The San Francisco call., 1897-10-07
Famed by a Brisk Wind
Much Property Is
Destroyed.
Several Persons Injured and
an Unknown Burned to
Death.
With Great Difficulty About Five
Hundred Terrified Horses
Are Saved.
Special Dispatch to THE CALL

CHICAGO, ILL, Oct. 6-Fanned by a
strong wind from the west, fire broke
out in tie Dexter Park pavilion at the
Union Stock Yards this afternoon. spread
ing to the district betweeen Halsted street
and Union avenue and Forty-third and
Forty fifth streets, demolishing business
houses and residences.
The worst sufferers among the residents
were those living along Halsted street, be-
tween Forty-thir and Forty fourth.
Business houses and residences alike, all
OF them frame structures, furnished ready
material for the flames, W hich ragged from
until O'clock and then yielded to the
vigorous work of the Fire Department
The total damage to the Dexter Park
Pavilion is estimated at about $50, 600,
but it may exceed that sum, as the exact
mum Der of horses burned in the fire is not
known, and calculation of the amount
of food stored in the pavilion is yet to be
made.
A number of persons were injured
during the fight with the flames, and one
man, according TO an empIoye OF the
stockyards, was burned to death. The
injured are: Patrick Casey, employe of
the stockyards. not seriously; Maurice
Maloney, fireman, overcome by smoke
and heat, will recover; 2. +. Shearn,
broken leg; Henry Walsh, empIoye OF
stockyards, slightly burned; William
Donahue, fireman, injured by falling
timber, will recover.
The Dexter PARK Pavilion stands only a
few yards southwest of the main horse
market, which is an immense frame
affair, covered by huge dome. For the
latter building to have caught fire would
have meant the destruction of the greater
portion of the stockyards. The pavilion
contained 500 horses, and It was with the
greatest difficulty that they were rescued.
Patrick Casey, an empioyo of the stock
yards, discovered the fire. and, alter turn
ing in the alarm, ran with three compan-
ions into the pavilion to release the
horses. Many OF them were i'll pens, and
1t was an easv matter to turn them loose,
but very different thing to get them out
OF the building. Casey and his compan-
ions narrowly escaped being trampled TO
death by the maddened animals as they
endeavored to drive them through the
doors. Casey was Knocked down once
and badly bruised, and Henry Walsh, who
was also trying to release the horses, was
in Jured In the same manner. Neither
man was seriously hurt, however. 1t was
found impossible to get a single horse to
strength dragged one through the door
way, and then the Others followed rap
idly. The flames spread so rapidly that
not all OF them could be saved, but it is
not thought that many were destroyed.
The chief losses resulting from the fire
are as follows: Dexter Park Pavilion,
consisting of eight barns, $50. 600; feed in
pavilion, $4,000; freight cars belonging to
the Union Stock Yards and Transit Com
pany and the Chicago and Alton RAIL
road, SO, 600.
Twenty-eIght residences and stores were
damaged by the flames, the loss in each
particular instance being small. The dam
aged buildings include ali those between
4301 and 4403 Halsted street, not one build
ing in the Diock between Forty-third and
Fortyfourth streets escaping damage.
During the progress of the fire the wild
est excitement was prevalent in its vicin-
ity. People dragged their belongings out
upon the sidewalks and began loading
them into wagons, wheelbarrows, and any
thing else that could be utilized to carry
them away.
The body of the unknown man who was
burned to death while attempting to save
the horses was not recovered tonight.
Rachel Cohn, years old, supposed to
be burned 10 death, lett alone in her
home, could not be found afterward.