The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-08-25
South Chicago Suffers by Fire from the Care
lessness of Two Boys Who Were Baking
Potatoes Near o Stable.
Blaze Started from the Embers That
Spread with Lightning-Llke Rapidly.
Five Squares of the Big City's Industrial Sub
urb soon Laid in Ashss-St Louis Fire.
man Shocked in Singular Way.
DISASTROUS FIRE.

xWO hundred DO SoutA
Chisseo-Loss About $5oO.OO0.
CHICAGO. Aug pa fire which, in tho
extent of the territory 1t covered. rivals
Chicago's historic contlagration, began In
that part of the city known as South Chi
cago about o'clock this afternoon. The
fifty thousand people comprising the IN
habitants of the town were precipltated
into = panic, second only In this CITY to
that which characterized the confiagratIon
of 1871. The loss is estimated at over $780,
000 and 5000 people are rendered homeless.
The fire started In . three-story frame
building at the corner of NInety-tirst street
and Superior avenue, and within two hours
had consumed at least two hundred build
ings and five blocks of the greatest indus
trial suburb Of Chicago. Among the first
to fall was the First Methodist Church. ct
the corner of Ninety-first street and Su-
perior avenue. and the German Luth-
eran Church on the opposite cor.
ner. Hardly had these moro preten-
tious structures been leveled to the
ground than the fire was detected blazing
in q dozen places further east Leaving
Superior avenue the flames crossed Ontario
and Green Bay avenue to the lake The
local fire department was powerless to
check the progress of the fire. and when
engines and tire tugs were sent from this
oity their efforts were directed to saving
the immense lumber yards lying within q
few blocks of the fire.
The distance from Superior avenue 20 the
lake was filled with frame structures that
burned rapidly as the strong wind carried
embers and sparks in all directions. Tho
steeples of the large churches had hardly
toppled over when the whole area Of five
blocks was filled with small fires. The
streets were blookaded with wagons con-
tsining the effects of the frightened and
fleeing residents. and men and women. ap-
palled By the fire. fed in every direction.
Before the scores Of engines had made
the least sppreCiable effect upon
the progress of the flames the
immense docks of the Sunday Creek Coal
Company. at Harbor avenue and the river.
were burning. Over one hundred thou
sand tons of coal were stored In the i'm
.nsnse bins belonging to this company.
which extend for five hundred feet along
A. X. Beck lumber yards, with dock 'front.'
age almost as elaborate. were found to be
burning. When the fire began in the coal
yards every engine that could be spared
and the powerful fire steamer Yosemite
were brought to tight the cont1agration.
SPREAD RAPIDLY.
The house at Superior avenue and Ninty.
first street. IN which the fire began. was
owned by William Gillis and occupied by
him az q residence. Those who saw the
spread of the fire say that from the three
story frame structure it sprang to q cottage
adjoining on the west Brands falling
upon building at the corner of Buffalo
avenue and Ninety-first street. one square
further west. soon started blaze
which spread north and south
on Buffalo avenue. Then the hre spread
quickly, licking up house after house In o
few minutes. A dozen houses in the vicin.
ity of Superior avenue and Ninety-tirst
street having been swept away by the
whirlwind of fire. the early fright of the
people began to give way to the panic
which in another hour precipitsted a fly.
ing army towards the other portions of the
city. Before the fire vas gotten under con-
troll over two hundred dwellings and build
ings had been laid low. five thousand peo-
loss inficted reaching into the
hundreds of thousands of dollars
Starting, as was the most accepted theory
among the citizens of South Chicago to-
blaze spread with such raDidIty that fami-
lies had barely time enough In some in
stances to escape with their lives. Cot
tages were swept away and their occu-
pants and owners were not able even to
save their household effects.
About 4 o'clock in the afternoon. accord
ing to the statements made by those W no
claim to be in possession of the facts two
boys were playing In the yard back of
William Gillis's house. on the north side Of
Ninety first street, between Ontario and
Superior avenues. They had been baking
potatoes. and. tirlng of the sport,
left the dying embers to resume their
play in another part OF the yard.
Goals were blown In several directions by
the wind thas swept lakeward, and no
thought of danger entered their minds A
piece of blazing wood, is IL claimed. was
the y ard on the west. and soon yellow flames
were curling mp In dangerous proximity
to Mr.. Gillis's barn. section of
the fence four feet long was burned away
and the corner OF the barn had been ig-
nitsd. Rapidly. and unknown to any one
on the premises. the fire crept up into tho
loft, where were stored two tons of hay.
aud once having secured a start here there
was little chance OF stopping 1t.
Lieut.. III. Murray. of the Twelfth Bat
TALON and engine company No. 46 of the
South Chicago department.. was overcome
by the heat at the corner of Ninety first
street and Superior avenue at 6 O'clock.
He was taken to the hospital of the Illinois
Steel Company, where he received atten-
tion and was detained over night
Despite the rspidity with which the
flames spread, and the crash aud panic
which at one time choked up the streets,
no lives as far as known. were lost. Fol-
lowing are the injured. mono fatally:
Fred Donath, severely burned abous
face and arms; Robert Guinta,
overcome by smoke and heat;
Addie Guints. overcome By heat; Martin
Burke, fell from q second.story window and
was injured internally. shortly after the
fire attacked No. 120 Buffalo avenue, tho
store of n. johnson. there was O violent
explosion of twenty-one gallon cans of
gasoline. Mr.. johnson as severely burned
about the face.
Hundreds of people deprived Of homo
comforts with scarcely q warning, gath
cred along Ninety-hrst street and adj ent
thoroughfares. But they were not to be
homeless, for tho citizens of South Chicago
rallied TO their assistance. IL was not nec-
essary even to organize relief committees,
and no definite steps toward the housing
of the unfortunate people were taken. The
word was passed down the line that the
houses of those no were not losers by the
fire without exception wero open to any
and all who had been driven out upon tho
streets.
south Chicago ia aim ost entirely a m Ar m.