The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-11-22
CHlCAGO'S BIG BLAZE
LOSS, HOWEVER, WILL. BE COVER
ED BY INSURANCE.
Good Work by Policemen Prevents
Many Girls From Losing Their
Lives-Scenes Were Very Thrill
Iing-Fire Started By Dust Ex-
plOsiOn.

CHICAGO, Nov. 21-The Excelsior
building, at Canal and Jackson
streets, and an eight-story structure
Immediately adjoining it at III and
1913 South Canal street, were de-
stroyed by fire this afternoon. Not
less than thirteen valuable manufac-
turing plants, located in the two
buildings, were lost, including the
Shober Carqueville Lithographing
company, the Charles Emmerich Fur
niture company, and the large estab-
lishment of Strauss Eisendrath &
Drom The total loss is not less than
4 $500 900.
The fire was a hard one to subdue
and attended with no little danger
The escape of several hundred girls
from the Strauss, Eisendrath & Drom
factory was made possible by GOODNESS
and decision. A number of the girls
suffered from fright and sustained
slight bruises. Before the fight with
the fire was ended, Fire Chief Sweeney
had exhausted the regular calls for
engines and had to specially summon
twenty more.
An approximate list of the losses is:
Excelsior building. seven-story brick,
owned by Warren Springer, total loss,
S150000.
Shoeber e Carqueville Lithographing
company, Sl25,000.
Charles Emmerich & Co., furniture,
100000.
George e. Lloyd & Co. bicycles
and stereotyping, 00o0
Schnadig Bros. & Co., shoes, $4,000
H. Z. Puffer & Co.. felt hats, $40, 00G
Strauss. Eisendrath & Drom, ladies'
waists, $4,000.
Several smaller concerns lost an ag-
gregate of $4,000.
Eight-story brick building, III and
1913 South Canal street, owned by
Warren Springer total loss, SIC. 900.
A. j. Herbst & Co. typewriter car
bons and ribbons, $4,000.
An aggregate loss of $4,000 was sus-
tanned by the smaller concerns in the
building.
Four-story brick building owned by
W. j. Wilson, damaged by water and
falling walls to the extent of $4,000.
The tenants of this building sus-
tanned an aggregate loss of $1,000.
The fire started by a dust explosion
in the renovating room of Charles
Emmerich & Co., on the fourth floor
of the Excelsior building. and spread
so rapidly that the workmen in that
part of the establishment had barely
time to give the alarm and get out in
safety.
On the sixth floor serious loss of
life was narrowly averted. Strauss.
Eisendrath & Drom. makers of shirt
waists, employed four hundred girls.
and none of them We're aware of the
fire until it had made considerable
Roadway and the smoke came pouring
into their work-room in thick clouds.
A wild rush was made for the three
elevators, which We're kept running to
the last possible moment. and while
many of the girls escaped in this way.
others took to the stairs. When the
main floor was reached the jam be-
came frightful and but for the efforts
of officers Brennan and Maloney, of
the Desplaines street station, who
managed to keep the mass of fright
ened girls moving-and in some il
stances. by force, prevented them from
crowding too violently, many lives
must have been lost. Several of the
girls tainted, but soon revived when
taken to the open air.
Nearly all of the losses are covered
by insurance.