Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1891-04-14
DETAILS
or tia Sweeping Connsgration at
Chicago Sunday.
HEAVY LOSSES AND no INSURANCE
Many Beautiful Buildings swspt BY the
Siaass and L<ss ChArses kains--Sia-
Yuiar ExeitsAa.st AasnS Masesn
kIeAks - The kataiisiss.

shortly after o'eIoez the IRE
started. and from the first IL was stub
born. almost resistless Kohl & Mid
dleton's museum. on the second floor,
was Glied with the usual crowd of sun
day visitors. They were scattered
through the enrio hall and the gal
leries, and big audience was in one Of
the thesters watching g stage perform
auca. The first irtimation of danger
came whom every window cracked and
shattered and flames ieaped into the
rooms. Where the fire came from no
one seemed TO know. There were
shrieks and cries. people pushed over
each other and ran panic-s;rieken down
the stairway 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.
In the museum were specially per-
formers, attaches and freaks" who
did not rush out when the visitors beat
their hasty retreat Some wore their
stage costumes aud were hur-
riedly endeavoring to collect ward
robes and valuablea Within a
brief minute they, too. were forced
To leave, many without saving any.
thing except the stage clothes they were
wearing. The fat woman. the big.
headed boy, the gypsies and the albino
rushed into the street.
When the fire department. threw the
first stream the Smyth building was en-
tirely in flames The great building
burned as though 1t was stored with
naphtha and finder. A mass of blaze
swept through the front and flung it.
self half way across the street.
Then 1t cur,ed up and made
the front wall of roaring
flames Firemen retreated before the
attack. and from a safe distance, their
rubber coats steaming and scorching,
they sent few punny splnshes into the
fire. Almost at the same time the
buildings across the way were ignited
and each side Of the street became
sblaze.
from Union street to the Haymarket
theater a row Of business houses faced
the terrific onslaught of tirebrands from
the burning Smyth block. They did not
withstand 1t long. Each one was afire
within fifteen minutes after the first
alarm, and the corner of the Haymarket
theatcr building was smoking, with
tongues of fame in a dozen different
places. A determined and successful
effort TO save the theater was made,
but the row of buildings between 1t
and Union street was doomed from the
first.
All later efforts of the fremen were
directed TO checking the spread of the
flames. These efforts were successful.
At o'clock last evening the two sides
of West Madison street were tumbled
and smoking ruins.
The losses are distributed about as
follows:
John NJ. Smyth, $50 to 1875 Madison street.
building and stock OF furniture, 500. 900; Kohl
4 Middleton. is4 Madison street. $1,000; Neefy
Bros. boots and shoes, I52 Madison street. s2o,-
ooo; Adeibcrt Kaempfer. iewelry 80 Madison
street, $4,000; Alfred Pea,s. wal, paper and
furniture. l1 Madison street. &c, 900;
p. J. Casey, building. iD Madison
street. $1,000: Baer Bros. hats. i57
Madison street. 5000; NJ Irrman. ci-
CARS and tobacco, $50 Madison street,
t2s 90; Hannah & Hogg. saloon, 1871 Madison
street, 5000: Royal Tailors. l63 Madison
street, $1,000; Haymarket theater. 5000: 1,S
Madison street (ia.s). $4,000; l57 Madison
street (iats,. 8, 900: i59 Madison street 0ats).
$500; l6i TO i6o Madison street Haymarket
building), 5000; board Of education property,
in the rear OF the Snyth block, 5000; other
losses. 1900.
The insurance is light, John M.
Smyth carrying only about sl25, 900.
while Kohl & Middleton and NJ. Irrman,
the cigar dealer, carried no insurance
whatever, having allowed their policies
to expire without renewal, as they had
intended moving into new buildings
soon.
Alexander Grant, an employe in the
museum, was seriously injured while
making his escape from q third-story
window. He crawled out on sign
and attempted to swing down by
means of q wire. The wire broke
under his weight, however, and
he fell to the pavement, q dis
lance of so feet, breaking his leg and
frightfully bruising his head and Shout
ders. His injuries, however, are con-
sidered not necessarily fatal. About
fifty persons, including two policemen,
stood watching the flames from the
corner of Union and Meridian streets.
The officers were keeping the crowd
back, and as IL was pushing
and swaying the wooden walk
gave way and they fell about 10 feet.
Mrs. Bessie Higgins was probably fntal-
ly injured by the fall and was taken TO
her home, ies Washington street.
Bernard Stoth had leg broken at the
same time and was removed to the
Emergency hospital After the firencn
hal got the flames under control and
were playing upon the west end OF
the Smyth building Francis Gamble.
aged about 10 years. accompanied by
Gus Hanshaw, who was triHe older,
went around behind the building and
into q shed used as storehouse. The roof
came down with a crash, buryinr young
Gamble in the ruins Gamble was
quickly dug out and taken to
the Office Of DIR. Mac Kay, Iei
South Halssed street. where IL was
found that his injuries were probably
fatal. Ills hips and left leg were broken.
II was thought also that his skull was
fractured A patrol wagon was sum
-uoned and he was taken TO the county
hospital. where he died At midnight
FIRE ~ Az OMAHA HOTEL
OMAHA, Eeb-, April i3-Fire started
abons 10 o'clock Sunday night in the
kitchen Of the Paxton hotel. situated
on the fourth floor Of the annex back
Of the main building. While the fire.
men we're putting up ladders 10 reach
the flames the wall fell out, carrying
down four OF No . Hose compsnys
men All were buried under pile Of
hot brick and received serious injuries
FATAL FrRE AT rooRHorsF-