Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1893-08-30
BIG FIRE AT CHICAGO.
Eight Blocks of Buildings Burned and Hun
dpedS Homeless.

CHICAGO, ILL.,, Aug. PA fire which,
in the extent of the territory it covered
almost rivals Chicago's historic contia-
grafton, began in that part Of the city
known as South Chicago about o clock
this afternoon. From three
story brick building at the corner
of Ninety-frst Street and Supe-
rior Avenue, flames which rapidly
grew in volume under a gale of
wind from the west, ate their way over
block after block Of small frame resi-
dences until they reached the lake.
Within two hours the fire had con-
sumed forty buildings and five blocks of
the greatest industrial suburb Of Chi
cago. Still it ragged, and when
finally gotten under control after
part of the fremen, $50 houses
had been consumed, making 1000 peo-
pie homeless immense coal docks,
filed with coal, also a large lumber
dock, and several manufactures were
destroyed. The total loss is estimated
at 100000.
The $4,000 residents of the town were
precipitated into a panic second only in
this city to that which characterized the
confagration of 1871, as the pine struc-
lures in which lived the workingmen
employed in the large steel mills Of the
Illinois Steel Company, and in which
the smaller merchants Of the place
made their homes, were leveled
by the roaring flames. Those whose
homes had not yet fallen fled with
their goods and household chattels to
the other portions of the city. Streets
were blockaded with wagons contain
ing the effects of the frightened and
fleeing residents, and men and women,
appalled, by the calamity, fled in every
direction. From the brick build
ing, in which the fire had
it's origin, and before the few fire
engines of the district could make the
slightest impression upon the flames,
they bounded eastward between Nine
ty-first and Ninetieth streets, in the di-
rection of the lake. House after house
rapidly fell before the sweep of fire
which hurled blazing brands far in adj
vance. After passing Superior Avenue
the flames crossed Ontario Avenue,
Buffalo Avenue, Mackinaw Avenue and
Green Bay Avenue.
The burned district is north of the
river, which at Ninety second Street
opens out into the Calumet harbor pro-
tected both north and south by govern
ment piers. Between the river and the
uISl1IIU Ill WuICll GIlG 4dlIlSS OIiS-
mated extend the immense lum-
Der yards and lumber docks
along the Calumet River and
the harbor. These are just south of the
Chicago and Western Indiana and Rock
Island and Pacific railways. The Balti-
more q Ohio Railway, running north
and south, between Erie and Ontario
avenues, marked at it's beginning the
western boundary of the fire. Two
squares from the origin of the fire to
the north are the large shops
of the Baltimore & Ohio Rail
way Company. The burned ter
ritory is just north of the business cen
ter of South Chicago and was given up
almost exclusively to residences. Be
ginning at the railway on the west and
continuing east to the lake the north
and south streets are Ontario Avenue,
Superior Avenue, Buffalo Avenue,
Macllinaw Avenue, Green Bay Avenue
and The Strand.
The fire originated from a blaze kin
died by children, spreading along
fence to j. L. Babb's residence, 9046
Superior Avenue. Here a gasoline
stove exploded and the ire quickly
spread from house to house.