St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-08-25
FIRES GREAT FURY.
Flames Consume Five Blocks
in South Chicago.
FIFTY THOUSAND nv A PANIC.
Most Disastrous Blaze Since
the Fire Of 1871.
OYER 250 HOUSES BURNED UP.
Seven Thousand People Are
Without Homes.
OYER 250 HOUSES BURNED UP.
ONE MILLION THE DAMAGE DOVE.

CHICAGO, Aug. PA fire, which in
the extent of the territory it covered,
almost rivals Chicago's historic confla-
grafton, began in that part of the city
known as South Chicago about o'clock
this afternoon. From three-story
brick building at the corner of Ninety
first street and Superior avenue flames
which rapidly grew in volume under
gale Of WIND from the west ate their
way over block after block of small
frame residences until they reached the
had consumed at least thirty buildings
and five blocks of the greatest indus
trial suburb of Chicago. The fifty thou
sand residents of the town were pre-
cipitated into a panic second only in
this city to that which characterized the
conflagratiOn of 1871. AS the pine struc-
lures in which lived the workingmen
employed in the large steel mills of the
Illinois Steel company, and in which
the smaller merchants of the place
made their homes, were leveled by the
roaring flames, those whose homes had
not yet fallen fled with their goods and
household cbattels to the other portions
of the city. Streets were blockaded with
wagons containing the effects of the
frightened and
Fleeing Residents
and men and women appalled, by the ca
lamity, fed in every direction. From
the brick building In which the fire had
its origin, and before the few fire en-
gines of the district could make the
slightest impression upon the flames,
they bounded eastward, between Nine
ty-first and Ninetieth streets, in the di-
rection of the lake. House after house
rapidly fell before the sweep
of fire. which hurled blazing
brands far in advance. After Su-
periGr avenue the flames crossed
Ontario avenue, Buffalo avenue, Mack
inaw avenue and Green Bay avenue
Among the first buildings to fall was
the First Methodist church, at Ninety.
first and Superior avenue, and before
new and commOdiouS German Lutheran
church on the opposite corner was
blazing in dozen places. Hardly had
these more pretentious buildings been
leveled to the ground than the fire
was detected blazing in dozen
places further east. The local
department. branch of Chief
Swenie's city service, had been called
upon to help, also all the help in the
immediate district, but by the time the
First Methodist church was we'll on fire
1t was seen that every effort must be
made to prevent the destruction of the
greater part of the town. 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 Fire Boat,
lying at the foot of La Sale street was
hurried from its dock, and with the call
for extra help, was soon ploWing its
way through the waters of the lake in
its thirteen-mile race to the far southern
section where the fire was raging. Be-
fore it had reached the harbor at South
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. By 6 O'Clock a new danger
had arisen in the veering of the
wind. and all the work of the depart
ment seemed to have come 10 nothing.
The burned district is north of the river,
which at Ninety-second street opens out
into the Calumet harbor, protected both
on the north end south by government
piers. Between the river and the dis
trict in which the flames originated ex-
tend the immense lumber yards and
lumber docks along the Calumet
river and harbor. These are Just
south of the Chicago & West
ern Indiana and Rock Island &
Pacific railways. The Baltimore &
Ohio railway, running north and south
between Ore and Ontario avenues,
marked at its beginning the western
boundary of the fire. Two square:
from the origin of the fire to the nortt
are the immense shops of the Baltimore
d Ohio Railway company. The burned
JuoG VI OuSluCS;
center of South Chicago, and was givel
up almost exclusively to residences
The house at Superior avenue anC
Ninety-irSt street in which
The Fire Began
was owned by William GILES and occu
pied by him as a residence. Those wht
saw the spread of the fire say that i
sprang from the ruins of Giles home
to cottage adjoining on the west
Brands falling upon building at the
corner of Buffalo avenue and Ninety.
first spread one square further west anC
soon started blaze which continued
from the origin of the fire a
Giles house to four two-storY fran,
houses on the north side of Ninety-frs s
street, and they were soon swept away
From the six houses then ON fire th,
flames sprang across Ninety-first stree
TO the south side, where three fran,
structures quickly disappeared before
the sweep of the flames. South on Su
perior avenue the two-story frame
houses OF Squire Mayo caught fir,
from the current of hot air
loaded with sparks. and this struc
ture ablaze, the increasing volum,
of fame leaped across Superior avenue
to the west side. where three-storl
tenement house was soon wrapped il
the smoke that preceded what was nov