Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-03-09
BIG CHICAGO BLAZE.
Six Story Building Reduced to
Complete Ruin.
FIREMEN TIGHT FURIOUS FLAMES

Oceans of Water Poured on Them with
out Effect A Stable ard Thirteen
Horses Also Observation-Disclosures. Sight
just as Two Floors Fell ina Tongue
of Flame Forty Feet Long-rieures on
the Losses.
CHICAGO, March 9-The six-story build
Ing 1876 and 1917 Michigan street, occupied
by several firms and owned by Thomas
Mackin, was totally destroyed by fire be-
tween and o'clock this morning, and
the various firms doing business in the
building suffered the loss of all their
stocks. The fire was discovered by a 20
lice officer at las o'clock and an alarm was
sent in at once. Chief Syenie responded
on the first alarm and at once sent in a
general alarm, calling out twenty engines
four trucks and two water towers, togeth-
er with five chemical engines.
Flames Make Rapid Headway.
When the first engine arrived flames
were bursting from all windows above the
basement in the alley, the fire having
started in the basement and burned
through the forest of partitions to the
roof, spreading through the various floors
in the ascent. In front the flames did
not appear so dangerous, and the
work of the first-alarm engines was direct
ed to the rear of the five floors. The light
wood construction on the inside of build
ing, together with the infiammabe char
acter Of the material in the building, aid
ed the spread of the flames and before the
second-alarm engines arrived and were
fairly at work the entire building was a
mass of flames from basement to top floor.
An Ocean of Water No Use.
Fifteen minutes after the first alarm
wa9 sent in there were two siameSed
streams and five regular lines PLAYING into
| the front windows of the burning struct-
ure and as many were at work at the rear
windows. Forseeing the danger of a
spread of the flames, Chief Swenie ordered
two lines on the roofs of the buildings adj
joining the structure, and the department
settled down to a determined fight to keep
the flames within the building where they
| originated. The vast volumes of water
poured into the building had not the
slightest effect.
4 Roaring Furnace Inside.
Great clouds of black smoke, indicating
! the destruction of material within the
| building, poured from the windows of all
| floors, while an occasional burst from the
J windows told how futile was the use of
| W tier to subdue the raging furnace within.
| a few minutes after l o'clock there was a
! brilliant burst of light on the top of the
| bIilding which told that the flames had
eaten through to the roof.
Walls Fall with a Crash.
A tongue of flame forty feet in length
| shot up into the air and lighted up the
! territory for blocks around. \ second
later there was a rumbling crash and tie
! fifth and sixth floors fell to the fourth
| floor. This weakened the side and front
walls, and fearing some accident there
was Encouragement of the fire apparatus
! in front and rear and on the four-story
structure west of the burning building.
The Estimate of Losses.
| The fire was prevented from Speeding to
the buildings on either side. Its origin is
| unknown. The building is a total loss of
| 1000. Other loss are: Chicago Paint
| c., $4,000; American Fruit Co. and
| Costello company (choco,ates), $4,000 be
tween them. Geo. OLe.rne, hides, ST.
0O0 II inos Storage Co. Obeirne is ~
| fortunate in the matter of fires. Last
| Immer his establishment at Michigan
street and L"Salle avenue WAS burned.
Brands Fire Stable.
| Nendome stable, in the rear of the burning
, building The stable, with its contents
including thirteen horses, were consumed