The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-11-22
W0MEN'S LIVES IN PERI,
4 BIC TACToRF IN CHICAGO MAS
 DESTROYED BY FIRE. {.

Walls Fell Without Warning to the Street.
 Chicago Nov. 21.--A fire which caused a property loss of $500 900 and imperilled the lives of half a thousand persons mostly young women. originated at 3 o'clock tats afternoon on the third floor of Charles Emery & Co.'S feather and down goods factory, 175-1s1 South Canal street. The confiagration was attended by scenes of intense excitement and a score of firemen narrowly escaped being killedl by fira and falling walls. When the flames were raging most furiousqy in spite of the best efforts of twenty five engines and a small army of fire men, firebrands were carried by the wind to adjoining manufacturing build- dngs and it looked as if many more would have to go. The seven-story brick building extending from 175 Canal street south to the corner of Jackson street, the nine-story brick building ad- joining on the north and the greater part of the four story brick 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 buildings were owned by War ren Springer and the owner of the four story structure, which Is one-third saved, Is William J. Wilson The build- ings were amply insured.
 The following firms were burned. Slober & Carqueville, lithographers. who occupied most of the Excelsior building at the corner of Jackson street. George F. Lloyd & Co.,, electrotype and stereotype machinery. George E. Lloyd & O., Cleveland bicycles. Charles Emery & Co.,, feathers. Schag- Jig brothers, shoes. A!bner Shirt Waist factory. Gibson's gas fixture factory. Chambers brick machinery manufao- turers. Russell Piano company. Ban- ner Shirt company. Epworth Piano and Organ company. Heusmore Bak- cry company. Samuel Lyon, mill sup plies. George F. Blake Steam Pump works. Knowles Steam Pump works. Derby Bicycle company, Strous, Eisen- drath & Dron, manufacturers of mat tresses and quilts
 The following were damaged by fall- ing walls and water:
 Miller, Hendricks & Co.,, 5s West Jackson street, packers of beef and pork; Hayward & Windsor Co.,, confec- tioners, 161 Canal street.
 The losses are estimated at $350,00 to the above firms and the building loss at $150,0O0
 The fire started from an explosion of chemicals used in the Emery factory. Officers stood guard at the elevators and stairways to prevent more than a safe number of women using these means of exit. The excitement was as great as among the 200 female employees of the Banner Waist company, whose factory adjoined the Emery company. Only a thin party wall divided the Springer buildings, which were practi- cally one, and in an alarmingly short time flames had extended up and down and through the walls to the buildings on each side. The police and firemen had a hard task to get all the young women in safety to the street.. many having to be carried out unconscious, or else driven out because they wanted to save their small personal property. So far as the police learned all who were employed in the buildings escaped without serious injury, although many were bruised and scratched.
 In the early stage of the fire an en- zine company and the chemical engine men were sent to the sixth floor of the nfne-story building in the rear to fight the further spread of the flames to the north. The smoke from the burning feathers made a 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. Shouts of warning were sent to them The imperilled men foresook their apparatus and struck out in ths blinding smoke for the stairway. Ths hose was the only thing to guide them to safety and they half fell, half climb ed down 1t and the stairs to the street. Several men had their hands and faces cut and bruised. Their appearance on the street was hailed with delight by thousands of spectators. The falling of the towering walls on all four sides was a thrilling incident. Without warning three stories of the smaller building on Canal street came rushing to the street.
 Bremen and officers who were stand- ing or working in front rushed from under the mass of tumbing brick until the building opposite stopped them and then they barely escaped being struck. The same scene was witnessed on the Jackson street side, when the three top stories came toppling across the street without warning When part of the west wall of the Excelsior building fell it made a hole in the two-story build- ing of the Hendricks Packing company.
 When the fire was apparently under control large part of the front wall of the nine-story structure crashed on the four-story Wilson building. start ing flames and making havoc with the contents The spreading of the flames fin this direction gave the men addition al worw, but they were helped by the thick fire wall in the center of the building. The fire was under control In two hours in spite of the high wind and a big start.