The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1895-11-29
D~EvCURtfsG FLAMES

m~
b~-'vov Property valued at Hail = MI.
Hon p"iiars aud Imprr,i Five Hunirea
Lives, Will. Threatening Destruction a.
Adjoining nu.idsnxs Marrow Escsne \,
-" Eutire i"gs"c Company -nance,
from Falling Walls. ~
CHICAGO, Nov. ga fire which
caused "A property loss OF $500 900 AND
impsrilicd the lives Of half a thous,nd
persons, mostly young women, broke
ont ~ o'clock Yesterday afternoon on
the third fioor of Charles Emmci ich 4
Co.'S feather and down goods ~factnry
ls5-lsl South Canal street. The coma.
grafton was attended by scenes OF n.
tense excitement and a score OF nre.
men narrowly escaped being killed Nv
falling walls. When the flames
raging most furionsly, in spite Of tho
best efforts OF twenty-five engines MI
a small army OF iircmcn, fire brapas
were carried BY the wind to aaiDinfn,
manufacturing buildings aud itlooA.J
as II many more would have TO 90.
The scven-stnry brick buildinr ~.
tending frof- "a Canal street south No
the corncr Of jackson street. the nfua.
story brick building adjoining on Mn
north and the greater part 81 ilc f.,ir.
story brick building in the san.n Ill
rcction were entirely dasfro,.d
These buildings occupied nearly ib.
block on the west side OF Canal St-s.,
between Adams and JACKSON st,,...S
The seven and n.ne-stor4 inilufngs
were owned by Warren Springer and
the four.story structure. which 4, ono.
third saved. is owned by william j.
Wilson. The buildings were mostly
insured.
The losses TO the firms occupying
the burned buildings are estimated al
$3.50, 600, and the building loss al ~ijo.-
900.
The fire started from an explosion IL
chemicals used in cleaning feathers.
and the rapidity with which the flames
spread in the Emmcrich factory, where
200 girls and women were employed,
created q panic in that building. The
frightened employees on the upper
floors rushed for the elevators. vii Oh
were small and few. and the stairvars
were soon jamned with tcrrorslricAen
and fainting females.
Cool-hcadci men and police officers.
summoned by the fire alarms In quick
succession, came To the rescue and
prevented 4 fire horror. Officers stood
guard at the elevators and stairways
10 prevent more than a safe number u
woncn using those means Of exit.
The excitement a rs great
anonS the 200 female employees of the
Banner Waist Co. whose factory al-
f,fp.l fi. Ifrnn4nrf. al. f... fl,1.- i.
thin partition wall divided the
Springer buildings. which were prac-
,ically one. and in an alnrmingly short
time the flames had extended up and
down and through the walls to the
buildings on each side.
The police and iiremcn had a hard
task TO get all the young womcn in
safety To the street. many having 10
be carried out unconscious or else
driven out because they wanted to
ave their small personal property,
while there was not time for oil to get
their cloaks and hats. So far as the
police learned. All who We're employed
in the buildings escaped without sc-
rious injury, although many were
bruised and scratched.
When the fire was apparently under
control 4 large part OF the north wall
Of the nine-story structure crashed on
the four-story Wilson building, start
jng flames and making havoc with the
contents.
The spreading of the flames in this
direction gave the fircrnen additional
work. but they We're helped by the
thick fire wall in the center of the
building. The fire was under control
III two hours, in spite Of a high wind
and a big tart. Nothing hut parts Of
the Springer buildings remain. all the
floors having been burned through,
carrying with them the costly ma
chincry, lithograph presses and other