The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1893-01-21

NWiuusUt OiuO IN CntC080-Umo Lille
Probably Lost In the building and Clera.
u. Y. ReNaeld Dies ~ = Result OF the
Excitement-The Rapidly Of the Freq.
ress Of the Fire Prevented Any Salvage
OF Property or Personal Effects.
CHICAGO, Jan. 1e.-The beautiful
homo Of Calumet club ut Twentieth
street and Michigan avenue was totally
destroyed by fire last night at about
o'clock, and it is feared that one life
was lost. Nothing now remains of tho
splendid edifice except Jagged brick
walls rising at some points as high -
the fifth story and at others having
caved in nearly to the level Of the side
walk.
So sudden was tho fire in its progress
that few of the effects of the club
were saved. Not one OF the many beau
tiful paintings which adorned It's wallis
was taken from the building. The
twenty odd members OF the club who
lived in the house lost all their per.
sonal property, and some of them were
forced to leave the building in very
hurried manner.
It is estimated that the loss, includ-
ing that of the many valuable pictures
and other furniture of the elegant
house, will reach $500, 900 with e2r5, 900
insurance. The fire was discovered by
one Of the employees OF the house in
room 12, which was unoccnpied and
was undergoing repairs Carpenters
had been at work there all day and it
Is supposed that the fire started in
some shavings they had left. The
alarm was given, and several members
OF the club who were in the reception
room at the time, ut once gave their at
tention to rescuing some Of the valua-
Bile pictures, but SO rapid was the
spread OF the flames and SO dense the
smoke, that preceded them, that they
were forced to give up the attempt and
nee for their lives.
The greatest excitement was occa-
stoned among the servants. sixteen OF
whom roomed on the fifth floor. Two
OF the girls, Kittie McCabe and Maggie
Davitt, were i'll, and in consequence
were in bed when the alarm was given
The girls attempted to dress, but the
flames drove them out, and in the dense
smoke they tried to grope their way
down the stairs. Miss Davitt was pain
fully burned about the hands and face,
and when she reached the ground floor,
clad only in her night dress, her face
WAS almost black from smoke Her
companion, Miss McCabc, was not seen
by any one, and it is feared that she
failed to reach the ground in safety.
Miss Davitt said of her at the hospital
last night:
''Kittie was unable TO dress, but
started after me down the stairway. I
looked back several times and called
for her to come on, but the last time
she seemed TO be envcloped in flames,
and that was the last saw of herr
The firemen responded promptly to
the call, but SO rapid was the progress
of the flames that they were beyond
control within few minutes of their
discovery, and scarcely had the last in
mate left the building when the walls
began to crumble. Half an hour later
nothing but heap of smoking ruins
remained.
Among the valuable works OF art,
the loss OF which the club now mourns,
was the noted painting entitled
.'Peacemakers," by q. P. A. Healy.
There was also portrait of Gen.
Grant, by Thomas Leclair. This was
the last portrait of Gen. Grant that
was painted and was accounted very
valuable.
A sad fatality connected with the fire
was the death of Mr.. r. X. Redfield,
for year and half the clerk of the
club. Mr.. Redfield was overcome by
excitement, as he left the club on the
outbreak OF the fire and sank down ex-
hausted in front OF 2O0S Indiana avenue.
IS he was proceeding to his home A
citizen who happened along ut that
moment assisted him into the house.
A physician was summoned, but Mr..
Redfield expired within half an hour.
He was subject to heart disease, and it
is supposed that the excitement attend
ant upon the fire brought on the at
tack.