Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-11-22
FIRE AT CHICAGO.
S5OO,OOO Of Property Destroyed in
Less Than Two Hours.
Five Hundred Lives in Great Peril But Luckily
All Escape.

NHiNdS', NoN. GA llrc Wnlcn caused
a loss Of $500, 0o0 and impcrilled the lives
of 500 persons, originated at 3, this after.
noon, on the third floor of Charles En-.
merich & Cos. feather and down goods
! factory, l75-lSl South Canal street.
a seven-story brick building extending
from l15 Canal street, south to the corner
of jackson street nine-story brick build
ing adjoining on the north and the greater
part of four-story building in the same
direction were destroyed
These buildings occupied nearly the
whole of the block on the west side of
Canal street, between Adams and jackson
streets The seven and nine story build
ings We're owned by Warren Springer. and
the owner of the four story structure,
which is one-third saved, is William j
Wilson. The buildings We're amply in
surcd
These firms were burned ont: Shober &
Carqueville, photographers, George Il.
Lloyd X Co., eltctrotypers and stereotype
machinery manufacturers; Charles EN-
merich 4 Co, feathers and down goods .
Schnadig Bros. n Co, ladies shoes; A bner
shirt waist factory; Gibsons gas fixture
actory; Chambers brick machinery
nanufactory; Russell Piano Co Banner
shirt waist factory; Epworth piano and
organ factory Heusmor Bakery Co ;
Samuel Lyon, mill supplies; Geo. f.
Blake, steam pump works; Knowles steam
pump works; Dorby Cycle Co; Strouss,
Eisendrath & Dron, manufacturers of
mattresses and quilts.
The following We're damaged by falling
walls and water: Miller, Hendricks *
IN ~ Wast {
beef and pork; Hayward & Windsor Co.
confectioners, 16l Canal street The losses
to the above firms is estimated mt $3.50, 0o0
and the building loss, $3.50, 600.
The fire started from an explosion of ii
chemical used in cleaning feathers, and
the rapidity with which the flames spread
in the Emmerich factory, where 200 girls
and women were employed, created il panic
The frightened employees on the upper
floor rushed for the elevators, which were
small, and the few stairways were soon
jammed with horror stricken and fainting
females A cool-hcadcd man and police
men came to the rescue and prevented n
horror
The excitement was as great among the
200 female employees of the Banner Waist
Co. The policemen and firemen had IA hard
task to get all the Young women in safety
to the street, many having to he carried out
unconscious. or else driven out, because
they wanted to save their small personal
property. So far as the police learned. all
employed in the buildings escaped without
serious injury, though many were bruised
and scratched.
In the early stage of the fire an engine
company and the chemical engine men
were sent to the sixth floor of the nine.
story building in the rear to fight the fur
Their spread of the flames to the north
The smoke from the burning feathers
made n dense cloud and the firemen saw
too late that the fire had broken out in
front of them and cut off their escape in
that direction by the ladders.
The imperilled men forsook their an
paratus and struck out in the binding
smoke for the stairway The hose was the
only thing to guide them to safety and
they half fell, half climbed down it and
the stairs to the street Several men had
their hands and faces badly cut and
bruised.
When part of the west wall of the Elk
celsior building fell, it made hole in the
two-story brick building Of the Miller
Hendricks Packing Co. When the fire was |
apparently under control, large part of |
the front wall of the nne-story structure
crashed on the four-story Wilson building |
starting the flames and making havoc with |
the contents |
The flremen were helped by thick fire |
wall in the centre Of the building. The
fire was under control in two hours, in |
spite of a high wind and big start