The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-02-11
TWENTY-FIVE KILLED.
Frightful Result Of a Big Fire at
Pittsburg.
MANY EXPLOSIONS TAKE PLACE.

MANY EXPLOSIONS TAKE PLACE.
People Are Moved Down by the Score and
Besides the Killed Large Number Are
Injured-A Lieutenant of Police Among
the Dead-Large Plant of the Chau-
tauqua Ice Company Completely De-
stroyed, Causing Loss of 81 $780, 900.
Pittsburg, Feb. 11.-A force of men In
engaged in searching the debris OF the
Chautauqua Lake Ice company's cold
storage plant, which was completely de-
stroyed by fire and explosions late at
night and in the morning.
Seventeen bodies have already been
recovered, and ii is thought that more
are buried in the wreckage. Thirteen
persons are known TO hive been in
jured. The dead are: Lieutenant OF
Police John A. Berry, aged about 30
years; John Dwyer. 80 years old, sin
gle; William Scott, Jr., aged 20 years.
son of President William Scott of the
Chautauqua Lake Ice company; STAN
ley Seitz, aged Is years; George Love-
less, 40 years old. married: unknown
white man, aged about 20 years; Mrs
Mary Sipe, aged so years; Mrs. -
Sipe, aged "A years, mother of Mrs
Mary Sipe; Stanley Sipe, aged 16 years;
Lieutenant Joseph Johnston of No. 7
engine company; Fireman, white, name
unknown, aged about 40 years; William
L. Wallenstein, employed in Rudensa-
mems milk depot; two unknown men;
John Hanna, bookkeeper and cashier of
the Chautauqua Lake Ice company;
John Scott, another son of President
Scott; unknown fireman. 1t is thought
the death list will reach twenty-five.
Plant Completely Destroyed.
The fire, which completely destroyed
the six-story plant of the Chautauqua
Lake companys cold storage plant, was
the most disastrous blaze which has
visited Plttsburg since 1S45. The loss
Of life occurred in connection with
fearful explosion, which wrecked one
wall of the big building, blowing it
out into Mulberry alley. 1t was fol-
lowed by several other explosions. all
of which caused great damage. The
loss of life was principally in connec-
ton with the first explosion, and at the
time Pike street and Mulberry alley
"NiV iiiNh WIN Cilltll, Trying W
down the ugliest fire they ever had to
deal with. The fire was not under con-
troll until 2:45 o'clock in the morning,
when Chief Humphreys said he esti-
mated the loss at least 100000.
The principal losers by the fire are
The Chautauqua Lake Ice company, the
w. A. Hoveler Storage company, the.
Allegheny Light company, the Union
tf<,so
Sulzberger Beef company, Gervas Clock
ner, saloon, 1899 Penn avenue; Friend
ship meat market, 1895 Penn avenue;
William Robinstein, milk depot. I245
Penn avenue.
Theory as to the Explosion.
What caused the first explosion Is not
yet known. The generally accepted
supposition is that it was occasioned by
the fire reaching 500 barrels of whisky
stored in a United States bonded ware
house on the first floor in about the
center Of the mammoth building Heavy
telephone and telegraph poles. bearing
sixty and seventy wires, as well as
heavy cables. were snapped off short
by the explosion, thereby littering the
streets with live wires. adding to the
dangers threatened from fire.
Four squares distant window glass
was broken. chimneys were toppled
over and people were thrown from their
feet. 1t was the second time in four
years that the great plant of the Chau-
tauqua company had been destroyed.
and the loss this time will be much
greater than before. The value of the
merchandise which was stored in the
great building Is not less than $1,000
000 and the damage to machinery and
adjoining property will easily approx
mate another $1,000,000.
Explosion Causes Panic.
The building was filled with the sur
plus stocks of possibly half the whole
alarm was sent in about s o'clock This
was followed by others, and with the
first explosion, which occurred about
11:15 o'clock general alarm was sent
out, calling every movable bit of fire
fighting machinery in Pittsburg and
more than half of the department from
Allegheny City.
With the first explosion there fol-
lowed terrible confusion. amounting al
most to a panic. The streets and al
leys surrounding were densely packed
with people, and the falling walls
caused destruction and death in thun- |
derous tones. Those within the fire
lines were seen to fall in all directions.
Those outside the lines were not with |
out the reach Of danger. many being |
thrown to the ground and more or less |
injured from being trampied upon.