Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-08-02
CHICAGO'S BIG BLAZE.
Over Forty Acres of Lumber Yards Burne'
 at n Heavy Loss.

at n Heavy Loss.
 CHICAGO, Aug. 2.-The lumber district of Chicago was last night visited by one of the most disastrous fires in its history, and the loss will probably foot up between $1, goo co and S1, 800. GOO, although 1t will be 24 hours before the damage can be es- timated with accuracy. Tho following concerns were entirely cleaned out by the flames, and everything contained in their yards has been utterly destroyed:
 l.. K. Martin Lumber company; Brown Sc Richards Lumber company; Wells x French company, car builders; Perley, Lowe X Co, lumber; Shoemaker X Hig- bie lumber; John Spry Lumber company; Howard Hines, lumber; Conway X Go, cedar posts; w. c. E. Palmer, cedar posts: Whitcomb Cedar Post company: Siemans & Halske, manufacturers of dynamos.
 The burned district is about six squares from cast to west and about three from north to south. The largest portion of tho district, bounded by Blue Island avenue, Lincoln street, the river and Ashland ave nue, was burnd over, and 10 acres of lumber yards arc nothing but smoking embers.
 The course of the flames was southeast and east for the first 45 minutes and they literally licked up everything in their path. Piles of lumber, lath, shingles and W palling rapidity, and for a short time it seemed as though the entire lumber dis trict of the city, which stretches mile to the south and aS far to the east of tho burning yard, must be consumed. The wind, however, suddenly changed and be- gan to blow from the south and with much less violence than before. The flames started rapidly north again and burned back to a line level with its start ing point.
 The sudden change in the direction of the flames caught several engine compa- nies unpreparcd, and tho men were com pcllcd to run for their lives. No engines were abandoned, but three of them had close calls, horses and men narrowly cs- caping death. The fircboat Yosemite was at work in ono of the slips when the di- rection of the fire changed, and tho long tongues of flame which shot over her made it necessary that she be removed at once. When an effort was made to start her up, it was found that her steam was so low that the boat could not bc moved with any rapidity, and tho flames were sweeping down upon her at n fearful rate. The men frantically pIfshed her off with poles and boards, and she finally crawled out of the slip with no more damage tn m a severe scorching in several places.
 The fireboat Gcyscr had also n close call, but ran through tho flames which lcaped out over the ship and escaped unharmed. Two of her men, John McCann and Thomas Breeding, were badly burned while fighting the fire. X large siam cscd' hose which they were holding got away from them and knocked both men over the side of the boat upon a pile of burning cedar posts a few feet away. Their injuries arc not fatal.
 In addition to the firemen injured the following casualties occurred: Otto Raft CT fell of lumber pile; back broken and will die. Unknown man, struck on the head by flying cap from a fire engine; knocked into the river and drowned.
 Peter Phclan, pipeman, inhaled hot air and badly burned. Unknown boy. pushed into river by crowd and drowned.