Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-08-31

CHICAGO, ILL, Aug. ga fire
which covered vast extent of territory
and resulted in the loss of two lives and
$50 houses, began in South Chicago
about 5 o'clock this afternoon, From a
three-story brick building at the corner
of Ninety-iirst street and Superior
avenue, flames which rapidly grew in
volume under a gale from the west
spread over block after block of small
frame residences until they reached the
lake. Within two hours the fire had
consumed at least 80 buildings and five
blocks of the greatest industrial suburb
of Chicago.
The 10000 residents of that section
were panic-stricken. As the pine struc-
lures in which lived the workingmen
employed IN the large mills OF the
Illinois Steel Company, and in which
the smaller merchants of the place made
their homes, were leveled by thcroaring
flames, those whose homes had not yet
fallen fled with their household goods
to the other portions of the city.
From the starting point the flames
bounded eastward between Ninety.tirst
and Ninetieth streets in the direction Of
the lake. House after house rapidly
fell before the sweep of fire, which
hurled blazing brands far in advance
and left the bremen helpless. From
| Superior avenue the flames crossed 70
| Ontario avenue, Buffalo avenue, Mack
| NAV avenue and Green Bay avenue.
Among the first buildings to fall was
the First Methodist Church, at Ninety
| first street and Superior avenue, and be
fore its spire had topple to the ground
the new and commodious German Luth-
eran Church, on the opposite corner,
was blazing in dozen places. Hardly
had these more pretontious buildings
been burned before the fire blazed in
dozen places further east.
The central fire alarm office sent to
the fire every engine that could be
spared in the south side of the city. The
Yosemite, the giant fireboat lying at the
foot of La Sale street, was hurried from
its dock, and was soon blowing its way
through the waters Of the lake In its 49,
mile race to the far southern section,
where the fire was raging. Before IL had
reached the harbor at South Chicago the
terrific force of the fire had eaten away
the five blocks between Superior avenue
and the lake, and the Yosemite turned
its attention to the immense lumber
yards on the river front.
The Baltimore & Ohio railway, run
ming north and south between Oregon
and Ontario avenues, marked at It's be-
ginning the western boundary of the
fire. Two squares from the origin Of
the fire TO the north are the immense
; shops of the Baltimore & Ohio. The
burned territory is just north OF the
business centre of South Chicago, and
!, was given up almost exclusiyelyto resi-
dences.
Before the scores of engines had hat
the least appreciable effect upon Til
progress of the flames tile immenst
docks of the Sunday Greek Coal Com
pany were in ruins. Over 100000 ton
! of coal are stored in the immense bins
which extend for 500 feet along the rive
!, front. The earliest estimate ventures
I was that the loss at this place alon
would easily reach 100000.
a CHICAGO, ILL.,, Aug. 25.--A conserve
tive estimate places the total loss b
yesterdays fire in South Chicago a
/, 100000.
: The heaviest loss was on the Sunda
Creek Coal Company's dock, which We
damaged to the extent of $l25,00