The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-08-25
CHICACO'S GREAT FIRE.
Two Hundred Houses Swept Away
in Two Hours.
FIVE THOUSAND PEOPLE HOMELESS

FRnic S7rfcKen Citizens Flee with Their
Household Effects from the Rapidly
Approaching FIames-The Loss Esti-
mated at Nearly "a Million Dollars.
CHICAGO, Aug. 25.--A fire which covered
vast extent of territory began in that
part of the city known as South Chicago
about O'Clock yesterday afternoon. From
three story brick building at the corner
of Ninety-lirst street and Superior avenue
flames which rapidly grew in volume un-
der gale Of wind from the west ate their
way over block after block of small frame
residences until they reached the lake
Within two hours the fire had consumed
2dO buildings and five blocks of the great
est industrial suburb of Chicago and i, 900
people are homeless
As the pine structures in which lived
the workngmeu employed in the large
steel mills Of the Illinois Steel company
and those in which the smaller merchants
OF the place made their homes were levcled
by the roaring flames those whose homes
had not yet fallen fled with their goods
aud household utensils to the other por-
tions of the city. Streets were blockaded
with wagons containing the effects of the
frightened and fleeing residents, and men
and women, appalled, by the.calamity, fled
in every direction
From the brick building in which the
fre had its origin, and before the fire en-
glhes OF the district could make the slight
est impression upon it, the flames bounded
eastward between Ninety-ilrst and Nine
tieth streets in the direction of the lake
House after house fell before the sweep of
fro, which hurled blazing brands far in
advance From Superior avenue the flames
crossed 20 Ontario aveaue, Buffalo avenue,
Maekinaw avenue and Green Bay avenu e.
Among the first buildings to fall was the
First Methodist church, at Ninety-hrst
and Superior avenue, and before its spire
had toppled TO the ground the new and
commodinns German Lutheran church, on
the opposite corner. was blazing in dozen
places. Hardly had these more pret etentious
buildings been leyeled to the ground than
the fire was detected blazing in a dozen
places further east
The central fire alarm office sent to the
fire every engine that conld be spared n
the south side of the city The Yosemite,
the giant fire Dcat lying at the foot of La
Sale street, was hurried or from its dock
and was soon blowing its way through tho
waters OF the lake in a thirteen mile race
to the far southern section where the fire
was raging. Before it had reached the
of the fire had eaten away the five blocks
between Superior avenue and the lake, and
the Yosemite turned it's attention to the
immense lumber yards on the river front
Before the scores of engines Ind made
the least appreciable effect on the progress
of the flames the immense docks of the
Sunday Creek Coal company were in
ruins. Over 100000 tons of coal were
stored in the immense bins, which extend
for 500 feet along the river front, and this
was quickly ignitcd. At the same moment
the A. r.. Beck lumber yards, with dock
frontages almost as great as the Sunday
Creek company. were found to he burning,
and hero the first great battle of the fire
men with the flames was begun.
Conservative estimates put the aggrc-
gntc loss in the residence district at $780,
600 in addition to which the Sunday Creek
Coal company has lost fully $25D,O00 and
the Beck Lumber company 100000. No
lives SO far rs known were lost