Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-03-24

Chicago, March lit required just
| twenty minutes yesterday for one of
the most savage fire that Chicago has
| seen since the famous cold storage
warehouse fire on the worlds fair
grounds in Chicago in 1898 to take
anywhere from five to fifteen lives,
MAIN thirty people, and reduce d six
story brick building to a pile of blaz-
ing timber. red-hot bricks and twisted
| iron. The number Of dead is still in
doubt, and probably will not be defin-
itely known until the debris of the
| building is sufficiently cooled to admit
Of search being made for the bodies
of those who are undoubtedly in the
ruins. This will be two days hence at
least. The three men known to be
dead are:
| Samuel A. Clark, bookkeeper for the
Olmstead Scientific company.
Miles A. Smith, salesman of the
Olmstead Scientific company.
Edward Binz, cashier for Sweet,
"dlldcn q Co.
The missing of whom nothing could
| be learned at late hour last night
and most of whom are without question
buried in the wreck of the building
are: w. A. Olmstead, president of the
Olmstead Scientific company, who
rushed through the sixth floor notify
1 inc nuN1n of ni nyi1
seen to go towards the rear of the
| building, but not seen to leave; G. II.
Arms, secretary of the Olmstead COM
pany, was in the building when the fire
started, not been seen since; Mrs. M.
E. Harris, widow AZ years of age,
employed as bookkeeper for Olmstead,
believed to have been overcome by
smoke and burned to death, not seen
| by other employees as they rushed to
safety; unknown woman seen at win
dow of sixth floor shortly after Miles
Smith leaped to his death, not seen
afterwards, thought to have been
burned in the ruins; C. T. Anderson,
employed by Sweet, Wallach & Co.,
not seen to leave the building after the
fire started and thought to
have been suffocated; Tony -
Qast name is unknown), office
boy for Sweet Wallach & Co.,
jumped from the sixth floor in rear
and fell into the ruins it is thought;
Fred Hamill vaudeville singer, en-
, ployed by National Music company
not seen since the fire; G. A. Price,
cashier Of Olmstead company, thought
to have been suffocated; Solomon
Grollman, Jr., western agent for Henry
Hoffman of Columbus, had rooms
with Sweet, Wallach &, Co., thought
to have been overcome by smoke and
burned to death; Solomon Grollman,
Sr., with Grollman, Jr., thought to
have met his sons fate; Anna Guest,
cashier for National Music company,
thought to have been overcome by
smoke while trying to escape from
building; H. R. Nelson, worked for
the Olmstead company, seen with
Samuel A. Clark, who was killed and
is thought to have been burned to
death; William Marvin, shipping clerk
Of Presbyterian Board of Publications,
not at home, thought to have lost his
life; William Boss, OF Presbyterian
Board, thought to have persisted; w.
|. Wilcox with Olmstead in the build
ing; Hattie Davidson, employed in the
manufacturing department of the
Olmstead company.
The injured are: Paul C. Snyder
employed by Sweet, Wallach & Co.,
severely burned about the head and
body, may die; Emil Bresserman,
dropped from third floor to street, hip
and spine injured, may die; A. E.
Mccullough, jumped from third floor,
| hip and shoulder broken, internal in
| juries, may die; Mary Lapare, burned
about the face and head, fell from
ternal injuries, may die; Hugh S. Ell
liott, manager Of Presbyterian Board
! of Publications, hands and face
burned, not serious; Herman B. Over
man, fell from IRE escape, badly
bruised; H. D. Cunningham, agent for
Northern Pacific Express company,
| head and body burned; w. S. Lem
ley, colored, jumped from second floor,
right leg broken; Officer Joseph Rog-
ers, overcome by smoke while rescu-
| ing people from the burning building;
| Prof. Hans Lien, National Music COM
pany, badly burned; E. A. Wise, leg
and hands severely burned; Philip Far
ley, right leg broken, jumped from
second story window; w. H. Murphy,
engineer, burned about the face; Annie
Backs, jumped from second story win
| dow, severely bruised; David Schaefer,
arm broken in trying to catch A. E.
Mccullough, who jumped from third
| floor; Andrew Nystom, face and hands
burned; A. J. Nystom, face, hands
and legs burned; Fred. Smith. face cut
by falling glass and head cut by fall
ing brick; Jacob Kerchin, letter car
rier, jumped from the second story,
back injured and ankle sprained; John
McDermott, jumped from second floor,
! dislocated shoulder: James w Wall,
pipeman, back injured by bricks from
falling wall; Kate Carney, forewoman
for Music company, face and head
burned
| The building was six stories high,
had a frontage of So feet on Wabash
avenue and extended back $50 feet to
bo r4c