Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1893-04-13
FIRE TRAPS IN CHICAGO
Worlds Fair Visitors War ed
Against Them.
BUILDINGS THAT LIE DOWN OVER NIGHT
Falling Like the Leaves In Au'
tumn at yalambrosa.


DIR. Richard Cartwright OF Salem,
who has been spending several months
st Chicago bearing lectures, and VINO
has undoubtedly been q visitor at the
worlds fair grounds, sends the JOUR-
NAL the following letter, received yes
terday, which will prove Of great inter
est TO all intending to visit the worlds
fair:
DIR. CARTwRIgHT's LETTER.
Isend you a marked copy Of an even
ing paper, which | think you would be
doug your readers great good by puo-
fishing some extracts from. 1ell tne
people not to go to those new hotels
near the worlds fair grounds. They
are ADVERTISED as being brick buildings
but are only light frame structures,
with very light layer OF brick around
them. One caught fire this week and
IN fifteen minutes from the time the
fire was discovered was entirely gutted,
and that with no furniture in 1t. Had
H. been occupied and full of guests
several would have gone with the build
ing. Escape Is absolutely impossible.
/ do not think there will be much
trouble In fading rooms in other parts
Of the city, and even though 1t may be
troublesome in getting to the grou nds.
it will pay in the end. But what l
wish particularly to say Is, don't 60 to
those new temporary structures.
X. CARTWRIGHT.
THE FIRETRAP HOTELS.
We copy from the article referred to
in the Chicago Evening Post of April
7tb
The Plymouth Hotel, at Seventy.
second street and Stony Island
avenue, collapsed last night. The
building was one of the largest In tina,
district and was almost completed. Ii
Its fall it crushed one-story structure
which was to be used for restaurant
purposes and would have been ready
for occupancy in few days,
Both buildings were owned by viii
liam Searls, of Plymouth, Ind, anC
were valued at $25 900. The sligh
wind that blew at midnight was th'
cause of the accident, the construction
being too frail to resist the pressure o
wind and rain. Today pile of debr
marked the site of these proposed
worlds fair buildings and the whole il
total wreck.
FLIMsY STRUCTURE
The hotel was one of those ligh
honey comb structures that have sprung
during the winter months. 1t was d
three-story frame building containing
a hundred and sixty-five rooms, offices
and parlors.
The workmen had just put the roof
on the place and it was expected the
shell would be opened about May 1st,
This Is the second of these hotels that
has fallen within the last forty-eigh'
hours, one at Sixty.first street aud
Stony Island avenue collaps ing yester-
day. In both cases loss OF life was mar.
rowly averted.
The watchmsn, d. Bohenhurst, OF
the Plymouth, had just left the build
lug last night when it fell without a
moments warning. To use the watch
msu's words, "it just came down"
1t is said the two hotel buildings that
have just fallen are not the only dan.
gerous structures in that district. Se-
we're winds are predicted for this local.
ity and the condition of many of the
frail buildings in the worlds fair dis
trict has occasioned much alarm. The
falling of the Plymouth and the Clark.
dale simply indicates the utter failure
Of the building department to super
wise this work and it is feared more
serious disasters will occur when many
Of these temporary hotels are put to use
Building Commissioner O'Neill saws
he is fully aware Of the condition OF
many Of the structures in the vicinity
Nf fha ,.,NrIii, g.