The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-08-25
RIG FIRE AT CHICAGO
uundreds of Homes Of Work
men in South Chicago Gone.
Loss MORE THAN = MILLION.
e.~er.s Thoassnd Persess MADE Hsme-
tess-Maeh CesI sad Lsnbsr
Destroyed.

Curr4Go Aug. "A nre Nnlca n ex-
All Of territory covered IL the largest
fnowu in this city for many years. began
s thxt portion known IS South Chicago
.tost O'Clock this affernooa, and before
h-ar.ght under control had destroyed ever
~ buildings, mostly frame residence
ssructnres occupied by workingmen,
.nd rendered many hundreds OF
..a,.se homeless. The fire started
q 4 shree-story brick building 81 the
Garner Of ysnety-frs: and Superior avenue.
scennsed as a residence by William Giles.
n vas caused BY his daughter. who acca-
a~ns.tIy rpaet lamp while heating hair
.uriIng iron From there il grew rapidly
"a volume, famed by gale from the
west. and the flames ate their way over
block after block OF small frame residences
untii IL reached the lake.
Within tao hours after the ire started
Il had consumed ~ least Eve blocks OF the
great industrial section Of the city. Resi-
deats Of that portion OF the city
we're In panic second only TO
the one which characterized the
great fire. AS the pine structures in
in the mills were Ieysled by the roaring
fzilen fed with their goods and portable
chasteIs. Tie streets we're Dlockadsd with
wagons containing the effects OF the
heightened people, and men. women and
children led In all directions
Before the lev engines Ia the district
sould make fhe slightest impression upon
The flames they bounded eastward be-
tween S.netieth aud Ninety-drst streets,
in the direction Of the lake
House after house went dosn and
soon the first Methodist church
aud the German Lutheran church
had succumbed. Hardly had these
structures gone than the fire vas seen
10 be blazing in dozen places further
east, brands being carried long distances
By the furious wind. The assistant mar
shall in charge Of that district, see
ing that the utmost efforts of the
FIRE department was necessary II the
greater part Of the town was TO be saved.
notified Chief Marshal Swenie Of the con-
dition of affairs. and twenty-five engines
were started down from the main portion
oil the city as soon rs possible. The larg-
est sireboat, the Yosemite. was also hur-
rIedly started out on q thirteen-miIe trip
10 the burning section.
Before IL had reached the harboy at
eouth Chicago the ire had carried away
Eve blocks between Superior avenue and
the lake. and Yosemite turned It's atten-
ton 70 the immense lumber yards
on the river 'front.' By the time the
additional engines began to pull in
from the city, new danger was encoun-
tered in the veering of the wind, which
started the Ere toward new district Be-
tween the river and the district
IN which the flames origi-
mated extend immense lumber
yards and lumber docks along Calumet
river and the harbor. The burned terri
South Chicago, and was given up almost
exclusively TO residences.
Fire sprang from the ruins OF the Giles
house to cottage adjoining on the west.
Brands carried to building at the corner
Of Buffalo avenue and Ninety-first street.
one square further west. soon started q
blaze which spread north and south on
Buffalo avenue, while the original
IRE ragged along Ninety-iirst street
and Superior avenue. soon becoming
perfect tornado Of flames. One dwelling
after another went with incredible rapid
ity, and after the churches named above
had been destroyed IL was seen the IRE
must spread 10 the docks. from which IL
was nxiously desired TO keep Ii.
The fears of the bremen were well
founded, and before the dozens Of engines
had made much Roadway the immense
docks OF the Sunday fCreek Coal
Company were burning. over 10000
tons OF coal were stored in these
immense bins. and the fireboat
Yosemite brought 20 bear eli its powerful
streams in an endeayor 20 head off the
flames. A lew minutes later. however, A.
4. Peck's lumber yards were seen
10 be burning, and now the real
great battle of the hremsn with
fhe flames began. for they had only
BY this time succeeded in concentrating q
sufficient number of engines TO begin to
make an impression on the terrific fire.
Prom this time on the forces of the
hFemen were gradually increased,
and the flames gradually brought
under control. BY so'cloek the work of
nearly forty engines, beside the fireboas
had told, and the coal in the Sunday Greek
coal docks and Peckis lumber yards we're
The only places where the fire was still
uppermoss and in . short time IL Was
Practically under control there.
Then the pauic-strscken people began 10
return 10 where their homes had stood, bat
To very few instances were they able TO
ind any signs OF them. Most of the build
ings destroyed were light frame affairs
aud we're occupied almost exclusively
BY workmen OF the illinois Steel Com
pany. The damage in none Of these in
stances Was of large amount but
conservative estimates pat the aesre-
gate loss in the residence district a. $780,
CO.. The Sunday Creek Coal Company's
loss will be $50 90. and the Peek Lumber
sompany's sa10. ota The latter company
made an assignment and had Just resumed
Business ate. making an arrangement
sith ersditors A number Of persons
Are homeless. vaT.oassy estimated at
nom s0o0 20 h.0ao. buf it Is
thought thfs agare is little exaggerated.
isspise the Fapidity with which the DANES
spread and the confusion wh!ch prevailed,
no lives NsFe lost IS far as known tonight,
and only few people we're injured,
SIi not fatally. The other citizens
@Soath Chicago rallied 90 the relief Of the
homeless ~ once. and houses were throxn
eesn IN all directions 80 sufferers from the
Ere. ~ that none 81 them had TO camp IN
the streets tonight
South Casesgo is almost entirely
manufacturing district. the Illinois Steel
SemnAny being ems et the principal in.
ssssries OF the place. employing about
ttao men. The river froat and AXE
shore are occupied Tor long distance ay
Immense lutaees and coal yards ana ship
Psag doeka