New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-11
LIVES AND MILLIONS LOST.
THE WORST FIRE THAT EVER OCCURRED
IN PITTSBURG.

ELEVEN PEOPLE KILLED. EIGHTEEN INJURED
AND TWENTY SEVEN MrssrNG-THE
PROPERTY LOSS S.5oocoo
PIttsburg Feb l0-The loss OF life ana destruc-
ton o, property nv the fire at Thirteenth ana r'Ns
SITS. night the greaiest IN tne history Va
Pit,sburg Eleven people are dead. twenty-seFeh
missing and elrh,een injured. The property loss
will be 81 10000 with about 100000 insurance
The dead are
BERRY JOHN A. Lieutenant OF police
CLOFFEY. THOMAS.
DIVER JOHN.
MHANSA. JOHN.
LOVEI.ESs GEORGE
SCOTT WILLIAM. Jr.
sTITZ STANLEY.
SMITH WILLIAM.
WALI.EHABESsrEIN. WILLIAM A
WOLF. ALBERT A.
unknown man. supposed to be Jonn sS,.. -" - W.
president OF the Chautauqua Ice C,mIany'
Il was Jus, 7:55 O'Clock last evening when Snoh'
was seen issuing from the fourth moor % -
Union Storage ComTanys buldlne al -.
near Thirteenth-st. The building was siN
in height. and occupied almost the eh,iIe ~
tween Twelfth and Thirteenth SITS. and flHe-S' on"
Mulberry Alley The frs; floor in front was ocou-
pied as Offices Of the ChautauGua Lake ice I'm
pany and local Office Of the Union S1o''eV -
pany The second floor front contaired we 80"
Of the Chautauqua Company, ana IN inc i
St end was tho ice-naking plant. whcn -
pied the first three floors. This was hlled WIZ ~
making machinery and other property OF the Cnau-
tauqua Company. The remainder az the ouiiN'ns
was occupied by the storage company i'i'
ately on the discovery OF the fire. an alat'h W"
sent IN and was responded TO promptly ouf OWING
20 the construction % the BUILDING II va -
cally impossible 10 hsht the FIRE from "'nou''
while the volume OF smoke made II impossioie u
Agh. I, from within The only openings III '"e
three fire walls dividing the great ouidlns VI
closed by heavy iron doors and these were 10 ~"
Fer three hours the fremen worked. scarce''
knowing what they were doing. The iron shutters
were irnpregnable 70 their attacks Finally AZ a.
o,ciock rho flames burst out through the roof ana
shot inward a hundred feet. making tha' part
% the CITY ae light as DAY This started me night
Of reopIe from, their homes In Pike. Thirteenth and
Twelfth SITS. carrying what little tney coH'u ',o'
n their arms OF their household effects The ponce
were watchfu and tho crowds we're Kept oaoH y!
fire lines and the fearful heat.
Suddenly above the OF the flames and the
putting Of the fire engines came the first explosion
Those within the fire lines were seen 10 fall IN III
directions Those outside the lines we're no, peyonu
the reach Of danger Those not pros'rateh ny 'ne
first blast were knocked down b. the waves OF ar
as the falling walls created vacuum that seemeu
70 draw IN everything II the Mulberry
Alley side where the least danger was anticipated
that the force CT the explosion was mos, severe
and there the greatest number of fataities TOOK
place Explosion followed explosion lot aoo"' nan
I'm hour between u and o'clock Walls Kept top
nlIug down and nreren policemen and spectators
were rendered almost poweress 70 act by the sense
~ terror which the scene inspired. The explosions
were caused by the bursting Of large tanks hied
with ammonia used IN the manufacture OF ice
The old brick houses along Penn-ave.. from
Twelfth 20 Thirteenth SITS. caught fire from the
roar and burned rapidly company OF hremen
was throwing .tream into TIE great stora
house from narrow courtyard IN the rear Of Penn
ave. from which a much narrower al'ey len 10
the street About 80 heavy explosion occurreo'
and part OF the heavy wall Of the storase-houSe
,o,n,ed over on the roofs OF the houses and into
the COURTYARD The fremen at work there escaped
bv the narrowest chance. The scene in Pike-st was
even more terrible Following the FIRST explosion
the warehouse q Ffoeyeler CO cagght IRE : ~
this followed by tho falling IN OF me was o, o
n 1a9 As the wall fell Chief Humphrey
shouted warning TO the men , Sr no % se nway
from the spot, fireman being struck 10y a III,
Games swept The building. though new. was o;
oriinary construction and contained 500 barrels OF
whskey. one after another the barrels explodeo;;
throwing blazing beams and rafters masses OF
stone and brick into the air and scattering the
fremen police and spectators =. r.,o-s.
caught in the and despite the Efforts Of the
fremen the flames worked their way into me cen
ire 81 the building and then mounted by tne eie-
~ tor SHAFT to the roof The building vas soon de-
Following the last explosion the flames Isaped
across the narrow space mat separated ire ware re-
house from the rear Of the buildings iacing on
were blazing No. l23. srea, four,story
from the rear and was soon in ruins ...
BY o'clock the flames were unoef COMIC; Sp
ing ruins The work OF taking out the dend and
CROUCH under control TO give the aremen and po-
ice a chance 10 work The injured were taSen 70
NOT badly hurt The cause OF the fire has not yet
been discovered.