The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1893-07-14
SWALLOWED UP
BY The FLAMES
Many Brave Firemen Gre
a. mated at Chicago.
THE ENTIRE CITY I'M MOURNING

Appalling Scenes Witnessed at the Burn.
ing OF che Cold Storage Warehouse nj
Jsckson Park-Thc Unfortunate Men
Forced to Leap to Certain peath--The
Trfghtful Spectacle Causes Strong Men
to Weep and womon to Faint -Besides
Those Killed Many Arc Terribly
Bruised and burned.
CHICAGO, July iL-The fear that hns
existed for months In ehe minds Of nearly
every citizen IN Chicago. q fear that none
dared utter to his fellows but that all felt,
found realization yesterday in a frightful
holocaust at the Worlds Fair that claimed
nearly two score of victims and for time
threatened the destruction Of the entire
White City. Yesterdays disaster was all
transformation from an innocent flame
into death dealing catastrophe. Like an
animate monster it enticed its victims to
the topmost stage Of a nigh pinnacle and
then encircling the whole shaft in q sheet
Of fame, held them in trap until one by
one they fell sacrifice on the fiery altar
that ragged beneath them while 80,
psople stood helplessly by.
The structure that burned yesterday
afternoon was by comparison, one OF the
smallest buildings of the Fair. 1t was
the cold storage warehouse and skating
rink and was not the property of the Ex-
position. 1t was concession and exhibit
Of the Hercules Iron Works and Ice and
Refrigerating Machine Manufacturers In
addition TO the sKatlng rink, there were
three l2o ton ice machlnes ana 81 or i0
barrels OF iinseed OIL Inc oil no doubt
greatly nastened the connagration ana
snat the nre was not communicated TO the
otncr Woria fair oulioihSs WAS oue 10
sne iavorapie winds'
Inc scene OF horror was witnessed oy
many tnousahos oi people anu sOrons men
vept ana women iaihteu as one IRE atter
another was sacrlnceu "lcnih iuil view Oh
sne mu'ti.uue Duc usSono .he reach OF
human aio. Withih oo minutes from tne
tno tne hre was Beheraily opserVeu, tne
great loss Oh Ire occurred
Az tne nrsl siehai the nremen rusned
up the nuge smart surrounding the smoke
&acK, ana Wneh at tne summit oeSan prep.
stAslohs 10 nsho ohe nanies Wnlch hao
mt appeared al thls point
before the nose coulo pe coupled cry
OF horror from the crowd below caused
Sno nremen 10 look oowh ana tne whole
enait below was 1ound 10 be encircled In
uame.
instantly every man realized his danger
out tnere were lew TO ma an avenue OF
Escape. Ohe man suddenly grasped
fope or nose ana half sildlng, half falling,
eacneo tne rool ninety ieet below IN
museo ana burned condltiion, put still
anve'
Dy tnis 'ihe 1he crowd oelo" became
wAd with excitement, ana weeping women
ana 1renZleo men rushed hither and
tnitnef, wrihging tneir hanus IN anguish
over tnelr lnapility 10 render hd
suddenly one OF the hremen was seen
preparing 10 Jump ana every eye was
sufneo upward. lie gave quick, spas
modlc leap and turned over and over half
dozen times before he struck the roof 90
ieet oeiow' 10 the spectators ne seemed
minute 1aiiing TINS distance, and when
tne Dody struck the rooi with frightiul
crash ana bounced Tour 1eet into the air,
aeroan OF horror Went up from the crowd.
.Ion 'h.s .inie .he pooies raineo from tho
AseeP ou' inhocen' s.eepie, Du1 In nearly
evssJ Instance oreath anu IKE had hed
wneh Inc Victlm was picked up on the roof
oao"' iter tne nrst wiz leap, one man
atter ano'her jumped IN quick succession
az tne names closed IN below and the heat
oeGaine more intense.
In nearly every instance the victim
surneo over ana over again before he
loucneo tne Fooi ana IN nearly every in
stance 'ne result OF the leap for life was
me saine-aeath.
Ans very horror OF death rveted every
eyo 70 tne scene, ana whlle men and wo-
men snoutea hystericaliy and wept below,
me euarus We're almost powerless to keep
'ne g. crowd away from danger
!ne spectacle Oh death became more ter
mole as minutes passed, and Tor the last
man on the cupoia was reserved the most
areaaiui iate OF all
Aiter an MS companions had leaped to
APparen1 aeatn ana as the last man was
nes' aUnR' the Whoic smart began to trem-
oi0 Vioientiy' Inc lone fireman under
Woo ar,gne tne omihons warning, and
gave quick, WIG leap
ne was LOO iate' Az the very instant he
sprahg, the "nole structure gave way,
ana TINS human neing, quivering with life
al in hn