The record-union., 1894-08-02
Special to the RECORD U MON.

CHICAGO, Aug. 1.-The lumber dis
trict of Chicago was tonight visited by
one of the most disastrous fires III its
history, and the loss will probably foot
up between 100000 and Sl,500.000, al
though it will be twenty-four hours be-
fore the damage can be estimated with
accuracy.
The following concerns were entirely
cleaned out by the flames: S. X. Martin
Lumber Company, Williams d French
Company, car builders; Perlee, Lowe u
Co., lumber; Shoemaker & Higbee
Lumber Company, John Spry Lumber
Company, Edward Hinch Lumber Com
pany, Conway IL Co., cedar posts; w. Z.
r. Palmer, cedar posts; Whitcomb Cedar
Post Company, Siemens Il Halske, man
ufacturers of dynamos.
The burned district is about six
squares from east to west and about
three from north to south. The greatest
portion of the district, bounded by Blue
Island avenue, Lincoln street, the river
and Ashland avenue, was burned over
and forty acres Of lumber yards. The
Martin yards are 1850 feet long by 800
wide, and the flames originated i'll ex-
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 hercely
that the first engines which arrived were
helpless, and cali after call for additional
help was made, until over fifty engines
and three fireboats were at work. Piles
OF lumber, laLh and shingles and cedar
posts were swallowed with appalling
a1NiH V q QS
though the finest lumber district in the
city, which reaches a mile to the south
ward, would be consumed. The wind,
however, suddenly changed at $50
o'clok, and began TO blow from the south
and with less violence than before. The
flames started rapidly north, and burned
back to a line level with its starting point.
The sudden change i'll the direction of
the flames caught several engines com
panies unprepared and the men were
compelled TO run for their lives. No en-
gines were abandoned, but three of them
had close calls, horses and men narrowly
escaping death. The fireboat Yosemite
was at work in one Of the slips when the
alarm was sounded. She was gotten out
of the way, but not before she had been
severely scorched. The tireDoat Geyser
had also a close call, but ran through the
flames, which leaped out over the slip,
and escaped. Two Of her men, John Nc
Cain ana Thomas Freezing, were badly
burned while fighting the ire. large
''Siamese' hose, which they were hold
ing, got away from them and knocked
them over the side of the boat upon a
pile of burning cedar posts few feet
away. Their injuries are not fatal.
In addition to the tremen injured, the
following casualties occurred: Otto Faf-
ley, fell from lumber pile, back broken
and will die; unknown man struck on
the head by flying cap from engine,
knocked into the river and drowned;
Peter Pelli, pipeman, inhaled hot air and
badly burned; unknown boy, showed
into the river by the crowd and drowned.
At II o'clock the fire was still burning
fiercely, with the probability of blazing
for twelve hours more.
II is extremely difficult to obtain an
estimate OF the losses, but these figures are
believed to be about correct: Martin
Company, $500, 900; Well French Com
pany, 500. 600; Siemens IL Halsle $780,,
600; Perlee, Lowe IL Co.. $l45, 600: Shoe
maker IL Higbee. $l25, 900; John Spry Il
Co., S250000; total, 81, $50, 900.
The loss of Martin Il Co. is estimated
by Mr.. Martin to be S950,000. He said at
midnight: Il had in my yard 25,000000
feet Of lum Der, easily worth $500, 900. A
peculiar thing is That tonight all my in
surance would have lapsed. The fire
caught me just five hours before my in
surance was out, and inside of an hour all
l had was gone" MIR. Martin declared
that before the fire his lumber yard was
the largest in the world. He will start
again.
The loss on Siemens & Hask's plant
was estimated by one of the firm to be
about $500. 900, but this is generally be-
lieved to be great exaggeration.
AT Paulina street the flames broke over
near the river and destroyed the mill.
At midnight it seemed likely that the
fire would get no further east, and at l
o'clock it was slowly decreasing, but it
will not be burned out before tomorrow
NIGHT