Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1897-08-10
FOUR LIVES. LOST.
Disaster at the Burning Of an Ele-
vator in Chicago.
An Explosion Occurs, and Three Fire.
men and a Spectator Are Killed
Fifty Persons Injured
Loss, $35O,OOO.

Que uHlueuLlueu man killed Dy Oelng
blown into the river and 81 other fire
men injured is the terrible record of
disaster which attended the destruc-
ton of the Northwestern elevator
at Indiana street and the river Thurs
day night. The fire was the worst that
the department has handled since the
fatal blaze at the cold storage building
in the worlds fair grounds. In the 81
firemen who were hurt are included
Chief Swenie, Assistant Chiefs Musham
and Campion and Battalion Chief An
derson. These leaders were more or
less severely hurt and burned. while
some of their men will die.
Death came to the brave fire fighters
in an explosion of hot air. Thousands
of spectators had gathered close about
the structure and the flying pieces of
brick and heavy sections of corrugated
iron crushed down dozens of men and
boys, whose names the police were not
able to learn.
The loss on the elevator and it's con-
tents was $350,00O, insured for $500, 900.
The damage to surrounding property
will be about $17,5oo. with insurance of
about $4,000. The elevator was
wrecked by the explosion and as much
of the $4,000 bushels of grain that It
contained which did not fall into the
river was consumed by the flames.
Following is list of the dead:
The Dead.
John J. Coogan, pipeman engine 3, hurled
to ground by force of impact and instantly
killed.
Jacob J. Schnur. driver engine 3, crushed
beneath falling wall; taken out dead.
Jacob Stramer, pipeman engine 3, buried
under debris and taken out while still alive;
died as he was placed on a stretcher.
Unidentified man, watching fire from river
front; blown into stream and carried to the
bottom by the debris: body not recovered.
Thomas Monohan, driver for Chief
Swenie, is missing, and it is feared he
may have met death at the fire. He
drove the chief to the fire and has not
been seen since.
The Explosion.
The origin Of the blaze is believed to
have been in the vicinity of the boiler
house. Accumulated dust as dry and
inf1ammable as gunpowder that had been
piling up for year~1ound a ready means
for the fire. 1t spread with great
rapidity, and then came the terrific ex-
plosion, completing the work by scat
tering fire throughout the entire struc-
ture. Just as the firemen were getting
into position for advantageous work,
and nearly all the members of engine
company were mounting ladders and
bringing leads of hose to play on the
interior from the upper windows, there
came a roar that could be heard for
half mile. The force of the explosion
was SO great that the eastern wall was
hurled into the river, while the west
wall tumbled down upon the heads Of
the unfortunate men below, and the
roof was torn into mighty fragments
and distributed for blocks around.
Every window in the vicinity of the
elevator was shattered by the concus-
sion, dozens of persons were struck by
flying debris, and several small fires re-
suited from falling timbers that were
still in flames. At Jefferson street and
Carroll avenue, many blocks distant,
great burning masses of wreckage fell
upon four wagons loaded with hay and
set them in flames.
The elevator was composite con-
struction, the lower portion being of
brick and the upper part frame covered
with corrugated iron. The explosion
caused perfect bombardment of
bricks and sheet iron at almost white
heat. leaving little of the building save
the frame work of wood and iron sur
rounding great pile of blazing wheat
The explosion stunned for moment
the police and firemen, but they quick
~ rallied to the help of those who had
been hurt. Dozens of men lay injured
in the whitening heat, some not serious
ly harmed and others in the throes of
death. It was dangerous work to get
them out, but it was CALAMITY and
quickly done, and all the slightly in
jured were removed. The dead were
for the time left where they lay. No
man could reach their bodies and live.
The fire was most difficult to control,
as the elevator was surrounded by a
number of small frame buildings which
were continually catching fire.
Many Cattle Dying.
Sioux City, Ia, Aug. 5.-The state