The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-03-27
BELL WAS CROWDED
The Big Chicago Store Was Full
of Customers,
When the Destructive Fire
Broke Out Yesterday.
ONLY THE WALLS LEFT
A Number of Persons Injured
While Trying to Escape.

CHICAGO, March 27.-A fire which
broke out in the basement of the Bell
clothing house on the corner of State
and Quincy street yesterday destroyed
the entire contents of the esta blish-
ment above the second floor and left
only the walls of the building from
that floor to the ground standing. Oc-
curing at the busiest hour of the day,
with the store crowded with customers
and employees and the flames running
through the building like a train of
powder, filing every nook and corner
with their smoke it was remarkable
that no lives were lost. In attempting
to escape from the building the follow
ing persons were injured: G. H. Smith,
leg broken in jumping from the second
floor window and bruised about the
body; Dick Burns, elevator boy, slight
1y burned about the face; Grace Mer-
tell, clerk, bruised by fall and car
ried from the building; Helen Caesar,
clerk in store adjoining the burning
building, overcome by smoke.
Samuel Cohn, a salesman, and John
Dichel, the engineer, had narrow es-
capes from death. They were on the
third floor of the building and did not
hear the alarm of fire when first given.
Both men tried to get down stairs and
were about to jump, but the shouts of
the crowd below warned them not to
do so. It became too hot for them in
the window and both men, grasping
sign which extended across the build
ing just below the third story windows,
swung off and held on to the sign un til
they were taken down by the firemen.
Charles Smith, another employee, was
injured by falling from the second
story. He stepped outside to a window
ledge and made an effort to reach a
window in the next building. The
crowd of spectators discerned how
fruitlesS would be the undertaking and
the excitement among them was in
tense, as they warned the man at the
window to remain where he was.
Smith, however, missed his footing and
fell, striking the hagatone feet fore
most and fracturing one of his legs.
Miss Grace Martell, employed by the
clothing company, was on the fourth
floor when the flames burst through
the floor. She tainted and had to be
carried from the burning structure.
When brought out into the fresh air,
the woman was soon revived.
The loss on the building was SIG, 600,
and the stock $780, OOo The building
was insured for $50, 900 and the stock
for $50, 600.
MILWAUKEE HAS A FIERCE BLAZE.
MILWAUKEE, March 27.-Fire broke
out last night in the four-story block
on Grand avenue owned by the Plank
inton estate, and completely destroyed
the building and its contents. 1t was
occupied by Landau & Co., wholesale
dry goods, and Tanner 81 Co., furnish
ing goods. The total loss will be be-
tween $500, 600 and $500, 900. The up
per stories of the Milwaukee library
also caught fire and the building was
soon a mass of flames. 1t contained a
valuable collection of books. Barlin
& Wombold, clothiers, adjoining the
big PlankintOn building, have also
been burned out. Their loss will be
$50, 600.
ENTOMBED IN A MINE.
HAZEtToN, Pa, March 27.-Daniel
Jenkins and John Hovak, two miners,
were entombed at the Treskow colliery
at o'clock yesterday afternoon by a
fall of coal Jenkins was reached at 6
o'clock yesterday evening. He is so
badly injured that he cannot live
Hovak is still inside, and there are
hopes of reaching him by to-day. His
cries can be heard at times, and it is