Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-04-16


CHICAGO, LII, April l2-Chicago this
evening suffered one Of the most destrnc-
tive conliagrations that has occurred here
since the big fire of 1871. The loss is fully
Sl,0010JO 1t was at almost the exact geo
graphical centre of the city that the flames
Started, and like the terrible disaster 20
years ago, began in a stable, and it falls on
q Sunday night.
In this case the stable was the property
of Il wcll-knnwn furniture manufacturer
John w. Smyth, and was located in the
rear Of his housc-lurnishing establish
mcnt on West Madison near Halstead
street The flames speedily commui-
Gated to the furniture establishment, and
moment later to Kohl Il Mddleton's
dime museum.
In less than five minutes smoke was
pouring from every windowin the museum
and was cnyeluping the six-stOry building
occupied by Smyth. In miraculously
short time both structures had turned into
a mass of flame.
For n time it looked rs though the con-
flaSration would get beyond control, and
that, as in 1871, il would sweep toward the
lake directly across the business district OF
the city. The wind had suddenly arisen,
and was blowing u stiff gale from the west.
Twenty thousand people. gathered III the
neighbnrng streets, watching the progress
Of the impending calamity.
The museum was nothing but heap of
ruins, and the walls Of the Smyth build
ing were falling one after another. For:
tunatcly they all fell into the ruins, and
no person was injured.
PANIC IS 4 MUSEUM.
on the opposite side of the street the
flames swept along, reaching in their path
= way the Haymarket Theatre and other
i large buildings adjoining.
/ The first intmation the inmates of
! Kohl Il Middleton's Museum had of the
/, proximity of the fire was when some one
opened window on the third hoor.
through which q volume of smoke poured,
filling the room, A panic ensncd among
the 400 persons in the building. most Of
whom, however, were on the first floor
watching variety performance.
Those ON the first floor were first ap-
prised of their danger by the stampede on
the upper floors, and as they arose to their
feet and He'd precipitately toward the front
door the fire appeared at the rear windows,
increasing the terror of the crowd.
THE HERO OF THE FLAMES.
The emergency brought out a hero in
the person of Policeman Patrick Sheehy.
Forcing his way through the frightened
people who We're mad and lighting each
other in the jam at the exit he stationed
himself at tile head of the stairs, and,
drawing his revolver, declared his inten-
tion to kill the first person who refused to
obey his orders BY GOODNESS and deter
mination he succeeded in guieting the
panic, and with one exception everybody
reached The street in safety.
LEArEn FROM WINDOW.
The exception was c. II. Messenger,
young man, who, before Officer Sheehy
reach the stair landing, made d 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 and was unconscious
when picked up. Several persons follow
ing him stopped horror stricken long
enough to be corNled by Sheehy and his
revolver. One old lady who was in this
crowd fell when near the bottom of the
stairs ana broke her arm.
FRIGHTENED MONKEYS BURNED TO DEATH.
on the third floor of the museum were
several scores OF monkeys. The poor
brutes were chattering and screaming with
terror al the flames. officer Sheehy hur
Tiedly seized the iron bars, and, forcing
them apart, opened an aperture bigenough
10 admit Of the escape of the little animals,
whose fright was almost human. The
creatures, when liberated, scampered about
the room for moment. and then, with
mate perverseness, rushed up stairs in "a
herd and were burned to death by whole
sale.
The excitement among the freaks who
were IN exhibition OH the third floor was
ptiful Ia behold. They We're practically
unable to help themselves, owing TO their
abnormal development or lack of develop
ment, and could only with difficulty be re-
strained from throwing themselves from
the windows, Clarence Dale. big headed
boy; Xola Lorenzo, the Albino Madame
Carver the fat woman and her son, who
is Il wee mite of a boy and exhibited as q
midget, We're on the platform. Madame
Carver hobbled down from the platform,
and Selling the midget, dragged herself to
the rear window, and was about to throw
the child out when she was restrained by
Manager Belmont who with difficulty es-
corted them down the stairs.
OIL BARRELS IN DANGER.
The nerve displayed by the firemen was
heightened by the fact that all the time
they knew at least hundred barrels of oil
were stored in the basement of the Smyth
establishment, likely at any time to create
q terrible explosion.
Just before the west wall of the Smyth
building fell q venturesOme lad climbed up
to the third floor of the building adjoining
and stood Watching the flames from his
lofty position. When the wall toppled
over with loud crash and the smoke
cleared away he was not seen where he
had been standing, and it is feared that he
went down in the debris and was lost i'll
the fire
THE HEAVIEST LOSERS.
John NJ. Snythts furniture stock and
building together will aggregate S500,000,
with Sl250U0 insurance. fhe loss ut the
Kohl Museum will he about SS5,000,
IN the IIaymarket Theatre the excite
ment was partially subdued by prompt
work ON the part Of the lshcrs and other
theatre attaches Their scenery and eff
fcets were removed without damage.
While the fire was at its worst Il side wall
at the corner of lInIon street and Meridian
court collapsed and ,precipitated 40 persons
into an excavation beneath.
When theft brokeou Dr,J H. Bergerson
was attending a woman patient in flat in
one Of the buildings subsequently burned.
When the fire got too close the doctor
seized the suffering woman and, wrapping
her in blankets descended three flights Of
stairs with his burden and carried her to
refuge near by.
Poisoned by Eating Cream Puhs.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn, April ban cpl |
finT1ia nf l1oia1ttit1r pnSps 0pptrrp1 in fbn !