The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1893-09-01

ais Chicago's historic conflagration' De-
gan in that part of the city. known as 4
south Chicago. about o'clock yester-
day afternoon. The so, 900 people COM
prisirg the inhabitants Of the town
were precipitatcd into a panic second
only in this city To that which charac-
terizcd the conhagration of ISL. The
loss is estimated ut sa5o. 900, and nearly |
5000 people are rendered homeless
The fire started in three-story brick |
building at the corner at Ninety-hrst
and Superior avenue. and within two
hours had consumed thirty buildings
and FIVE blocks of the greatest indus
trial suburb of Chicago. Among the
first buildings to fall was the First
Methodist church at the corner OF
Ninety-first and Superior avenue, and
the German Lutheran church on the
opposite corner.
Hardly had these more pretcntious
structures been lcveled to the ground
than the fire was detected blazing in
dozen places further east. After supe-
rior avenue the flames reached ana
crossed Ontario avenue, Buffalo ave-
nue.. Maci<inaw avenue and Green lay
avenue To the lake. The local fire de-
partment was powerlcss to ch EEK the
progress Of the fire. and when engines
and fire tugs were sent from this city
their efforts were directed to saving
the immense lumber yards lying within
a few blocks of the fire. The district
between Superior avenue and the lake
was filed with frame structures that
burned rapidly rs the strong wind ear
ried clouds of smoke laden with sparks
and embers in all directions.
The steeples of the two large
churches had hardly topplcd over be-
fore the whole area of five blocks was
full of small fires As the pine struc-
lures i'm which lived the working men
employed in the large steel mills. and
in which the smaller merchants OF the
place made their homes, We're leveled
in the roaring furnace. those whose
homes had not yet fallen He'd with
their families and household chattles
TO the other portions of the city.
Before the scores of engines had
made the least apprcciable effect upon
the flames, the immense docks OF the
Sunday Creek Coal Co. at Harbor ave
nue. and the river were burning. over
a hundred thousand tons of coal were
stored in the immense bins belonging
TO this company which extended 50'
, feet along the river front.
At the same moment the A. X. Becl
8 lumber yards on the dock front and al
most as elaborate. were found 10 b'
burning. When the fire began in thu
coal yards every engine that could ID
spared and the powerful steamer 70
semitic. as soon as it reached the har
Dor. was brought To fight the fire.
The house at Superior avenue AM
Ninety-first street. in which the mr.
u began. was owned by William Gill
: and occupied by him as residence
: Those who saw the spread of the FIR
say that from the three-story fran
; structure il sprung 10 a cottage adjoir
!. ing on the west. Brands falling upo
- building at the corner of Buffal
avenue and Ninety-frst street. on
square further west soon started
= blaze which spread north and south o
: Buffalo avenue. Continuing from I'll
., center of the fire. at ellis house. fou
= two-story frame houses on the mort
!, side of Ninety-first street were 500
= swept away.
= The flames sprang across Ninet.
first street to the north side. whe'
- three frame structures quickly disa
peared before the sweep Of the flame
- South on Superior avenue the two-stoi
- frame house of Squire Mayo caught I'll
!" from the current OF hot air and spark
and. this structure ablaze. the increa
X" ING volume of flame leaped across ;
pcrior avenue to the west side, whe
4. =, a three-story tenement house was So
- wrapped in the smoke that preceds
=" what was now growing to bc a tcrnat
!, of fire.
~ dozen houses i'm the vicinity of ;
perior avenue and Ninety-first stree
ny had now been swept away in the gu
~ OF the fires whirwind the early frig
- of the people began TO give way TO I
N panic which in another hour preci
~ tated flving army toward the 9th
~ portions Of the city.
North Of Nincty-first street on sur
,,a rior avenue. the early stages Of the Il
sa burned five one and one-half sto
- frame cottages belonging to 10
he- Mason.
- Just east Of Superior avenue, on
III. north side of Ninctv-hrst street. "
I'M the residence of John Harringt'
III which soon melted away. and II
Ia then that the fire jumped into
~ southeast corner Of Superior aven
I'LL and Ninctv-first street. and the q
III. man Lutheran church was marked
~. the long tongues of flame. There y
no hope Of saving the church. viii
-. although Of wood, was the Worship
~ place of many South Chicago PEG
~ and a prctcntious structure.
N Following the German Luthe'
: I. church and the school attached TO
III the Methodist church on the northc
corner Of Superior and Forty-fi
street was next cngulfed in the bla
~, Famed by stiff gale from the e;
end afforded much Roadway by
-" lack OF protective means. the fire
'io disastrous work Over 900 dwcllil
and buildings were laid low, render
5000 people homeless. aggrcgating
~" total loss far into the hundreds
thousands Of dollars.
was Coal Mining Resumed ut Pittsbnrg'
tets. PIrrsBrRGH. kas.. Aug. .5.-At
men 800 miners are al work at Fronte
out to-day. and the hosting of coal Is