The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-07-12
HOLOCAUST AT CHICAGO.
The Cold Storage Warehouse at
the Worlds Fair
Takes Fire and Causes the Destruction
Of About 40 People.


CmcAso, July IL --on Aame-swep
pinnacle, high among the cupolas ana
minarets Of the Dream City, amidst tbs
smokc and heat and blaze and under
meath clear, blue sky and the brighi
rays Of summer sun, there prayed u
Heaven for deliverance brave band o,
Columbian guards and firemen. No de
iverance came. Higher swept the
flames above, fercer they came up from
below. Tho prayers ceased Strong
men Rugged each other; the tower tot
tered; some jumped off toward the rooi
Z below, Others reeled TO the platform on
which their feet rested; the great col
nmn Of staff and smoke and fire recled
and crumbled with n loud report, and
all were lost.
1t was a little flame that burst out Of
the top Of the tall tower OF the cold
storage warehouse at the Worlds fair
grounds at 1:40 o'clock Monday after.
noon. The guard who turned In the
alarm did not appear TO be in any
special hurry, He had witnessed a
hundred such flames from the buildings
in the White City during his short term
Of service, and thought this like all the
rest There were sightseers on the
balcony. some fifty feet from the top,
looking out over the broad expanse OF
architecture into the blue waters OF
the lake. They did not hurry away.
Firemen came and hurried their hose
70 the balcony IN methodieal manner.
Inc Columbian guards came with them
ana forced the rather unwilling sight
seers 70 go below out o. the way 81
nremen ana DANGER faint stream
played nigh into the air from the single
s.ranu OF nose, ana whiie 1t did not
scneck the plaze, the fre did not seem
70 De gaming headway Another line
o. nose was drawn up with rope, and
~ 700, played on the blaze without
any visible erect
me crowd gathered below by the
thousands ana watched the men work
suddenly from below the platform on
Whicn tine nremen stood there burst
from the little square windows Of
the tower iurid sheets Of flame.
Aney We're not observed by those
noose, VINO were 700 hlgh IN the air 70
nea. sne shouts q the nreinen on the
Iool Deneasn tnem. he names seemed
enseiope the pase OF the tower IN an
s,n1 rlnaiiy one OF the nremen
tooAeu aownwara ana warned.his COM
RACES % .ne peru they were IN. II
haae no oiHerencc with them. They
were opeylng the orders OF their cap
tam. lheir faces We're pale but de-
.ermined. they still pointed their
nose toward the flame which crept out
Oh the Dig chimney top, and twisted
their heads to keep from smothering in
the smoke lhat came from below,
az last The captain realized their dan
ger ana called on the men TO leave
.heir posts ana save their lives They
looked about them as best they could,
ahk saw only two small ropes BY which
the nose had been raised as their only
possible means OF escape, unless they
snoulo rlsk their lives by jumping
eigh1y Ieet 70 the roof below The
tower ends OF the lines We're swinging
toward the names and We're being
scorched. The hre was 50 fierce that
the nremen on the root below could
not get to the ropes TO keep
them from burning Almost in an in
slant the ropes were on fire, and the
name was creeping upward on them,
q fireman tried TO descend one. He did
well Tor twenty-five feet, when q great
name crawled out Of a window and
ncked him in the face. His hands un-
ciasped and he fell 70 the roof below,
only TO get into the clutches Of anoth-
er poillng mass ofahame and be con-
snmed before the eyes Of those who
were unable 70 render him any assist
ance
4 hush came from the throats Of the
multitude after the EXPLANATIONS Of
awe which had been uttered at his
tate. Another fireman from the plat
FORM was following the first man. He
reached the same spot as the other and
went downin a like manner A third
saw the fate Of those who had gone be-
Tore and he swung away from the win
how and passed 1t in safety, only to let
his hands slip into the fame which was
creeping up the rope with lightning RAJ
pidfty, and he too went below and
shared the fate of the othertwo.
The ropes were Of no further avail.
II those above would not 90 down with
the tower they must Jump onto the
roof below as the only possible means
left them for their lives
One man jumped far ont. turned haif
way over, and fellto The roof tyitb I