Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-07-11
SCENES OF HORROR.
Further Particulars About The Fire
at the Worlds Fair
SEVERAL WOMEN REPORTED LOST.
Messages Of sympathy from firemen'
Relief Fund Started.-Liberal
Contributions.

CHICAGO, July lO.-rhe fear VI"
has exi1ted for months In the minus
Of the citizens Of Chicago found reNh'
nation today in frightful holocaust Al
the World,s Fair thu claimed nearly
two sooro victims aud for time
threatened the destruction OF theen'ire
White city.
The fire was not generally observed
until about 1916 y. M, ana WITHIN
thirty minutes the great loss OF life
occurred. At the first signal the fire.
men rushed up the huge rhait sur
rounding the I'm Ike stack, AMI when
ut the summit began preparations TO
nght the flames, which fret appeared
nj this point.
Before the hose could be coupled n
cry Of horror from tho crowd below
caused tho iiromen to look dowu, for
the whole shaft below was encirclci
with the flames. The men stood
1tolldly fora moment, In full realiEa'
ton OF their danger. Then one grasped
rope which was lowered for the pur-
pgse Of raising the hose, anu half slid
Ing, half falling, reached the ROOT
ninety feet below, In bruised and
burned condition, but still alive.
The crowd below became Wild
with excitement, aud weeping wO.
men anu iferzlod men rushed around,
wfinging their hands anu moaning
In anguish over their inability ~
tender aid.
Suddenly every eye was turned up.
ward by the preparations OF a fireman
tOjump. He gave Aqulck, spasmOdiO
leap and turned over half n dozen
times before he struck the roof ninety
feet below. Whom the body struck
the roof there was irlghtiul crash
aud It bounced far up again into the
air.
From this time on bodies rained
from the eteeple, As after the hret Wild
leap Que man alter another jumped In
quick succession ID the flames closed
IN below and the heat became Intense.
The very horror OF death rlvelod
every eye to the scene anu while mon
anu women shouted Historically, tho
guards were almost powerless ~ keep
the crowd away from danger.
Asa iiTe trap the Cold Storage ware
house could not have been more per.
fectly constructed. 1t was $50 feet
long and 100 feet wide, made of wood
and covered with staff. The main
bouy OF the building was i've stories
high. In the center rose the
smoke stack In the shape Of
cupola, 200 feet high. Its base WAS
about 80 feet square and 30 feet up
there was n balcony, from which rose
a tower, eliminating Ia the mouth VI
the smoke stack.
Where the fire was flrst discovered
In the interior OF the tower there were
wooden beams and n framework, on
which the atan was laid. IL IL sup
posed the framework around the
mouth OF the chimney caught fire
from n defect la the Hue. At first II
appeared an insignificant affair, but,
knowing the intiammablo nature Of
toe structure, Fire Marshal Murphy
called all the companies out.
With 30 men, Captain FitEpntrlck
climed the ladders inside the tower 20
tue balcony, anu from there ropes were
lowered 10 haul up the hose. One had
been gotten up when the wind caused
the flames to break out In au alarming
manner about ten feet from the top OF
the cupOlh.
Within fifty feet from tho ground all
ropes banging from the tower were
burned away. One hose withstood
the heat, however, and John Davis
caught hold and slid down to lhO main
ROOT, whore no tainted. He was taken
to tho hospital and physicians say he
will recover.
Another man started down the por.
ZION OF rope hanging from the tower,
uut II gave way aud he foil, striking
ON his head. He was Instantly killed.
There now remained according 10
We count Of various spectators,
twenty-five 10 thirty men ON the
tower. Thoy were hopelessly beyond
human help, the longest ladder falling
short fully thirty feet.
Al this terrible moment Captain
filzpR!rick's tall form appeared In front
OF the men who were huddled together
on the narrow balcony. He seemed 10
be addressing his brave followers. As
ne ceased speaking one OF the men
ctept around tho burning balcony
anu returned IA moment later with n
rope IL was hastily fastened to the
railing around the balcony and thrown
TO the roof.
Fitzpatrick was seen TO Point to It
and man started TO slide down, but
before he was half way the cruel
names rolled up and he was swallowed
IN the awful volcano. Another tried
II and met the same fate.
One after another FIVE OF the men at
lhls point sprang from tho balcony to
The roof II any survived tho awful
leap were they burned to death after
wards.
The rope was burned OF about half
way down, but Fitzpatrick, seeing the
men jumping to their doom, seized the
slfanu aud started down. He dropped
from the end OF the rope anu caught n
ladder which was raised to Within
twenty feet Of II. Fire Marshal Muir
Ihy, who was on the roof, spTang
forward and soon reached Fitzpatrick.
n shout OF admiration and encourage
meni went up.
Tue heroic marshal started back
WIN his friend, but was enveloped In
bamtH' With the energy Of despair he
clutchtd his companion and slid down
the ladder. Both Murphy and Fli2-
patrick were unconscious when picked
up The former, however, IL not sefl.
outly hurt, but Fitzpatrick is not
expected 10 survive the night.
a lew weeks ago Marshal Murphy
inspected the building and reported Il
10 10 extremely unsafe. On account
OF MS report the insurance companies
Cancelled all rlsks, so the loss is com
II is reported by come of the Colum.