The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-08-02

CHICAGO's LUMBER DISTRICT VS.
TIED BY WAVE OF FIRE.
One IF the Biggest Lumber Firms in
the World Burned Out and n
Score of Others suffer.

CHICAGO. Aug. 1.-The lumber district
Of Chicago was tonight visited by one OF
the most disastrous fires in its history,
and the loss will probably foot up between
81, 100000 and S1,6OO,OO0. although it will be
twenty-four hours before the damage can
be estimated with accuracy. The following
concerns were entirely cleaned out by the
flames and everything contained in their
yards has been utterly destroyed:
s. X. Martin Lumber Company, loss
S5O0,0V0; WeIls-French Company, car
builders, loss 100000; Perley, Lowe & Co.,
lumber, loss $145. 600; m & Higbie.
lumber. loss $4,000; John Spry Lumber
Company. loss $4,000; Edward Hines & Co.
Conway & Co, cedar posts; w. b. Palmer.
cedar posts; Whitcomb Cedar Post Com
pany, Siemens & Halske, manufacturers of
dynamos. The burned district is about
six blocks (three-quarters of a mile) from
east to west and about three blocks three
eighths Of a mile) from north to south.
The greatest portion of the district bound
ed by Blue Island avenue, Lincoln street,
the river and Ashland avenue was burned
over and forty acres of lumber yards are
nothing but smoking embers.
The loss on the Siemans & Halske plant
was estimated by one of the foremen to
be $500, 600, but this is generally believed to
be a great exaggeration. The other fire
losses are: Conway & Company, 100000;
Edwin Hines Lumber Company, $3.50; Far
mum Foundry Company, $500; Chicago
stove works, sl5O,Oo0; Barbour Asphalt
Company. $50, 600; Columbia elevator, $500;
Santa Fe elevator. $1,000; True &
True, sash, doors and blinds. 5000
Sandheimer G. Co., lumber. $40, 600; Wake
Gnl1 Rattan Cnnanany S10 00O- KnVSfnna
Lumber Company, $4,000; j. B.. McAdams,
err, near Robey street; loss on cedar and
hemlock posts, Sl5. 600. Previously reported,
81, 659, 600; total, $1,S73, 100.
The fire was discovered by a Waterman.
He saw a blaze on the outside of the fence
on the east side of Lincoln street near a
shingle shed belonging to S. X. Martin &
Co. He turned in an alarm, but before the
first engines arrived the single shed was a
mass of flames, which had communicated
TO the surrounding lumber piles. The Mar
tin yards are $500 feet long by 300 feet
wide, and the flames originated in eX-
actly the right spot for the strong north
west wind which was blowing at the time
to carry them through the entire length
and breadth of the yards. The wind drove
the flames SO fercely that the first engines
which arrived were utterly helpless, and
call after call for additional help was made
until over fifty engines and three fire.
boats were at work on the fire. 1t is not
likely that even they would have counted
for much had not the wind died away
after the fire had been burning an hour.
The course of the flames was southeast
and east for the first forty-five minutes,
and they literally licked up everything in
their path. Piles of lumber, laths. shingles
and cedar posts were swallowed up with
an appalling rapidity, and for a time II
seemed as if the entire lumber district OF
the city, which stretches another mile to
the south and as far to the east of the
burning yards. must be destroyed.
The wind. however, suddenly changed at
south, and with much less violence than
before. The flames started rapidly north
again, and burned back to a line level
with its starting point. The sudden change
in the direction of the flames caught sew
eral ngine companies unprepared, and the
men were compelled TO run No engines
close calls, horses and men narrowly es-
Gaping death. The fire boat Yosemite was
at work in one of the slips when the direc-
ton of the fire changed and the tongues
of flame which shot over her made it nee
essary that she be removed at once.
When an effort was made to start her up
ii was found that her steam was so low
that the boat could not be moved with any
r%apidity, and the flames were swooping
down on her at a fearful rate. Inc men
frantically pushed her off with poles and
boards, and she finally crawled out Of the
slip, with no more damage than a severe
scorching in several places.
The loss of G. X. Martin & Co. is esti-
mated by Mr.. Martin to be $S50,O00. He said
at midnight: Il had in my yards S0,OO0,OcJ
feet of lumber, easily worth $SOO,U0. A pc
culiar phase of the thing is that at mid
night tonight all my insurance, amount
ing to over 5000, 900, would have lapsed. /
had made arrangements to have 1t renewed
tomorrow, but between midnight tonight
and noon tomorrow / would have had no
insurance. The fire caught me just five
hours before my insurance was out, and in
side of an hour all had was gone" Mr..
Marlin declared that before the fire his
lumber yard was the largest in the world,
but il don't matter" he continued; III
have another just as large within a short
time."t
but ran through the flames which leaped
of her men, John Mccain and Thomas
Preceding, were badly burned while fighting
the fire. A large 'Siamesed' hose which
they were holding got away from them and
knocked both men over the side of the boa
on a pile of burning cedar posts a few feet
away. Their injuries are not fatal. In addi-
ton to the iremen injured the following
casualties occurred:
OTTO RAF"TER, fell off a lumber pile,
back broken and will die.
UNKNOWN MAN, struck on the head
by a flying cap from a fire engine; knocked
into the river and drowned.
PETER pipeman, inhaled hot
air and badly burned.
" Roy showed into river nv