Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-04-14
cHlcAeo's SUNDAY FIRE.
The Losses-story of the Disastsr-Exeite
mnnt Among Freaks.
fRr tolegraph % the Dispntch.l

merchandising, Nos. 10 10 loo Madison
street. building, 300, 900; stock, $500, 900;
insurance. $4,000. Kohl. a. Middleton,
museum, 1917 Madison street, stock, $780,
coo. no insurance. Alfred Peats. wall
naner. Nos. 147 and 149 Madison street,
Stock. S35. 600: insurance, $4,000. NJ.
Gatbman. Haymarket Hotel, furniture and
Avtnres. 81. 900. NJ. Erwan, cigars. No. l59
Madison street, stock. $4,000. Baer Bro
fbers hats. No. Isl Madison street, stock.
~ 600. ROYAL Tailors, No. 163 Madison
street. stock. -, 900. Nicely Brothers. boots
and shoes. No. 1872 Madison street, stock,
$40 600. Adelbert Kaempfer, iewelry, No.
$50 Madison street, stock, O,OOO. Madl-
son Street Building Association, No. 146
and 7Is Madison street. building. $1,000.
Loss on buildings No. 155 10 $50 Madison
street. 500. 900. Haymarket Theatre, build
inp and damage to tenants by smoke and
water $4,000 Office tenants In other
buildings, $4,000. Recess saloon, stock
and fixtures, $4,000.
STORY OF THE FIRE.
The fire was one of the most destructive
conflacrations in Chicago since the big
one in 1871. II was at almost the exact
geographical centre of the city that the
flames started, and. like the terrible dis
aster twenty years ago. 1t began IN sta
bile and fell on a Sunday night. In this
known furniture manufacturer, John Nj.
Smyth, and was located in the rear OF his
bip bousefurui shing establishment on
west Madison near Halstead. The flames
speedily communicated TO the furniture
establishment. aud a moment later to
Kohl & Middleton's Dime Museum. A
general alarm TO the fire department was
soon followed by special calls for extra
engines, az the fire was seen to be gaining
ground with extraordinary rapldlty.
MASS OF FLAME.
In less than five minutes smoke was
pouring from every window in the mu-
scum and was enveloping the huge SIX
story building occupied by Smyth. In q
maryelIously sho rt time both structures had
turned into a mass of flame, great fiery
tongues darted across the street and
lodged in the upper stories Of the build
ines on the north side of Madison street.
A moment later the firemen along the
thoroughfare found themselves working
between two towering walls of IRE,
For n time il looked as though the con-
hagration would get beyond control, and
that. az in 1871. IL would sweep toward the
lake directly across the business district OF
the city, As if to add TO the CONSERVATION,
the wind had suddenly arisen and was
blowing stiff gale from the west. Proba-
bly 10000 people gathered in the neighbour
boring streets helplessly watching the pro-
gress of the possible impending ca
lamity.
DISCIPLINE or TIE FTREMEN.
AT this juncture the thorough discipline
of the iremen became apparent. The men,
obeying orders stood steadily in the
street where the flames scoIched them
| from either side, and after fierce battle
at length brought the fire IN q measure
| under control. The immense blaze, how
| ever. continued to rage with intense fury
| in the buildings already partly destroyed
The museum was nothing but heap Of
ruins and the walls of the Smyth building
| were falling one after another. Fortu
nately they all fell into the ruins and NJ
person was injured.
II took forty fre-engines and nearly
| three hundred fremen TO bring the FIRE uh
der subsection.
PANIC IN THE MUSEUM.
The first intimation the inmates of Koh
& Middeton's Museum had of the Gloss
| proximity of the fire was when some on'
opened a window Of the third floor
| through which volume OF smok'
| poured, filling the entire floor. A wilC
panic followed among the 400 persons II
the building, most OF whom. however
we're on the first floor watching a variety
performance. Those on the first floor wer'
| first apprised OF their danger by the STAN
pede on the upper floors. and, as they rose
! to their feet and fed precipitately TO the
| front door, the fire appeared at the rea
windows, increasing the terror or thu
crowd.
HEROIC POLICEMAN sHEEHY.
The emergency brought out hero il
| the person OF Policeman Patrick Sheehy
Forcing his way through the frightened
people, who were madly retarding eact
| other in the Jam at the exit, he stationed
himself at the head Of the stairs, and
| drawing his revolver, declared his inten
tion TO kill the first person who refused {,
| obev his orders. BY GOODNESS and determi
nation he succeeded in quieting the panic
and with one exception everybody reached
| the street IN safety. The exception was q. h
| Messenger. a young man. who before Officer
| Sheehy reached the stair-landing, made 9
rush for the front of the building, and
throwing open the window, jumped out
| into the street. He fell with awful force
on the stone pavement ana was uncon
scious when picked up. Several persons
| following him stopped, horror-stricken
long enough to be corralled by Sheehy anC
his revolver. One old lady who was in THU
crowd fell when near the bottom OF thu
stairs and broke her arm.
TRYING TO SAVE THE MONKEYS.
As soon as Officer Sheehy had caused al
abatement Of the panic among the peopl,
he went up to the third floor, where som,
| scores of monkeys were Gagged. The poo
brutes were chattering and screaming
! with terror at the flames on all sides
| Sheehy hurriedly seized the iron bar
and, forcing them apart, opened On aper
ture WIDE enough TO admit of the escape o
the little animals, whose fright was almos
| MI faf
wildly scampored about the room for a mo
ment. and then. with innate perversenes
and 10 the intense chagrin of Sheehy, VIII
was risking his life every moment. Tushet
upstairs IN herd, and were burned 4
death by wholesale. The policeman wa
forced to grope his way down through
binding smoke, and reached the stree
daZed and nearly unconscious.
EXCITEMENT AMONG THE FREAKS.
The excitement among the freaks VIII
were on exhibition on the third floor wa
pitiful to behold. They were. practically
unable TO help themselves, owing to thel
abnormal development or lack OF develop
ment, and could only with difficulty be re
| strained from throwing themselves iron
the windows. Clarence Dale, a blg-head
ed boy; lola Lorenzo. the Albino; Nine
Carver. the fat woman, who weighs 20
pounds, aud her son. who is a wee mite o
q boy and exhibited as a midget, were OF
the platform. Mime. Carver hobble,
down from the platform and seizing th
midget dragged herself TO the rear WIN
dow, and was about to throw the chill
out when she was restrained by Mana
per Belmont, who with difficulty escorte
them down the stairways. A. ID. La
fayette, father OF the big beaded boy, VIII
was so top-beavy he could not navigat
alone. rushed TO tie assistance of his sor
and while leading him out found the Alb
no, almost blind by reason Of her wea
eyes, cropping about in the smoke. Wit
the big-headed boy under his arm b
seized the Albino and dragged rather tina
lifted her to the stairway and reached til
street.
Serious Fire In Elizabeth, Nj.