The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-08-08

CHICAGO. Aug THE lumber dis
trict of Chicago was tonight visited by
one Of the most disastrous fires in its
history. and the loss will probably foot
up between 81, 200. 900 and 81 100000, al
though ii will be twenty-four hours be-
fore 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 Brown
< Richards lumber company. Wells x
French company, car builders; Perley,
Lowe K Co. lumber, Shoemaker < Hig-
bic lumber; John Spry lumber company.
Edward Hines lumber company, Conway
s. Co. cedar posts, ". b. Palmer, cedar
posts; Whitcomb cedar post company:
Siemens < H3lske, manufacturers Of
dynamos
The burned district is about six
squares from east 70 west and about
three from north 10 south. The greatest
portion Of the district bounded 10y Blue
lsland-sve.. Lincoln-st-, the river and
Ashland-ave. was burned over, and forty
acres of lumber yards are nothing but
smoking embers
spread Of the Fire.
The FIRE was discovered by a watch
man. lie saw a blaze on the outside of
the fence on the east side of Lincoln-st..
near a shingle shed belonging TO 5. X.
Martin 4 Co He turned i'm an alarm.
bur before he FIRST engine arrived the
shingle shed was mass of flames,
which had communicated 20 the sur
rounding lumber piles. The Martin yards
are 2.50o feet long by 500 feet wide, and
the flames originated m exactly the right
spot for the strong northwest wind when
~ HON
through the entire length and breadth
Of the Yards The wind drove the flames
so fiercely that the first engines which
arrived were utterly helpless, and call
after call for additional help was made
until over nifty engines and three fire
boats were at work or the fire. Il 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 south
east and east for the first forty-five
minutes and they literally licked up ev-
erythins in their path. Piles Of lum-
Der. lath shingles and cedar posts were
swallowed up with an appalling rapidly,
and for a time IL seemed as though the
entire lumber district of the city, which
stretches mile 10 the south, AMI as far
n the east of the burning yards mus;
he consumed The wind, however, sud
denly changed at $50 o'clock and began
10 blow from south, and with much less
violence than before. The flames started
10 a line level with its starting point
Had n Close Call.
The sudden change in the direction OF
the flames caught several engine 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 esca ping death The firebOat
Yosemite was at work i'm one Of the
slips when the direction of The fire
changed and the tongues Of fame which
shot over her made it necessary that
she be removed at once. When an
effort was made 10 start her up IL was
found that her steam was So low that
the boat could not be moved with any
rapidity, and the flames were swooplng
down upon her at a fearful rate The
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 frsboat 6ieyser had also a close
call. but ran through the flames and
leaped out over the slip and escaped I'M
harmed Two Of her men, John Mccain
and Thomas Preceding. We're badly
burned while fighting the fire. 4 large
"Siamesed" hose, which they were hold
ing 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 are not fatal.
In addition 10 the fremen injured, the
following casualties occurred.
Peter Phelan, pipeman, inhaled hot air
and badly burned.
Unknown boy showed into the river by
crowd and drowned.
Otto Rafter. fell off lumber pile back
broken and viii die
Unknown man. struck on the head by