The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-01-27

! X. SuktiElS lilS ISdi VI CIV Cal Z
| Frye's big grocery. The rear part 0
+! Nos. I, 9, IL, Is, Is, II, 10, y. %, an
| %, North Juniper street, which build
| ings are used as law Offices and privat
| residences was completely burned out
| leaving only the front walls standing
| in some cases.
| While the fire was at its height flame:
| were discovered on the window sashe'
on the outside of the city hall. The city
| hall fire department ran a ladder 10 th'
roof and in few minutes had the struc'
| ture free from ali danger.
The walls OF Hirsch Bros factory col,
| lapsed soon after 8 O'Clock. The other
walls left standing resem5led huge ice
bergs.
OTHER FIRES.
Between and a m an alarm brought
the department to $50 Chestnut street
| where flames had broken out in the fifth
story of the building occupied by o. H
Bunnel wholesale stationer. The fire
was extinguished with a loss OF about
$4,000. Shortly after 8 o'clock another
fire started in the sixth floor OF the big
carpet store Of John and James Dooson,
sos. 80 and S12 Chestnut street. By hard
work the flames were confined 10 the
sixth story, but the water soaked
through every floor 20 the basement. The
store was full of expensive carpets, rugs.
and upholstery, and the loss caused by
water and smoke will exceed 500,
The building was owned by the estate
OF Henry c. Gibson, the well know dis
tilIer, and was valued az about S5o0, 1000.
THE LOSSES.
Blum Bros. who occupied 1919, will
lose about $4,000 on stock; Hanscom
Bros, 1925, 900 on stock; Dennets restau-
rant, stock and fixtures, $4,000; Steiner
&, Ball, 1000; Mizpath restaurant. So
coo; Shovel & Foyer, $4,000; James
Goodwin, stained glass, $4,000; James
Dickinson, heaters and ranges. $1,000:
Dunlap Bros, 100000 ON building and
machinery; Furlong's, $4,000; John
Wanamaker. 500, 900; Nickolak, insur-
ance, SIS, coo: A McCune & Co., $4,000;
SH Hull, drugs, $4,000; Budd & Kite,
$1,000.
The loss on the small buildings viii
reach in the neighborhoOd of $4,000.
Nearly all the sufferers by today S ire
are fully protected by insurance.
THRILLING INCIDENTS
Thrilling incidents were not wanting.
While the fire was at its height an en-
ploye Of the carpet firm Of WINS. Dietz
& Magee. Whose building is in the block
below that devastated by the flames on
Market street, was overcome by the eH-
element and suddenly dropped dead.
James FurlonS proprietor of the sa-
loon at the corner of Juniper and Fill
bert streets. is critically ii Of pneumo-
mia. When the flames began 10 eat their
way 10 his place, squad of firemen
carried him from his sick bed into the
bleak streets and he was hu,Tiedly ia
ken to a nearby hotel. The excitement
and shock may cost him his life.
Shortly before noon a second fireman
was injured. He is William German,
aged 80 years, assistant foreman of Com
pany No. I. He was struck by falling
bricks and timbers and badly hurt
about the head and neck.
Had the fire occurred an hourortwo
later the results would have been appall
ing. The burned district is in the very
heart of the business center OF the city.
after crossing the way from the mann
moth city hall and !arouni the corner
from the Pennsylvania station. The
blaze had not been under way half
hour before the thousands OF employees
Of the destroyed business houses began
Hooking to the scene to begin their daily
work Many of the larger esta Adjustments
including Wanamaker's, employed a
large majority of women and girls, and
had the disaster come during business
hours. a panic with its consequent loss
of !ie would have been inevitable
Inc streets were TOped off for two
blocks around, and traffic on the bust
est streets Of the city was at a stand
still for hours.
CHICAGO'S HUNDRED FIRES.
Chicago, Jan. 26.-Alomst 100 fires
were reported for the twenty-four hours
up to midnight last night The record
Of last Fourth of July was passed and
a new high water mark was established
in the history OF the Chicago fire de-
partment for the greatest number of in
dlvidual fires in single day. On account
or the severe cold the firemen suffered
severely. and many cases were reported
Of men having their ears. noses and
hands frozen. Several were severely
frozen and are in a serious condition. In
almost every case the fires were small
)nes, due 20 efforts to thaw out frozen
water pipes or TO explosions engendered
by the bursting of water backs.
Chicago. Jan. 26.-The large grain ele-
v2tor Of the ". II. Purcell Mailing COM
pany Of 123 ID street. and the Belt Line
tracks. were destroyed by fire today
The flames originated in the south por-
ton OF the structure. and before the fire
department arrived the whole structure
was enveloped. The firemen were hand
Icapped by the scarcity of water and by
the intense cold. The elevator was re-
Gently built, two former structures hay-
ing been damaged by fire This, how
ever. was the first time the building was
destroyed. The origin of the
fire is not definitely known but it is sup
posed to have been due TO tramps who
have been building fires in and around
the freight cars near the elevator in or
der 70 keep warm. The total insurance
IS $3l6.250. which is divided among sixty
Chicago. Jan. 26.-Fire broke out to-
day in the basement of the one-storv
brick building at 246-24S Randolph street,
occupied by the Main Betting company.
and A. Magnus & Co., dealers in mill
supplies, and totally destroyed the build
inS and contents. The loss was between
So ESQ and 0,O00 fully covered by in
sura1ce. Most Of the loss was on the
stock Of the Main Betting company,
Philadelphia concern.
NINE MANNED VICTIMS.
Chicago, Jan. 26.-Seven firemen and
two spectators were badly hurt at a fire
which this evening destroyed the Will
las block. extending from 1876 TO 202 Mon
roe street. The injured men are:
jeremiah O'Rourke. fireman: struck by
falling Vail; viii prOba bly, die.
john Workman. fireman; fell into build
ing when roof collapsed; body badly
c~llShed. may die.
Patrick Patterson. fireman; struck by
falling bricks: leg broken.
jeremiah Redcrof1. fireman; both an
Ales broken by falling wall
James Barker. captain engine company
badly burned about head and neck.
sherman = QUinlan, fireman: leg bro
ken and body badly bruised by falling
wall. ----.--.
Harry Geoshegan. fireman; fell from
huil ling: leg badly wrencaei
jeremiah Elliott. engine compary No.
=; 10th ankles broken BY falling wall
NiHam Hanley. cut and bruised about
body: injuries serious
Two unknown Nnucs nnan. st-,Icl, h1.