Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-07-11

big warehouse was burning, and the fin had spread to the roofs of several hotel across Stony Isle avenue, just outside tn, grounds. With a good deal of effort tn, hotels were saved, but the stables wer, burned to the ground.
 In less than two hours from the time tn, fire started the big cold storage warehous, was leveled to the ground. a smoking ruin It is doubtful if any of the bodies will b, recovered, so furious and terrific was tn, heat. The building being of wood ant added to this the barrels of oil made tn, fire one of the hottest the fire department has ever had to fight.
 Columbian Guards Killed.
 The loss of life has been variously esti mated, but at least 1Sare dead and 19 other. are injured
 The full extent of the death wrough, may never be known, as the building col lapsed totally in so short time after tn, fire started that many people who entered the building, hoping to render aid befor, the peril under which they were placing themselves was realized, were caught likt rats in trap and went unannounced tC their doom. It is said that but four Colum bian guards are missing, but there art many vacancies in the different companies scattered about the grounds, and theil captains, while refusing to commit them. selves, fear that their men have been ere mated. As soon as the ruins were cooled sufficiently by the firemen, the work oi searching for bodies begun.
 The first body taken from the smoking mass was evidently a fireman, as a blue shirt covered the trunk, which was all that was found of the unfortunate. A short time later two more were taken from the ruins. Under one of the bodies was found a broken sword, mute informer of its wearer's identity, a Columbian guard. The other body was of course unrecogniza ble as 1t was charred to a cinder. Two mora bundles of flesh were discovered at short intervals. In all six bodies, horribly burned, were taken out by 10 o'clock last night when operations were stopped for the night on account of the risk in working under beams and iron columns and the alb sence of light. A relief fund was started and in less than 30 minutes the fund had reached @, 900.
 Harrison Says Chicago Must Act.
 Mayor Harrison, in discussing the trag- edy, said: This settles one thing-the city Of Chicago is going to assume control over those buildings, as far as protecting life Is concerned, and will do so at once I will see that all buildings'a are carefully inspect ed. and if changes are necessary for the safety of the people are found advisable, they must be made. Every day 15, QUO peo- pie visit the top of the Manufacturing building. have seen myself nearly 6,OO0 people there at once
 "ln the event of a fire panic ha rdly two of them would escape. These things must be looked to and they will be, if it takes every police officer in Chicago. It is a little late now, but the city will take no more chances. That cold storage building would never have been built if the city authorities had possessed a voice in the matter, and now she is going to speak and speak so that the world will know that the blood of these men is not upon us. and that we will have no more of these awful catastrophes if we can avoid it."