailre within fifteen minutes after.
the first alarm, and the corner of the
Haymarket theater building was smok-
ing, with tongues Of flame in q dozen
different places. A determined and
successful effort to save the theater
was made, but the row of buildings be-
tween 1t and Union street was doomed
from the first.
The loss will reach over $1,000, 900,
distributed about as follows:
John NJ. Smyth. $50 to 158 Madison
street. building and stock of furniture,
$500, 000
Kohl g. Middleton, 154 Madison street,
$50, 900.
Nicely Bros, boots and shoes, 152
Madison street, 5000
Adelbert Kaempfer, jewelry, $50
Madison street. SAL, ZOO.
Alfred Peats, wallpaper and furni-
ture, 1856 Madison street. 100000.
James Casey, building, 1856 Madison
street, $780,
Baer Bros, hats, 1877 Madison street.
g, 900
NJ Irrman, cigars and tobacco, 159
Madison street, &25, 900.
Hannah g. Hogg, saloon, 1871 Madison
street, $50,
Haymarket theater, $4,000.
The damage 10 other business houses
adjoining the theater will be upward of
$50. 900.
The insurance il light, John M. Smyth
carrying only about 1925. 900. while
Kohl G. Middleton and NJ. Irrman, the
cigar dealer, carried no insurance what
ever, liavicg allowed their policies to
expire without renewal, as they had
int ended moving into new building.
g. ii. Messenger was taken 10 the
county hospital, suffering from burns
and bruises Of his face. He was n
roomcr in one Of the houses that
burned, and was injured in trying to
remove goods from the house.
A blind man on the fouth floor OF $50
street had n narrow escape
from death. He had evidently been
forgotten by his friends. when Eugene
Keller found him and lead him from.
the building.
Officers Huffman and Wesler had
their hands full leading out about sixty
horses from John j. Browns livery
stable.
One OF the persons injured subse-
quently died.