The Topeka state journal., 1897-10-07
NOT so MANY HORSES
Were Burned at Chicago Yesterday
Hundreds Rescued From the
Flames.

Chicago, Oct. 7.-Fanned by a strong
wind from the west, the fire which broke
out in the Dexter park pavilion at the
Union Stockyards yesterday afternoon
spread to the district between Halstead
street and Union avenue and Forty-third
and Forty-fourth streets. Business houses
and residences alike, all of them frame
structures. furnished ready material for
the flames, which ragged from o'clock
until o'clock and then yielded to the
vigorous work of the fire department.
The total damage to the Baxter park pa
viliOn is estimated at more than S5O,0O0
but it may exceed that sum.
A number of persons were injured dur
ing the fight with the flames, and one
man was burned to death.
The injured are:
Unknown man. burned to death.
Patrick Casey, emplOye OF stockyards;
not serious.
Maurice Maloney, fireman; overconse by
smoke and heat; will recover.
P. F. Shearn; broken leg.
Henry Walsh, emplOye of stockyards;
slightly burned.
William Donohue, fireman; injured by
falling timber; will recover.
The Dexter park pavilion stands only
few yards southwest of the main horse
market, which is an immense frame af-
fair covered by a 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 We're res
cued. Patrick Casey, an employe of the
stOckyards, discovered the fire and after
turning in the alarm ran with three COM
panions into the pavilion % release the
Of in nd
it was an easy matter to turn them loose.
but very different thing to get them
out of the building.
Casey and his companions narrowly es-
capped being trampled to death by the
maddened brutes as they endeavored to
drive them through the doors. Casey
was knocked down once and badly bruis-
ed, and Henry Walsh, who was also try
ing to release the horses, was injured in
the same manner. Neither man was SER
iously hurt, however. 1t was found i'm
possible to get a single horse from the
pavilion until the men by main strength
dragged one through the doorway and
then the others followed rapidly. The
flames spread SO rapidly that not all Of
them could be saved, but it is not thought
many We're destroyed.
The chief losses resulting from the fire
are as follows:
Dexter park pavilion, consisting of eight
barns, $4,000.
Feeding pavilion, 5000.
Freight cars belonging to the Union
Stockyards and Transit company, and the
Chicago & Alton railroad, $1,000.
Twenty-eight residences and stores were
damaged by the flames, the loss in each
particular instance being small. The
damaged buildings include all those be-
tween 4901 and 44O3 Halstead street, not
one building in the block between Forty
third and Forty-fOurth street escaping
damage.
During the progress of the fire the
widest excitement was prevalent in the
vicinity. People dragged their belong
ings out upon the sidewalks and began
throwing them into wagons, wheelbar-
rows and anything 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 last night.
Rachel Cohn. years old supposed to
have been burned to death, left alone in
her home. could not be found afterward.