The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-07-12

CHICAGO. July 1O.-The fear that
has existed for months in the minds Of
nearly all the citizens of Chicago, a
fear that none dare utter to his fellows
but what all felt. found realization to-
day in a frightful holocaust at the
worlds fair that claimed nearly two
score OF victims and for a time threat
ened the destruction of the entire white
city. Today's disaster was all the more
dreadful because of its sudden trans
formation from an innocent flame into
a death dealing catastrophe Like an
animate monster it enticed its victims
to the topmost stage of a high pin
naele, and then encircling the whole
shaft in a sheet of flame. held them In
a trap until one by one they fell a
sacrifice on the fiery altar that ragged
beneath them while 10000 people stood
helplessly by.
The structure that burned today was
by comparison one Of the smallest build
ings Of the fair. It was the cold storage
warehouse and skating rink, and wasn't
the property Of the exposition II was
a concession and exhibit of the Hercules
iron works and ice and refrigerating
machine manufacturers. In addition to
the skating rink there were three 12O-
ton ice machines and thirty or forty
barrels Of linseed oil The oil no doubt
greatly hastened the connagration. and
that the FIRE was not communicated to
the worlds fair buildings was due to
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 within
the full view of the multitude, but be-
yond human aid. The fire was not gem
orally observed until about lis p. m,
and within thirty minutes the great
loss Of life occurred. At the first signal
the firemen rushed up the huge shaft
surrounding the smoke stack, and when
at the summit began preparations to
fight the flames, which had first ap-
peared at this point.
Cut on by the Flames.
Before the hose could be coupled a cry
Of horror from the crowd below caused
the firemen to look down and the whole
shaft below was found to be encircled
by flames. Instantly every man realized
his danger, but there were few to find
an avenue Of escape. One man suddenly
grasped a rope or hose and half sliding,
half falling, reached the roof ninety feet
below, bruised and burned, but still
alive. BY this time the crowd below be-
came wild with excitement and weeping
women and frenzied men rushed hither
and thither wringing their hands in an
guish over their inability to render aid
Suddenly one of the frernen was seen
preparing to jump and every eye was
tturned upward. He gave a quick spas
modic leap and turned over and over
half a dozen times before he struck the
roof ninety feet below. To the specta-
tors he seemed minute falling this dis
tance and when the body struck the roof
Win a ITl6nbAuA anu BOuHceQ IOuT
feet into the air a groan went up from
the crowd.
From this time the bodies rained from
the steeple. but In nearly every instance
breath and life had fed when the victim
was picked up on the roof belov. After
the first wild leap. one man after another
jumped In quick succession as the flames
closed in below and the heat became
more intense. In nearly every instance
the victim turned over and over again
before he touched the roof and in nearly
every instance the result Of the desperate
leap for life was the same-death. The
very horror Of death riveted every eye to
the scene and while men and women
shouted Historically and wept below the
guards were almost powerless to keep
the crowd away from danger.
The spect tcle Of death became more
terrible as minutes passed and for the
last man on thA cupola was reserved the
most dreadful fateNsf all. After his COM
nanions had leaped ~ apparent death,