Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1891-08-08
BIG FIRE IN CHICAGO.
Dry Goods and other Articles Valued at
Million Dollars Destroyed - Sicgel,
Cooper q Co. the Heaviest Losers.

Dry Goods and other Articles Valued at
Million Dollars Destroyed - siegel,
Cooper a. Co. the Heaviest Losers.
CHICAGO, Aug 4.-Siegel, Cooper 81
Co. immense dry goods and notions
establishment at State and Adams
street was totally destroyed by fire
this morning. Half million dollars
worth of assorted stock was entirely
consumed and nothing but barewalls
are left where magnificent trade
palace stood. Unfortunately the
fire could not be prevented from
spreading, and at $50 o'clock a num-
Der of other firms had suffered much
damage. 'The Leader" dry goods
store on the opposite corner caught
fire several times and Mr.. Pincus, the
manager, thought that the damage by
fire, smoke and water would reach
from 500, 900 to $3.50, 900. Next door
south of Siegel, Cooper e. CO. is j. w.
Berrys large confectionery house, and
his loss was $1,000 by water.
The flames communicated to the rear
of j. II. Walker & Co. s dry goods store
at the corner of Wabash avenue and
Adams street. Here fire, smoke and
water caused a loss of $500 Then
the occupants of Il. X. Hilger's build
ing at 2O7 and 2O9 Wabash avenue suf-
fered as follows: c. HenneclSe, pottery,
$40, 900; j. A. Bryant, pianos, $1,000;
women's exchange, $500; l. w. Baird.
pictures $4,000. Charles Brown, who
has European hotel at 81 and 80
Adams street, lost about 1000 from
water and smoke.
Siegel, Cooper s; Co. occupied six
stores on State street, extending south
from the corner. The building, valued
at 500, 600, was four stories high and
was half block deep on Adams street,
extending to the alley which separates
it from j. II. Walker &c Co.
The fire was first discovered by Off
Ger NJ. Sullivan, who turned in the first
alarm. When Officer Sullivan first saw
the blaze it shot out into State street
from the first floor and seemed to ema-
nate from what is known as the ex.
change room. No one seemed to be
able to tell what caused the blaze.
Once started the flames had full
sweep. Inside were great light shafts
and a number of elevators through
which the blaze swept with the force
of small cyclone. There was any
amount of material for it to feed on.
From small wooden toys to costly Per
sian rugs the stock offered splendid op
portunities for the tongue of flame. VI
the elevator shafs went the blazes
and out through the roof and int
the murly atmosphere they shot. A
heavy pail of smoke hung in the rain
charged air, and this cloud was seer
for miles by the thousands of peopl,
hurrying down town to their work
Eight hundred employees, from mes
senger boys and cash girls to manager
of departments, soon stood around th
corners and mixed with the hundred
attracted to the scene by the fire.
In the building at the time the ir
broke out were some twenty-five EN-
ployes. All escaped without injury eX
cept Manager Wixon, who droppe
from the fourth story to balcony o.
the third story and was bruised an
shaken.
One of the bookkeepers who was sort
ing over some of the record books sal
that from $4,000 to $40, 900 was burne
up in the flames, or at least the none
"a was in the store safe and had probabl
been burned inside the safe