St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-04-26
the imprisoned railroad employees. The
Zulus were then transferred to the fair
grounds.
BURNED AT THE DOOR.
Magnificent ArmOry of the First
Illinois Regiment Destroyed
by Fire.
Two JanitOrs Cremated Behind
Four Inches of Oak and
Steel Bars.

CHICAGO, April 25.-The magnificent
new armOry Of the First regiment, lii
nois national guards, was destroyed by
fire this morning. Two men are known
to have persisted in the flames. Two
others were rescued from immediate
death by the heroism of the flremen, but
not until they were badly injured. The
casualties are: Dead, Harry johnson.
colored, janitor, slept in building; Wal
ter Williams, colored, janitOr, slept in
building. Injured, E. w. Latham,
electric light linen.an, burned about
head and back. will recover: Christopher
Virgins, electric light lineman, burned
about back and shoulders, will recover.
The loss to propesty is placed at about
S2l5,000, which is very inadequately COW
cred Dy insurance. This includes the
loss of $150,000 on the building, the
scenery of the Trocadero Concert
troupe, the arms and gccOuterments,
the dress and service uniforms, and the
handsome furnishings of the various
First regiment militia companies.
The fire started in the kitchen of the
armory, located in the southwest corner
of the second story. How it started is
unknown, but it made rapid progress,
and worked its way around the gallery
to the north before it was discovered.
Then the fire, breaking through the
windows. was seen by people on the
streets, and an alarm was turned in.
1t wac too late, for the fire had secured
a firm hold, and when engines arrived
the fremen found all entrance barred
by the blank walls of masonry and the
huge iron barred sailyport Oh Michigan
aenue. The building was constructed
to withstand siege, c z even this
showed it was admir-. y adapted
for the purpose. Hau the fire
been in an ordinary structure with as
little food for flames, it WOnld have been
easily eXtinguished. AS it was, there
was little chance to fight it. The death
of those in the building was attended
stances. They reached the great door
in safety while the fire was spreading
within. There Seemedsno danger, and
escape was apparently certain. They
attempted to open the small wicket gate
in the center of the door. and then for
the first time their perileus situation
dawned upon them. The wicket was
locked, and four inches of solid oak,
bOlted and barred with huge steel
locks, stood between them and es-
cape. Gradually the fire spread be-
hind them. The western galleries
were all ablaze, and the flames
were spreading rapidly along the north
side and approaching the spot where
the men now stood frantically beating
on the doors and vainly epdeavoring to
force them open. The crowd outside
heard their frantic appeals for aid, and
an effort was made to batter i'll the
doors, but the stout oak was too we'll
braced. The blows rained upon it had
no effect, and while the crowd outside
were engaged in the fruitless attempt
the cries of those entrapped ceased, and
at the same instant the north wall and
the roof seemed to separate, the bright
flames leaped to the sky, and, with a
crash, the roof and the top of the wall
fell in, while. in the increased draft, the
flames spread with redoubled fury, and
the building was nothing but furnace.