The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1893-07-11
GREAT CALAMITY IN CHICAGO
Many Heroic FirGIlGn Meet With a
Terrible Death.
AN AGONlzING SPECTACLE
Within Full View of a Multitude the
Lives of nearly Forty Brave Men
SnuHfed out-A Scene of Horror.
AGONlzING SPECTACLE
Associated Press.

Associated Press.
Chicogo, July 1O.-A fire broke out to-
day in the cold storage warehouse just
south of the SiXty-fourth street gate
of the Worlds Fair About thirty
flremen were burned to death. The fire
started at the top of the cupola, which
rises fully 200 feet from the ground.
Through this cupola the chimney
passed. Near the top is landing, and
the fire brok out thirty feet above this.
AS soon as the firemen arrived, thirty
five or forty of them climbed up lad
ders to the landing, and were preparing
to throw streams of water on the burn
ing portion, when the fire, which had
burned the inside staff toa point below
where the firemen stood, broke out
with volcanic ferocity on all sides. An
exclamation of horror broke from the
lips of 10000 people gathered about the
building to see the fire. Five men
saved themselves by sliding down
ropes, but before the others could fol-
low the fire burned away the ropes.
Those who remained huddled together
on the north side of the cupola. 1t was
beyond the reach of any of the ladders,
and the crowd stood horror stricken,
helpless to aid. The flames leaped
higher, higher, until the men were al
most concealed from view At this
moment one of the firemen sprang far
out and was dashed to pieces on a
roof sixty feet below. Another and
another, crazed by the awful heat fol-
lowed his example, but met the same
fate. When five had jumped the upper
portion of the cupola gave way, and
the remaining firemen were swallowed
up in the mass of burning timbers.
1t Is reported that three men and sew
eral clerks in an office on the third
floor were crushed by the falling
cupola.
The scene of horror was witnessed by
many thousands of people who fiocked
to the locality when the alarm was
sounded, and strong men wept, and wo-
men tainted as one life after another
was snuffed out within full view of the
multitude, but beyond the reach of
human aid. The fire was not generally
observed until about lis p. M, and
within thirty minutes a great loss of
life had occurred. At the first signal
the flremen rushed up the huge shaft
surrounding the smokestack, and when
at the summit began preparations to
fight the flames, which first appeared at
this point Before the hose could be
coupled, a cry of horror from the crowd
below caused the firemen to look down.
The whole shaft below was encircled
with flames. The men stood stollidly
for a moment in full realization of
their danger. Then one grasped a rope
which was lowered for the purpose of
raising the hose, and half sliding, half
falling, reached a roof ninety feet be-
low, in bruised and burned condition,
but still alive. The crowd below be-
came wild with excitement, and weep
ing women and frenzied men rushed
around wringing their hands and
in anguish over the inability
to render aid. Suddenly every eye
turned upward attracted by the prepar-
ations of a fireman to jump. He gave
4
over and over half a dozen times be-
fore he struck the roof ninety feet be-
low. When the body struck there was
a fearful crash, and it bounced far up
again into the air. From this time on
bodies rained from the steeple, as after
the first wild leap, one man after an
other jumped in quick succession as
the flames closed in below and the
heat became more intense. The spec
ctacfe became more horrible as the
minutes passed, and for the last man
on the cupola was reserved the most
dreadful fate of all. After his COM
panions had leaped to apparent death,
and as he stood hesitating, the whole
shaft began to trembIe and vibrate.
The lone fireman understood the omin-
Gus warning and gave a wild leap,
but too late. At the very instant he
sprang, the whole structure collapsed,
and this human being, quivering with
life and wildly grasping for support in
the frenzy of despair. was seen to drop
into labyrinth Of flame and fire, and
into the roaring furnace
below.
Knowing the inflammable nature OF
the structure Fire Marshal Murphy had
called all the companies out with
about forty of his men Captain Fitz-
patrick climbed the ladders inside the
tower to the balcony. and from there
ropes were lowered to haul up the hose
One had been gotten up when the
ma I'D oot,caI tho Hor,oo fo hroofr o..f u,