The times., 1898-04-17
FIRE AT A BALL GAME.
Sportman's Park Destroyed ana
Many People Injured.


St Louis April ia fire which in
some quarters is reported to have been
incendiary, destroyed Sportsman's Park
this afternoon and created a fearful panic
among the six thousand spectators who
had gathered TO witness the ball game
between Chicago and st. Louis. 1t is
considered wonderful that the conflagra-
tion did not cause wholesale loss of life.
AS it was, however. scores were injured.
The heroic work of the ball players and
cooler spectators resulted in the saving
of many lives.
1t was in the beginning of the second
inning that flames issued from the east
end of the grandstand. Within three
minutes the fire had enveloped the entire
east end Of the structure spread to the
adjacent bleachers and communicated to
the tall fence of the fair grounds across
the street. The spectators We're thrown
into a frenzy of fear. Men trampled over
each other to escape, and women swoon-
ed. The staiTways were choked with
half-crazed persons and many who found
these means of egress closed, ran TO the
netting designed to protect the spectators
from foul balls. Taring open this wire
network they leaped into the field. A
number of these persons suffered sprained
or broken limbs and ugly bruises and
gashes.
Second Baseman Connor of the Chca-
go team. who was among the first TO dis
cover the flames. called to Umpres Nc
Donald and O'Day TO suspend the game.
Then, with Catcher Clements of the
Browns. and other players, he rushed TO
the grand stand. Already frightened
men had begun to tear open the netting.
Duggaid Crawford, millionaire dry
goods merchant, was overcome by the
heat before he could reach the wirework.
He fell through the cracking timbers to
the ground. but was rescued by Tom
Burns managers of the Chicago team,
and Jack Taylor the pitcher of the
Browns William Duncan. president OF
the Ludlow Sailor Wire Company, and a
director of the Commercial Bank, had a
narrow escape. His clothes caught fire
and as he ran the wind famed the burn
ing apparel. a policeman pulled off his
long blouse and threw ii around Mr.
Duncan, smothering the flames, but not
before the latter had been painfully
scorched.
Jack Clements. of the Browns, was Sc
| verely burned about the face while en-
gagged in rescue work Men fought with
| each other to get outside and in this way
In less than thirty minutes the grand
| stand had collapsed and the bleachers
| fence and brick office building were in
ruins. Two ambulances bore the Injuries
| persons to the City Hospital. while other
| victims were treated at nearby drug
| stores, and then sent home. Among
! those badly injured Were:
T J. c. Lichtenstein. a commercial travel
| er from New York: Colonel Ripley. OF
! the Burlington Railroad who suffered :,
! dislocated leg; William Medart Horace
! F. McAdam. Henry l.. Brock, James
! Smith, Fred f. Greene. Charles Allen and
[ Henry Schumacher. J. Gentle. of Penny
! & Gentle one of the largest retail dry
! goods firms in America, was seriously in
| jured.
1t is estimated that the loss will aggre-
gate $4,000.
Before the flames were extinguishej
! Manager Hurst of the Browns had sum
| moned a contractor who was engaged tC
reconstruct the fence in time for tomor-
! rows game
! A squad of men were engaged to search
! the ruins of the grandstand for possible
bodies. it having been reported this even
ing that forty were killed. but no lives
were lost so far as known.