The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-08-02
FORTY ACRES OF FIRE
Great Ruin in the Lumber Dis
trict Of Chicago.
Men Were Compelled to Flee
for Their Lives.
TWO PERSONS KILLED.
The Loss Will Amount to About
S1,5OO,OO0.

CHICAGO, Aug. 2.-The lumber dis
trict of Chicago was last night visited
by one Of the most disastrous fires in
its history and the loss will probably
foot up between 81. 200 600 and 81, 500
O0p, although IL will be twenty-four
hours before the damage can be esti-
mated with accuracy. The following
concerns were entirely cleaned out
by the flames and everything con-
tanned in their yards has been utterly
destroyed: S. K Martin Lumber
Company; Brown & Richards Lumber
Company; Wells Sc French Company,
car builderss Perley, Lowe & Co.
lumber; Shoemaker 81 Higbee Lumber
Company; John Spry Lumber Com
pany; Edward Hines Lumber Conn
pany5 Conway &c Co.. cedar posts; w.
q. b. Palmer, cedar posts; Whitcomb
Cedar Post Companys Liemens &
Halske, manufacturers 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, Lin
coin street, the river and Ashland
avenue. was burned over and forty
acres of lumber yards are now moth
ing but smoking embers-
The fire was discovered by a watch
AIAn- ~ e. saw "a DAaZc ON the OuLSlQc
of the fence on the east side of Lin
coin street near a single shed be-
longing to s. K Martin & Co. He
turned in an alarm, but before the
first engives arrived the single shed
was a mass Of fumes, which had COM
unnicated to the surrounding lum Der
piles. The Martin yards ar 2, 500 feet
long by 800 wide, and the flames orig
mated in exactly the right spot for
the strong northwest 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 fierce
y that the first engines which ar
rived were utterly helpless and call
after call for additional help was
made until over fifty engines and
three fire boats were al 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
bren burning for an hour. The course
OF the fam IS was east aud southeast
for the first forty i've minutes, and
they lite orally picked up ever ything in
their path. Piles of lum Der, lath,
shingles and cedar posts were swal-
lowed up with appalling rapIdity and
for a time II seemed as though the
finest lum Der district in the city, which
reaches mile TO the south, must be
consumed. The wind, however, 81 l.
denly changed at $3.50 o'clock and
began to blow from the south and
with much less violence than before.
The flames started rapidly north
again and burn I'd back to a line level
with the star ting pc Mt The sudden
change in the direct on OF the flames
caught several engine companies un-
prepared AMI the men were compelled
to run for their lives No engines
were abandoned. but three of tn N
had close calls. horses and men mar
rOvly escaping death. The freboat
Yosemite was at work In one Of the
slips when the direction of the fire
changed. and the long tongues Of
flames which shot over her male il
necessary that she be removed at
once When an effort was made to
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 swOOping down upon
her at a fearful rat e.
The men frantically pushed her off
with poles and boards and she finally
crawled out of the slip. with no mora |
damage than q severe scorching in
several places.
The freboat Geyser had also a close
call but ran through the flames
which leaped out over the slip and I
escaped unframed Two of her men,
J ohm Mccain and Thomas Preceding, I
we're badly burned willie fighting the /
IRE A large Siamese hose which /
lucy were nOAIlu8 get away from /
them and knocked both men over the /
side Of the boat upon A pile of burn
ing cedar posts a few feet away. /
Their injuries are not fatal.
Ina addition 20 the fremen injured II
the following casualties occurred: I
Otto Rafter, fell Off lumb r pile, back \
broken and viii die. Unknown man.
struck on the head BY a flying cap /
from fire engine, knocked into the /
river and drowned.
It is extremely difficult to obtain 4
an estimate Of the losses. but the fol-
lowing are believed to be about cor
rect. 5. X. Martin company. $500. 600; l
Perley. Lowe Il Co.. 81 600: Wells
French company, $500. 01l. Liemens &
Halslxe. $500, OOO; Shoemaker s. Higbee.
sl25,O00; john Spry Lumber company,
B25, 900: total. Sl,595.O)0
Conway & Co. $50, 900; Edwin Hines
Lumber company, Sls90; Farnum
Foundry company. s.. SEQ
lincoln Institute Burned.
JEFFERSON, CRY. No, Aug. 2--Lin-
~. 49,