The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1893-08-31
ACRES ARE IN ASHES.
RUIN WROUGHT BY THE SOUTH
CHICAGO FIRE.
Many Families Destitute of shelter. Food
and (lothing-ThieNe Piil:sge the Terror
Stricken People Money Loss Not >"GreAt
rs Reported.
\ lslaCkenesi Waste.

\ Hlackrurd Waste.
Late reports LAY that the loss from
the terrible fife which nearly swept
the village of south thicag, of tn.
earth will be at 'ca>, oue-iuurth less
than was estimated during the progress
of the c,n.lay. ati,n. The official II.
port of the pcl:ct is shat Isl houses
were burned in place of 2on ~ - as
reported first. One who is .a!nlliar
with the character acd est of the
structures said that the average cost
of the buried dwellings was Sl.|N.
and that they weie mostly insured.
conservative estimate If the lt>>c, on
buildings. exclusive of the larger ones,
churches and th,, like. is Sloi..NO. =
seems iinpos siblr. how, vrr. t. get any
thing like an ;irct rate statement Is ~
the amount and vaiCt Of pr, I, rIy de-
Stroyed. BY the time the cooler tst..
mates of the fire werr complete tbs
total losses wtr, figured ike the sums
given below:
LOWEST ESTIMATE.
l3l buildings al Louis Frey'S estimate
of average cost OF Sl..h" .-.-....--. si2t.5'N
German Lutheran Church aist street
and Superior avenue. .-.. ....-.--. l.tfC
lions l.u heran school. 9lSt street AID
Suuerior avenue ........... .. ...-. $500
First NJ. +. Church. superior avenue.
between with an Dist streets. ...... SEQ
SUNDAY Creek Coal Company. George h.
Edwards estimate. ..-....... ...-..... ta.hS
4. T. Thatcher estate coal plant, Har-
Dor avenue and river. "5.'s'
Total .............. >all 90
HIGHEST ESTIMATE
l3l buildings a: George H. Edw ards csti-
mate of average cos; of S2,.tH .se>ti "a
German Lutheran Church at :l>; street
and Superior avenue. Observation-Disclosures 1"0
lions Lutheran school al "iSt street
and superior avenue ....--...-.-... SEQ
First VI. T.. Church. on Superior avenue.
between 80 IL and 9lSt streets .........- 5"H
sunday Creek Coal Company. Suptrin-
:endent l.. II. Hullock's estimate. l.5.~1
4. L. That her estate. coal plant. liar
boz avenue and river ..-........... a5,ttO
Total SOS. s.,
Various rumnr> were current as t.
the origin of the fire. which those best
informed declared was caused Ivy a
small bonfire bull, 10y the children of
Conrad l'app. who lived at AZ Ninety
first street In some manner "A spark
from this bonfire fell upon some hay
which was stored in Il barn in the rear
of Papp's house. \ hot breeze from
the northwest had blown steadily all
day. and everything WAS like finder.
When the flames We're seen bursting
through the roof of the barn. the COM
bastiblt material with which the I'app
residence was surrounded proved to hr
ready fuel for their progress, and ii
was evident from the star, that Il >eri-
ou- blaze was inevitable. The flames
were spread rapidly 10y the flying
sparks in every dir, elton. and seeing
that the surrounding property was in
imminent danger. Captain Wills. II at
uncc turned in Il Al alarm.
Another theory i that 9-year-"ld
Birdie May. daughtc Of John May.
who lived at !OIS superior avenue.
started the ron!layra,ion while a, play
in The yard of Patrick Tull,y's hou>,
in the rear of William Giles residence
at l:b@ Ninrty-iils st street. 1t is said
that tnc child threw away Il burning
piece of paper she had liyh,rd and it
lodged under the porch Of the Tullry
house. setting the Rubbish on fire. the
flames from which caught the hou q.
Mrs. Tullcy barely escaped from tn"
house with her two children. From
there the fire spread to the Giles
house and soon through the entire
burned district.
Nearly ore hundred and forty build
ings went down before the iiamc> like
| straw in Il furnace. and an immense.
! district, twenty acres in extent. Is all
! that remains in blachcncd and dis
( tortcd IL yliness of what was the site OF
a multitude of happy and contcnted
| homes. Immense lumber yard, and
, huge coal sheds vanished b fore the
fierce onslaught of the fire. and hun
dreds of South thirago's population
stood panic stricken and appalled, around
the charrcd fragments of their for
mcr homes. Utter dcsolation pre-
vailed among the homeless. Women
and children rOamcd the streets until
; O'Clock in the morning. Sem" of
=; them We're given shelter 10y kind
! neighborS. Others step, on the bare
ground in back yards and vacant lots.
Children Were crying fo:' food and
their parents had none u give them.
, The community seemed par.lyzcd Ivy
the misfortune that had oyertaken H.
| If the stories of the homeless ones
around those ruins are 10 he believed
the eXcitcms mt attending the fire was
made the occasion Of wholesale roh-
, berry. Men with wagons drove no ~
| the houses nearest the fire. c,plly load
ed on their vehicles everything port
able in the places ana drove away in
spite Of the protests Of the lightful
! owners.
SINGLE TAX CONGRESS.