The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1894-08-02
FORTY ACRES OF FIRE
Chicago again Visited BY 4 Great
Con1a6ritiol.
1T WAS A sCoRCHER SURE
More Than q Million and . Half
DoiIars Worth OF Property
Burned and the Flames
Still Rage.

CHICAGO. Aug. Tho lumber district
OF Chicago was tonight visited BY one OF
tho most disastrous fires In its history,
and tho loss will probably foot up between
81 10000 and $i,50o,ooo, although It will
DO 81 hours before the damage can be ess
timated with accuracy. The following
concerns were entirely cleaned out by tho
flames:
& Richards Lumber company. Williams
q French company, cor builders; Perlee,
Lowe Il Co., lumber; Shoemaker D Hg-
bec Lumber company. John Spry Lumber
company, Edward Hinch Lumber COM
pany. Conway & Co., cedar posts; w. Z.
II. Palmer. cedar posts; whitcomb Cedar
Post company. Siemsns q Halske, manu-
facturcrs Of dynamos.
The burned district 10 about six squares
from east to west and about three from
north to south. The greatest portion Of
the district 10 bounded bv Blue Island
avenue, Lincoln street, the river and ASH
land avenue.
Forty acres Of lumber yards are now
nothing but smoking embers. The Mar.
tin yards are $500 feet long By 800 vide
and the flames originated In exactly the
right spot for . strouR northwest wind
which vas blowing at the time 10 carry
them through the entire length and
breadth Of the yards.
The wind drove the flames 20 hereely
that the first engines which arrived we're
helpless and call after call for additional
help was madc until about 10 eneinss and
three fire boats were at work. Pilss OF
lumber, lath and shingles, and cedar
posts wore swallowed up with appalling
rapidity and for Q time IL seemed %
though the finest lumbss district In the
city, which reaches mile 10 the south,
would DO consumed. The wind, however,
suddenly changed and began to blow
from the south and with less violence than
before.
The flames started rapidly north and
burned back 10 the line level With its start.
ing point. A sudden change In the direc-
tiou Of the flames caught several engine
companies uuprepared and tho mon we're
compelled to run for thelr lives. No en-
glnss were abandoned but three Of them
had close calls, tho horses and men uas.
rowly escaping death.
The ilre boat Yosemite was % work In
one Of tho slips when the direction ot the
nrs changed and the long tongues which
shot ovor Il made II necessary that the
boat be moved ct once. She was gotten
out Of the way but not before she had been
severely scorchsd In several places.
Tho flro boat Geyssr had
also Q close cau but ran through
the flames which leaped out over the clip
and escaped unhArmsd. Two Of her msu.
John Mccain and Thomas Prssline. we're
badly burned while fighting the nrs. Ths
large ''Siamess" hose which they we're
holding got away from them and knocked
them over the side Of the boat on pile oe
burning cedar posts . few feet away.
Their injuries arc not fatal. In addltioa
to tho nremen injured, the following
casualties occurred:
Otto Rainier, fell from lumbse. haek
broken and will die. Unknown man.
struck on the head BY flying cap from .
ire engine, knocked into the river and
drowned.
Al II o'clock the firs was still burning
Asrcely. with the probability Of blasins toe
i2 hours more. II II difficult 10 obtain an
estimate Of the losses, but the followins
are believed to be about corrset; The 8.
X. Martin company, 100000; Sismsns q
Halake. eSOO.0W; Psrlss, Lowe . Co,
yilSp0O, Shoemaker q Higbss, Sl5, ,o0ol
John Spry Lumber Co., $sS,oM Total,
q, ,596, 900.