The record-union., 1898-03-17
HOLOCAUST
1T CHICAGO.
CONTINUED from First Page,


offices of Alfred Bieriey, on the fourth
floor, half a dozen employees were
taken down to the first floor The BOY
returned at once to the upper floors
and mis- elevator was loaded again. He
did not dare to rake a third trip tor
the smoke was pouring down the shaft.
Men and women without hats or coats
ran down the stairway and into the
streets. The first intimation that peo-
pie on the street had of the fire was
the appearance of several fleeing en-
ployeS. At the same time a dense
mass Of smoke poured out of the front
windows on the fifth floor.
In another moment the upper floors
were wreathed in flames and smoke.
Several people made an attempt to run
UP the narrow stairway, but We're turn
ed pack at the second floor by the
downward rush of the smoke There
apparently were not over thirty people
who made their escape by the elevator
and stairway. The building blazed so
fercely that the escaping employees be-
gan looking for each other in the crowd
that gathered quickly at the scene.
number Of the people on the upper
floors made their escape from the rear
by the fire escape, but that egress was
cut off in a few moments by the flames.
HORRIFYING SIGHT.
Then the spectators were horrifed
to see the body of a man whirling
down ward from the cloud of smoke and
| flame at the upper floor. The body
struck the pavement, and life was ex-
tinct when ready hands ran to pick
tho nr1fo hn
EiZed a once as Cashier Binns of
Sweet, Wallach & Co. A moment later
two other forms were seen at the win
dow of the north end Of the Wabash
end front, and both Within a second of
each other. They were Smith and
Clark. and death came quickly to them
in the leap.
Several women standing in a group
on the opposite side OF the street.
watching the leaping forms of the two
men with blanched faces, said they
saw the face of woman at the WIN
dow during an instant that the wind
| had swept away the smoke In the
next instant, and with q rush and roar
! that could be heard for a block. The
entire top of the building from the
third story up burst out in a sheet or
flame
FIREMEN NARROWLY ESCAPE
How the firemen working in the rear
of the building escaped death is a mys-
terry. IN spite Of the repeated warn
I ings given them by their chief they
remained at their post, apparently fas-
cinated by the slowly bulging wall un-
/. til it seemed certain death to stay there
a second longer. They they took to
their heels. The wall seemed to hang
for moment but finally the big iron
Girders broke and it came down with a
crash just as the last man got safely
out of the way
SHOWERS OF ELECTRIC SPARKS.
The breaking Of telephone and tele-
graph WIGS II. st caused a panic
among the dense crowds of spectators.
The wires falling across the rails of the
elevated loop We're instantly charged
with electricity, and a wild rush to get
out of the way took place. When water
was turned onto the burning elevated
structure, beautiful sight occurred.
AS soon as the streams struck the feed
rail they apparently We're converted
into showers of electric sparks and an
/
ing fanwise thus shooting high into the
air as the spray drifted in the wind.
This was kept up until the current was
shut off
THE BUILDING SOON IN RUINS.
In less than half an hour after the fire
broke out the Emerson building. which
was seven stories higher, 50 feet front
by 100 deep, wes level With the ground.
1t was of what is known as mill con-
struction,' with a front of plate glass
and iron columns.
+ The occupants were the Emerson
, Piano Company. Conover Piano Com
pany, Chicago Cottage Organ Com
pany Decorator and Wall Paper Com
pany, National Music Company, H.
Hoffman & Company, piano stools,
Presbyterian Board of Publication; Al
fred Bril- sheet music publisher; Sweet,
Wallach & Company, Photographic sup
plies: w. A. Olmstead, school supplies.
The building was owned by Fred x.
Ayres Of Lowell, Mass. 1t was worth
about $4,000, and is said to be parti-
ally insured. Insurance men at the fire
stated that the loss on contents would be
in the neighborhood of S3339 COO.
/ The elevated railway tracks were
badly damaged, and there viii be a loss
OF $4,000 or $4,000 from the breaking
of plate glass in the stores on the oppo-
site side of Wabash avenue.
| The six story build ng ado ming on tn
/ north. 211-13, was badly damaged and
Its contents soaked with water and pa
italy burned. The occupants Of this
! building are the Educational Publica-
/ ton Company; Thomas Charles K Co..
dsrglrten supplies: Ideal Music Gem
pany. sheet music: New Haven Cleck
! Company; Waterbury Watch Company
: +. H. Putler & Co. publishers; II. {.
weichhrodt. Turkish rugs: George T.
Ward & Co., photograph fnishers, and
! n. G. Uulhein, musical instrument re-
4 pairer.
i The loss on this building and contents
is estimated at $4,000 but may bt
more.
I DISCOVERY OF THE FIRE.
i According TO some, the fire started In
the third floor of the building occupied
i by Alfred Peats, dealer in wall paper
This floor is used as store room foi
wall paper and is provided with gas
! jets in swinging brackets One of thess
brackets had turned IN such a manner
as to ignite the wall paper JOSEPH
| Murphy. son of w. r. Murphy, the en-
/ gineer of the building discovered the
blaze. and promptly sent in an alarm
but it was impossible to stay the flame 8
] SO great was the rapidity with which