The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-08-25
BELLOWS OF FIRE.
South Chicago Swept by
Conflagrati0n.
HUNDREDS MADE HOMELESS
Men, Women and Children Fled for
Their Lives Before the Swiftly
Advancing Flames.

CHICAGO, Aug. pa fire which, in ex-
tent of territory covered, is the largest
known in this city for many years began
in that portion known as South Chicago at
O'Clock this afternoon. and before it was
brought under control had destroyed over
2G0 buildings, most of them frame resi-
dence structures occupied by workingmen,
and rendered many hundreds of people
homeless.
The fire started in three-story brick
building at the corner of Nnety-irst street
and Superior avenue, occupied as resi-
dence by William GILES. 1t was caused
by his daughter, who accidentally upset a
lamp while heating har-curing iron.
From there it grew rapidly in volume,
famed by gale from the west, and the
flames ate their way over block after block
of small frame residences until it reached
the lake.
Within two hours after the fire started it
had consumed at least five blocks OF the
great industrial section of the city, and the
residents of that portion of the city were
in panic second only to the one which
characterized che great fire. AS the pine
structures IN which lived the workngmen
employed in the various mills were leveled
by the roaring flames those whose homes
had not yet fallen fled with their goods
and portable chaJtels, and the streets were
blockaded with wagons containing the eff
fects of frightened people, while men,
women and children fled in all directions
Before the Jew engines 10 the district
could make the slightest impression upon
the flames they bounded eastward between
Ninetieth and Ninety first streets in the
direction Of the lake. House after house
went down, and soon the First Methodist
Church and the German Lutheran sue
cumbed. Hardly had these structures
gone than the fire was seen to be blazing
in dozen places further east, brands be-
ing carried long distances by the furious
wind.
The assistant marshal in charge of that
district seeing that the utmost efforts of
the department were necessary if the
greater part of the south of town was to
be saved notified Chief Marshal Swenie OF
the condition of affairs, and twenty fire
engines were started down from the center
of the city as soon as possible. The largest
tireboat, the Yosemite, was also hurriedly
started out on thirteen mile trip to the
burning section. but before it reached the
har5Or at South Chicago the fire had eaten
away five blocks between Superior avenue
and the lake, and the Yosemite turned its
attention to the immense iumber-yards on
the river front.
By the time the additional engines began
10 pull IN from the city new danger was
encountered in the veering of the wind.
which started the fire toward a new dis
trict. Between the river and the district
in which the flames originated extend
immense lumber-yards and lumber-docks
along Calumet River and harbor The
burned territory is just north of the bust
ness center of South Chicago and was
given up almost exclusively 10 residences.
The fire sprang from the ruins of the
Giles house 10 the cottage adjoining it on
the west, and nrebrands carried to The
building at the corner Of Buffalo avenue
and Nlnety-first street, one block farther
west, soon started a blaze which spread
north and south on Buffalo avenue, while
the original fire raging along Ninety-f first
street and Superior avenue, soon became
perfect tornado of flame. One dwelling
after another went with incredible rapid
ity. and after the churches named above
had been destroyed it was seen that the
fire must spread to the docks, from which
1t was anxlOuSly desired to keep it.
The fears of the firemen were well
founded, and before the dozens of engines
had made much Roadway the immense
docks of the Sunday Greek Coal Company
were burning. Over 100, 900 tons of coal
were stored in these bins, ana the fireboat
Yosemite brought to bear all its powerful
streams in an endeavor TO head off the
flames. few minutes later the A. r.
Beck lumber-yards were seen to be burn
ing, and now the real great battle of the
dremen with the flames began. for they
had only by this time succeeded in concen
trating sufficient number of engines to
begin to make an impression On the ter.
rife fire.
From this time on the forces of fremen
gradually increased and the flames were
gradually brought under control. Bv 3
O'Clock the work Of nearly forty engines.
besides the fireboat, had told, and coal in
the Sunday Creek docks and Beck's lum-
ber-yard were the only places where the
fire was still uppermoSt, and in a short
Time 1t was practically under control
there.
Then the panic-stricken people began TO
return to where their homes had stood. but
in very few instances were they able to
find any signs of them. Most of the
buildings destroyed were light frame
affairs and were occupied almost exclu
sively by the workmen of the Illinois Steel
Company. The damage in none of these
instances was of large amount but con-
servative estimates put the aggregate loss
IN the residence district at 100000. The