The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1893-08-25
Over Two Hundred Buildings Destroyed
In the Windy City.
HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE HOMELESS
Immense Lumber and Coal Yards Raw
aged, aud Several Residence Blocks
Destroyed.
Associated Press.

| <AooONAehtOh 4 Soos
Chicago August 24.---A fire which in
extent Of territory covered, is the larg-
est known in this city for many years.
began in that portion known as South
Chicago about o'clock this afternoon.
and, before 1t was brought under con-
troll, had destroyed over 200 Lllldings,
mostly frame residence structures oc-
cupied by workingmen, and rendered
many hundreds Of people homeless
The fire started in three-story brick
building at the corner Of 9ist street
and Superior avenue, occupied as a
residence by VIM. GILES. 1t was caus
ed by his daughter, who accidentally
upset a lamp while heating curling
iron. From there 1t grew rapidly in
volume, famed by gale from the
west, and the flames ate their way
over block after block of small frame
residences, until 1t reached the lake.
Within two hours after 1t had started
the fire had consumed at least flve
blocks Of the great industrial section
of the city. Residents Of that portion
of the city were in q panic second only
to the one which characterized the
great fire. Before the few engines in
the district could make the slightest
impression upon the flames, they
bounded eastward between 80 and 91st
streets in the direction of the lake.
House after house went down. Hard
ly had these structures gone when the
fire was seen to be blazing in a dozen
places further east the brands being
carried long distances by the furious
wind. The assistant marshal in charge
of that district, seeing that the utmost
efforts Of the department were neces-
sary If the greater part Of the town
was to be saved, notified the chief
fire marshal of the condition of affairs
and two engines were started down
from the main portion of the city as
Soon as possible. The largest fire boat,
Yosemite, was also hurredly started
on a 13-mile trip to the burning sec
tlon. Before it had reached the har-
bor above Chicago the fire had eaten
away five blocks between Superior
avenue and the lake, and the Yosemite
turned its attention to the immense
Timber yards on the river front. By
this time additional engines began TO
pull in from the city and new danger
was encountered from the yceiing OF
the wind, which started the fire low
ard q new district. Between the river
and the district in which the flames
originated extend immense lumber
yards and lumber docks along thS Cali
umet river and harbor. The burned
territory is just north of the business
centre of South Chicago, and was Civ
en- up almost exclusively to residences.
The fears Of the flremen were well
founded and before the dozens of en-
pines had made much headway, the
immense docks OF the Sunday Creek
Coal Co were burning Over hum
dred thousand tons of coal were stored
in these bins, and the fire boat brought
to bear all its powerful streams in the
cndeavor to head Off the flames. A
few minutes later, however, A. r..
Beck's lumber yards were seen to be
burning, and now the great battle OF
the firemen with the flames began.
They had only by this time succeeded
in concentrating a number Of engines
to begin an impression on the terri
fic fire. From this time on the forces
OF the firemen gradually increased,
and the flames were gradually brought
under control BY o'clock the work
of nearly forty engines besides the
fireboats had told Conservative esti-
mates put the aggregate loss IN the
residence district at 100000. The Sun
day Creek coal Company's loss win be
$25OOOO, and the Peck Lumber Com
pany's, 100000