The record-union., 1894-08-06
Visited by Another Fire in Which
Several Persons are Injured.
1T OCCURS AT THE BALL PARK ON
THE WEST SIDE.
South Omaha Strikers Signify Their
Willingness to Arbitrate Their
Differences-The Railroad Strike at
Chicago Declared OFF and Those
Who We're Called Out Given the
Liberty of Going to Work.
Special to the REcoRD-UNIoN.


CHICAGO, Aug. 5.-The discovery of
ire in the grand stand of the West Side
ball park this afternoon caused wild
panic among the spectators, in which
several met serious injury. A large
number of others were slightly cut and
bruised in trying to make their exit.
| Those most seriously injured are: e.
w. Bartlett, 4S years of age, leg fractured;
Edward Ahern, of Fire Insurance Patrol
| No. g. severely burned about the head
and face.
Following are those treated at the
| County Hospital. whose injuries con-
sisted of lacerated hands and fingers,
from scaling down the barbed-wire
| fence; G. K Kemper, Dewitt Smith, j.
| B. Martin, G. M. Lawrence, Ben Nc
Inerny, Fallon Armstrong, Henry
Parker, NJ. Rowley, George Smith.
Not less that 10000 people were crowded
| into the grounds to witness the game.
Every seat in the grand stand and
bleachers was occupied, and large
crowd of men and boys had maintained
! positions in the fields.
| The game had advanced in the seventh
| inning, when cry of fire was heard on
the bleachers, and thin crease of smoke
was pouring from the cracks. The Cry
was taken up on all sides, and in a short
time a terrible panic ensued. All the four
exits leading from the grand stand were
jammed with men and boys and sprink-
| lug of women. The exits were not large
enough to permit the throng to go
| through, and hundreds of men sought to
jump over the barbed wire fence into the
baseball grounds The first reached the
fence scaled it successfully, but those that
followed in their anxiety TO get to safe
quarters tried to crawl through, and in
nearly every instance were stuck between
the wires and had their clothing torn and
their hands and legs were Iacerated by
the sharp barDs.
When the fire department arrived the
entire stand on Lincoln street and por-
tion of the grand stand were a mass of
flames. The fire spread rapidly, and the
small force of hremen which responded
to the first alarm were unable TO cope
with the flames. The heat of the flames
was so intense that the firemen were un-
able to get within twenty yards of it.
Edward Ahern, fireman, endeavored
to reach the ball ground by going through
portion of the burning stand. His
clothes caught fire and he was compelled
TO retreat badly burned. During the
stampede e. w. Bartlett became wedged
in the barbed wire fence, severely cutting
his hands and legs. Several others who
followed fell on top of hun, smothering
him into Inconsistencies. Bartlett was
taken to the County Hospital, where it
was found his leg was broken and he was
badly bruised.
A quarter of an hour after the alarm
many physicians were kept busy attend
ing the injured. Twenty or more went
to the County Hospital to have their
wounds dressed, but all save Ahern and
Bartlett were able to leave soon after the
injuries were attended to.
After an hours work the blaze was un-
der control. The damage was about
$1,000. The fire was caused by cigarette
thrown among the combustible material
under the stands.