Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-11-22
LIVES lMPERILLED.
A Five Hundred Thousand Dollar Fire
in Chicago.
SCENES or GREAT ENCITENE>r


CHICAGO. It'll. November IA IRE
which caused property loss Of sr"t~
and imperilled the lives OF half thou
sand persons. mostly young women. oriSi-
hated at o'clock this afternoon on the
third floor OF Charles Emerlch & Co.'S
feather and down factory. lfIs-l7N south
Canal stree, The confasration was at
tended by scenes Of intense excitement.
and a score Of lremen narrowly escaped
being Killed by fire ana falling walls.
When the flames " ~ raging NOSE fu-
riously. in spite OF the best efforts OF
twenty-five engines and small army
of nremon nre-brands were carried by the
wind 20 adjoining manufacturing build
ings. and il looked as f many more would
have 10 50.
The seven-story brick building. extend
ing from l7Tj Canal street, south. 10 the
corner OF Jackson street, the nine-story
brick building adjoining on the norm,
and the greater part Or the tour-story
brick building in the same direction were
entIrely destroyed These buildings occu-
pied aariy the whole OF the block on
the west side Of Canal street, between
Adams and Jackson streets
The seven ana nine-stOry buildings
were owned by Warren Springer. ami
the owner OF the tOur-story structure.
which ia one-thirl saved - William j.
Wilson. The buildings Were amply in
surel.
FIRMS BURNED OFT.
Fourteen firms were burned out. rs fol-
lows.
ShOber & Caau-vlle. photographers.
who occupied mos OF the Excelsior build
ins. al the corner OF Jackson street.
George =. Lloyd K CO.. ei-crotype and
stereotype machinery
George +. Lloyd y Co, Cleveland BIZ
cycles.
Schenadis Brothers x co. ladies' shoes.
Abner shirt-Waist factory.
Glbsou's gas-fxture factory.
Chambers brick Ichnery manufdc-
tory
Russell Piano Company.
Bannon shirt-waist factory.
EpwOrth piano. and organ-racf0ry.
Heusher Bakery COMPANY
samuel Lyon. mill-supplles.
Grorg- r. Blake. steam-pump works.
Knowles pump-works.
Derby Cycle Company.
Strouss. EiseudTdth 4 DrOn. maihfac-
tUrers of mattresses and quilts
The following were damaged 10y falling
walls and water:
Miller. Hendricks 81 Co. s. west Jack
son sreet. packers Of beer and pork.
Hayward Windsor COMPANY, confec-
tioners. Canal street
The losses Of the above rrms are esti-
mated al ,5jNV0o. and the building loss
j. $4,000
PANIC
The fire. started from an explosion Of
chemicals used In cleaning feathers. and
the rapidity With which he flames
spread In the Emerlch factory. where 40
slris and women are employed. created
panic in that building The frightened
employees ON the upper floors rushed FOR
the elevators. which We're small ana few.
ana the staifWals We're soon lamm.d
with hOrrOr-strlckrn and faintiug females.
'OOl-headed men and police officers. sum
mpu-d by The several file-alarms i'm quick
succession. came TO The rescue. and pre-
vented a nrr-hOrrOr. Officers stood guard
a. tn elevators and stairways TO prevent
mole Than q ssfe number Of women using
those means OF ext.
The excitement was as great among
the 290 female employees or the Banner
Waist Company. whose factory adioined
the Emrrich factory only thin wall
divided the Springer buildings, which
were practically one. snd i'm an alarm
ingly shOr, lime the hdm-s had extended
up ana down and through the " ais 10 ihe
buildings on each side
The police and fireman had hard task
10 get all thu Young women Ia safety
to the street. many having 90 De- carried
ont unconscious or els driven ont. be-
cause they wanted 10 save their small
personal property. while there was not
lime for all 70 get their clOaks and hats
So fsr a. the police learned. all who
~cr- employed I'm the buildings escaped
without serious injury. although many
were bruised and scratched