The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-24
Five-StOry building Wrecked, POr-
tiOns Hurled Into the street and
the Debris Mostly burned.
TWENTY THREE PEOPLE HURT
FIREMAN PROBABLY FATALLY AND
OTHERS SERIOUSLY INJURED.
Four Buildings Ruined by Flames M
Cleveland, EntaiIing a Loss of Near
Iy a Million Dollars.

CHICAGO Dec 2S.-Fire broke out short
ly after o'clock this afternoon in the base
ment of the five-story building at No. l04
Madison street, the first floor and base
ment of which were occupied by the Tosetti
Cafe and Restaurant Company and the sec
ond floor by the billiard parlors of Frank
Mussey. The blaze was Insignificant at
first and crowd of people gathered on the
sidewalk in front of the building to watch
the work of the firemen. About one dozen
policemen were busily engaged in pushing
back the throng, when a terrific explosion
of natural gas took place. The building was
badly wrecked, the windows, window graf
ings, sidewalk lights and manhoAe covers
were hurled into the air and fell among
the crowd Dozens of people We're thrown
from their feet and twenty-three were i'm
jured, only one of them being seriously
hurt however. Following is the list of In
jured:
CAPTAIN THOMAS O'CONNOR, burned
about head. face and body; may die
JAMES JOLLY, pipeman, burned about
head and right leg injured.
JAMES MURPHY, pipeman, injured
about head and right arm bruised.
c. SCANLAN, policeman burned about
face and head, arm cut by falling glass.
JAMES LARKIN, policeman, hair singed
and cut over right eye.
THOMAS FLEMING, policeman, burned
about head and right leg bruised.
J. J. MURPHY, policeman, burned about
head and right cheek cut by falling glass.
LOUIS WRECK, cut over right eye.
FRANK M'DOUGAL, hair singed and
face burned.
e. GERBER, burned about head and
face and arm cut.
C. ]. BROWN, burned about face and
head.
JOSEPH KEPLER, steward in Tosetti's
cafe, burned on right arm, not serious.
MAGGIE RYAN, laundress in Tosetu
cafe, burned about the head and right Les
cut.
KATIE AMBERG, dish washer in cafe.
burned about head.
ROSIE BRANDON, dish washer in cafe,
burned on right arm.
BERTHA JOHNSON, laundress en-
ployed by Tosetti Company, burned about
head.
JOSEPH TENNYsoN, waiter in cafe,
burned about the face and hands.
VIM. EDDY, waiter in cafe, slightly
burned.
w. l.. SHEPARD, thrown against a. wall.
by the force Of the explosion and severely
bruised.
c G. BREsNAHAN. policeman, face and
hands burned and bruised.
E. SUMMERS, burned about face and
head.
THOMAS GRAY, knocked down by the
force of the explosion and severely bruised.
r. L. THOMASSON. porter in Mussey's
billiard hall, stunned by force of explosion;
taken home unconscious.
The explosion caused wild panic in the
street and in the frantic rush for safety
which followed many people were thrown
down and trampled upon. That many were
not killed and many more injured was lit
tie short Of miracle. Mussey's billiard
od with y1Ia vf1o1a hn
explosion came and the men, who had paid
little or no attention to the small blaze in
the basement, appreciated the situation at
it's proper value when the windows went
sailing into the street and plaster began
to come down on their heads. The rush In
the street was duplicated by the excited
billiard players as they plunged down the
stairs for safety and the outer air. Many
Of them escaped by the stairway, some took
to the fire escape and those who were late
or who deiberated as to the best way OF
egress were taken out by the firemen-
The fire spread through the building with
great rapidity after the explosion and with
in ten minutes it was blazing fiercely. Call
after call for additional engines was sent
by Chief Sweenie, but the fire could only
be reached in front and rear and was diffl-
cult OF access. The severe weather caused
much of the water to freeze and within an
hour the building resembled an. iceberg
with furnace in it's interior The burned
building is within fifty feet Of the inter-
section of Dearborn and Madison streets,
where the loops of the West Side and
North Side cable lines intersect and from
the time the fire broke out until after mid
night traffic was suspended on both liaes.
The loss Is estimated at $125 OOO of which
$4,000 will fall on the Tosetti Company,
$4,000 on Mussey and $4,000 on Morris Ros-
enfield. the owner of the building.
The Grand Union Hotel, which backed up
against the Tosetti structure, the two form
ing right angle, was damaged to the ex-
tent of $1,000. The building is owned by
Chief Justice Fuller, of the United States
Supreme Court.
CAUSED BY BENZINE.