Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1897-02-05
FIRES FIERCE REVEL
VAST LOSSES OF PROPERTY AND
SEVERAL LIVES.

Chicago, Philadelphia, New York, aud
Several Other Cities Visited by the
Destroying Element-scores of Men
Have Narrow Escapes from Death.
Record for One Day.
Fire destroyed two buildings at the
southwest corner of Monroe street and
Fifth avenue, Chicago, Tuesday night,
when the temperature was 4 degrees be-
low zero. Falling walls injured twelve
fremen, one of whom, Jerry O'Rourke,
will die. The damage inflicted reaches
100000. When the blaze was first dis
covered. ut 6:25 o'clock, a strong west
wind was blowing. Five minutes later
the city for blocks around was lighted by
the glare of a fast increasing cOntiagra-
ton, and crowded by putting fire engines,
ladder trucks, stand pipes and hose carts.
The fremen worked greatly hampered by
the elevated railroad structure, electric
wires and the cold. From the roofs of adj
joining buildings powerful streams were
thrown. apparently without effect, upon
the flames. The fircboats Yosemite and
Fire Queen were also summoned ~
their station in the river when Marshal
Campion turned in a general alarm. All
the fire fighting force not engaged upon
the burning buildings was needed to
guard surrounding property from a storm
of glowing Goals and blazing debris car
ried broadcast by the wind.
The first streams broke the windows
and gave mir to the blaze. A portion Of
the first building afire had burned Jan. 2,
and the charred surface caught quickly.
No efforts could save this structure or
contents, SO attention was turned to 9TH
ers.
A Miraculous Escape.
Thirty-ive insurance patrolmen, under
Capt. Shepherd, had entered 1868 Mon
roe street to cover stock with %tarpaulins.
Marshal Campion sent this warning:
"This building was burned ten years ago,
and three huge cracks were made between
it and the building burning. Flames will
come through. You are not safe. Get
out" No heed was given the warning,
and in n short time n torrent of flame en-
tered so quickly and fiercely that all
egress from the lower floor was cut off.
The men were driven from floor to floor,
until ut the fifth they were stopped by
flames from above. Apparently they were
in n death trap, when at the last moment
that man could live i'll the blistering heat
and sitting smoke Capt. Shepherd discov-
cred a fire escape ut a rear window. All
scrambled down this to safety, but their
escape was miraculous, for before all
reached the ground the roof and top floors
fell in.
Close Call for a Company.
Ten extra engines were called. Capt.
Barker had been notified of the cracks in
the fire wall, and warned not to enter.
But with five men he started up a fire
escape with two leads of hose, hoping by
fighting from above to prevent the spread
of flames through the cracks. When all
had passed the third floor, flames burst
from windows below. Nothing remained
but to Chamber to the roof; and over it's
edge they all disappeared, the captain
last, with his clothing ablaze from IL sheet
of flame that burst from the cornice. His
men had waited for him, and smothering
the burning clothing, they made n dash
across the roof to another fire escape,
and descended safely.
Falling Wallis Bury Firemen.
Meanwhile the fire in the building ut 200
and 2O2 Monroe street burned tiercer and
fercer. The entire interior was burned,
SO that the walls had nothing to sustain
them in place. Across the narrow alley
from the burning building upon a roof
were stationed engine companies 81, 5, 6
and Z, under the command of Marshals
Seyferlich and Swenie, son of Chief Swe-
ME. The wall of the burning building
was III story higher than the roof where
the fire companies were at work. No dam
ger to them was apprehended, even in
case of a falling wall, Us it was thought
that the alley was wide enough to afford
them protection. In this the firemen were
mistaken. The upper structure tottercd.
Its coming this way" shouted Fireman
Quinlan, and dropping his hose, he ran.
The mems clothing was coated with ice.
Their utmost haste therefore was slow
speed, and before any had taken three
steps the upper portion of the wall of the
burning building fell with n crash. Tons
of mortar and brick were hurled upon
and about the fleeing tiremen. Engine
companies Nos. 5 and q were caught be-
meath the body of the mass. The heaviest
portion fell upon Jeremiah O'Rourke and
carried him PROSTATE to the roof with it.
The catastrophe was seen from the street.
and aid quickly reached the injured men,
by way of the elevators from adjoining
buildings.
Ice flinders Work.
By this time the building at 200 and 2Oy
Monroe street, with all its contents, was
a total loss. The building at 19G and 10s
was blazing from the basement to roof
and the work of the firemen was concen-
trated upon this structure. The streams
from thirty-ive engines and the two fire.
boats by $50 o'clock brought the flames
in the latter building under control. The
outer walls Of the entire buildings were
laden with tons of ice. Huge icicles de.
pended from the fire escapes and the win.
dow stills.
The cause of the fire was not ascertain.
ed by the police or firemen.
Purcell Mating House Burned.
Fire early Tuesday morning destroyed
the elevator and mailing house of the w
III. Purcell company at l23d street and
the Belt Line tracks, causing a loss Of
100000. Joseph G~uckenheimer, vice
president of the mailing company, est
mated the total loss at $32O,OO with in
surance aggregating $4,000.
Shortly before 6 o'clock in the mornins
fire broke out in the one-story buildin,
at 246 and 24S Randolph street, and with