The Indianapolis journal., 1891-04-13
House-Furnishing Establishment on West
Madison Street, the Haymarket Theater,
Museum, and Other Buildings Burned.
Greater Confagration Prevented by Tn.
usual Bravery of the Firemen.
Many Persons Saved BY the Aercism Of Po-
liceman-Monkeys Rush to Their Fate
Panic Among the Freaks-Incidents.
COSTLY FIRE AT CHICAGO.
Valuable Property Destroyed and Several Per-
sons Fatally Injured.

suffered one of the most destructive con-
fagrations that has occurred here since the
big fire of 1871. The loss is nearly 81 200. 600.
1t was at almost the exact geographical
center of the city that the flames started.
and. like the terrible disaster twenty years
ago. began In a stable. In this case the
stable was the property of the well-known
furniture manufacturer and politician John
NJ. Smythe. and was located in the rear of
his big house-furnishing establishment on
West Madison street, near Halstead street.
The flames speedily communicated to the
furniture establishment. and q moment
later to Kohl g. Middleton's dime museum.
general alarm to the fire department was
followed by special calls for extra engines.
as the fire was seen to be gaining ground
with extraordinary rapidity.
In less than five minutes smoke was pour
ing from every window in the Museum and
was enveloping the huge six-story building
occupied by Smythe. When, in a marvel
ously short interval, both structures 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 Madison street. A moment
found themselves working between two
towering walls of fire. For time it looked
as though the confagration would get be-
yond control and that, as In 1S7l. it would
sweep toward the lake directly across the
business district of the city. As if to add
to the CONSERVATION, the wind had sudden
IL risen and was blowing n stiff gale from
the west. Probably twenty thousand peo-
pie gathered in the ne;ghboring streets.
helplessly watching progress of the possibly
impending calamity.
FIREMEN BETWEEN WALLS OF FIRE.
At this critical juncture the thorough
discipline of the fireman became magnif-
Gently apparent. The men, obeylng orders,
stood steadily in the street where the flames
seorched them from either side. and after q
fierce battle at length brought the fire in a
measure under control The immense blaze,
however, continued to rage with intense
fury in the buildings already partly de-
stroyed. The moseum-was nothing but
heap of ruins, and the walls of the Smythe
building were falling one after another.
Fortunately they all fell into the ruins and
no person was injured.
Across the street, also, the walls soon sue
cumbed to the furious onslaught. Here
the upper story Of the three-story building
on the northwest corner of Madison and
Union streets caught fire. Quickly follow
ing the flames lodged around the windows
of the fifth story of the Haymarket Theater
building, and were soon stretching along
under the mansard roof Just west of the
Haymarket building wes the fve-story
building occupied by the Peoples Clothing
on fire. Despite all efforts the buildings
between 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 building was
filled with smoke and water. West OF the
Haymarket Theatre the damage was CON-
paratively small.
The first intlmation the inmates of Hart
d. Middleton's Museum had of the close
proximity of the fire was when some one
opened window. on the third floor. through
which volume of smoke poured, filling the
entire room. A wild panic followed among
the 400 persons In the building, most OF
whom. however, were on the first floor
watcbinga variety performance. Those on
the first floor were first aDrised OF their
danger by the stampede of the upper floors.
and as they arose TO their feet ana led pre-
cipitately toward the front floor the IRE
appeared at the rear windows, increasing
the terror of the crowd.
HERO WITH REVOLVER.
The emergency brought out q hero, in
the person of policeman Patrick Sheehy.
Forcing his way through the frightened
people, who were madly retarding each
other in the jam at the exit, he stationed
himself at the head Of ihe stairs, and draw
ing q revolver, declared his intention to
kill the first person who refused TO obey
his orders. By GOODNESS and determination
he succeeded in quieting the panic. and
with one exception, every body reached tho
street in safety. The exception was c. II.
Messenger. young man, who. before offi-
Ger Sheehy reached the stair landing. made
O 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
Several persons following him stopped.
horror-stricken, long enough to be cor
rallied by Sheehy and his revolver An old
lady who was in this crowd fell when near
the bottom of the stairs and broke her arm.
She was picked up by friends and taken
away In q carriage.
AS soon as officer Sheehy had caused an
abatement Of the panic among the people
he went up TO the third floor. where some
scores of monkeys were Gagged The poor
brutes were chattering and screaming with
terror at the flames on all sides Sheehy
hurrfedly seized the iron bars. and forced
the partitions open wide enough to admit
of the escape OF the little animals. whose
fright was almost human. The creatures.
when liberated, wildly scampered about
the room for o moment, and then with
| innate perverseness and TO the intense
chagrin of Sheehy, who was risking his
| life every moment rushed up stairs IN o
| herd and were burned 70 death by whole
sale. The policeman was forced to grope
| his way down through q binding smoke,
| and reached the street dazed and nearly
| unconscious.
PANIC AMONG THE FREAKS.
The excitement among the freaks who
were on exhibition on the third floor was
pItiful to behold. They were practically
unable to help themselves owing to their
abnormal development or lack of develop
ment and could only with difficulty be
restrained from throwing themselves
from the windows Clarence Dale, the
big-headed boy: Zola Lorenzo. the albino;
| Nine. Carver. the fat woman. who weighs
800 pounds. and her son. q wee mite OF a
boy who is exhibited as a midget. were ON
| the platforms. Mime. Carver hobbled down
from the platform. and seizing the midget.
dragged herself to the rear window and
was about TO throw the child out when she
was restrained BY Manager Belmont, who