St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-07-11
PERISH IN RACING FLAMES.
Nearly Two Score Of Chieago's Brave Fighters Of
Fire Meet Death in It's Most Hor-
BILE Forms.
A FIRE TRAP AT THE WORLDS FAIR.
Unfortunate Men Hemmed in on a Narrow Balcony
at Dizzy Height With All Avenues Of
Escape Cut Off.
SOME JUTIP AND ARE CRUSHED TO JELLY.
Others Seen to Fall Into a Vast Furnace Of Blazing
Timbers and Other Inflammabe
Material.

CHICAGO, July 10.-The fear that has
existed for months in the minds of
every citizen of Chicago, a fear that
none dared utter to his fellows, but
that all felt, found realization today in
a frightful holocaust at the worlds fair
that claimed nearly two score of VIC
tins and for a time threatened the de-
StructiOn of the White CITY. Today's
disaster was all tn , more dreadful be
cause of its sudden transformation from
an innocent flame into a death-dealing
catastrophe. Like an animate monster.
1t enticed its victims to the topmost
stage of high pinnacle and then en-
circling the whole shaft in sheet of
flame, held them in trap until one by
one they fell sacrifice on the fiery
altar that ragged beneath them, while
5000 people stood helplessly by.
The structure that burned today was,
by comparison, one of the smallest
buildings of the fair. 1t was the cold
storage warehouse and skating rink and
was not tie property of the exposition.
II
Was a Concession
and exhibit OF the Hercules Iron Works.
ice and refrigerating machine manu-
facturers. In addition to the skating
rink there were three 120-ton ice ma
chimes and thirty or forty barrels of lin
seed oil. The oil, no doubt, greatly
FASTENED the cOntlagration, and that the
fire was not communicated to the other
worlds fair buildings was due to the
favorable winds.
The scene of horror was witnessed by
many thousands of people, and strong
men wept and women tainted as one
life after another was snuffed out with
in full view of the multitude. but be-
yond the reach of human aid. The fire
was not generally observed until about
1:l5 p. m, and within thirty minutes
the great loss of life occurred. At the
first signal the iremen rushed up the
huge shaft surrounding the smoke
stack, and at the summit began prepa-
rations to fight the flames, which had
first appeared at this point. Before the
hose could be coupled
y Cry Of Horror
from the crowd below caused the fire.
men to look down, and the whole shaft
below was found to be eneircled in
flames.
Instantly every man realized his dan
ger, but there were few to find an ave
nue. for escape. One man suddenly
graSped a rope or hose. and half-slidtng,
half-falling, reached the roof, ninety
feet below, in a bruised and burned
condition, but still alive. By this time
the crowd below became wild with ex-
element, and weeping women and
frenzied men rushed hither and thither
wnnging their hands in anguish over
their inability to render aid.
The firemen appeared to realize the
awfulness of their position, and some OF
them moved back and forth along the
edge of the balcony as if in search OF
some means of escape. Suddenly one
of the unfortunates, either crazed by
heat or fear, or preferring to be crushed
by the fall 20 terrible death by fire
sprang from the balcony. Every eye
was turned upon him, and the thousand.
who saw it held their breath as he fell
Several of his comrades followed, an
each was crushed to death on the roof
below. The very horror of death riv-
eted every eye to the scene. 1t was an
awful fascination, and the spectators
seemed powerleSs to take their ewes
from it or to leave. The guards were
powerless TO keep the throng back from
the fire lines.
The Spectacle Of Death
became more awful as the minute.
passed, and minutes seemed almos
ages in length as the fire swept swift!
TO where the remaining firemen weIt
huddled together. Before it reached
them the awful crash came. The towe
tain which way to fall. Then, slowly a
first, it began to fall until it came dowl
with laundering roar. The fire hat
eaten away the supports at tho base. .anC
the whole mass was swallowed up il
the awful roaring furnace; as the greed,
flames gathered in the fresh victims
they rolled up toward the sky with re
doubled ferocity.
AS fire trap the cold storage ware
house could not have been more per
fectly constructed The structure wa
$50 feet long by I5O feet wide, and wa
constructed entirely of wood, covered
over with staff The main body of til,
building was five stories high. In tn,
cenrer of this rose the smoke-stack fl
the shape Of cupola, to the top O
which was almost zoe feet. The bast
OF this cupOla was about thirty fee
square. About eighty feet from th,
base Of this cupola there was a balcony
Srom WHICH another square tower rase