The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1898-02-11
plTTSBURG FIRE
Eight Corpses Taken From the
Ruins and -Four Are Still
Missing.
large Number Injured by the
Failing Walls and Flying
Debris.
iiremen Fought Against Great
OldS for HOurs--DisastrOuS
Explosion,

IlIINBURG, Feb. 1.-The loss or life
anu destruction of property by the fire
at Thirteenth and Pike streets, was the
greatest in the history of Pittsburg.
At least IA people were killed. over a
score injured and property valued at
81, 100000 was destroyed.
1t was just 1855 p. III. when smoke
was seen issuing from the fourth floor
Of the Union Storage company's build.
ing On Pike street, near Thirteenth
street.
The building was six stories in height
and occupied almost the entire block
between Twelfth and Thirteenth
streets, and Pike street and Mulberry
alley.
The fi~st floor front was occupied as
Offices Of the Chautauqua Lake Ice
company and u local Office Of the Union
Storage company. The second floor
front contained the stables of the Chau.
tauqua company. and Ill the Twelfth
street end they had their ice making
plant, which occupied the three first
floors. This was filled with valuable
| lcc-making machinery and other prop
erty Of the Chautauqua company. The
balance Of the building was occupied
by the storage company. Immediately
upon the discovery Of the fire. an alarm
was sent in. and was responded to
promptly. but owing to the construc-
ton OF the building, 1t was practically
| impossible to fight the fire from with
| out, while the volume of smoke inside
1 . 2i,-is b,rh ha
fire occurred made it impossible to fight
| it from within. The only openings in
the three fire walls dividing the great
buildings were closed by heavy iron
doors, and these We're locked.
| Couldn't Get mt the Fire.
For three hours the tiremen worked.
scarcely knowing what they Were
doing. The iron shutters We're impreg-
uable to their attacks. The smoke
that found its way out of the building,
filled Mulberry street and Pike street,
sitting the firemen and rendering them
practically slghtless. 1t would clear fox
a moment or twoand they would again
maneuver TO make some headway, bui
to no avail Finally at IL o'clock the
flames burst out through the roof and
shot upward 100 feet in the air,
making that part Of the city as light a
day.
This was the first note Of alarm thai
started the flight Of residents from
their homes on Pike, Thirteenth and
Twelfth streets.
Tho First Explosion.
\ H. h. a.,
and the putting of the fire engines
which were everywhere. came tn,
more powerful noise Of the first explo
sion. The din Of falling walls foretolc
destruction and death in thunderou
tones. Those within the fire lines wer
seen to fall in all directions. Thos,
outside the lines were not without tn
reach Of danger. The great puff of ri
created by the explosion seemed t
make everything sway and shake
Those not knocked down by the frs
awful blast started to run and wer
knocked down by the renctionary wave
OF air, as the falling walls created
vacuum that seemed to draw in every
thing.
1t was on the Mulberry alley side
where the the least danger was antici
pated, the greatest volume OF smok
and preliminary outbursts of fam
having come out Of tho Pike street side
that the force Of the explosion was tn
most severe, and there the creates
mum Der of fatalities took place.
Crushed Other Walls.
} The falling walls crushed in tho rea
! OF buildings having fronts on Pen
avenue. The side of the Hoevele
building on Pike street. was ais
! crushed in and an entry made for til
, flames. At the Thirteenth street en-
Of the warehouse, the most terribl
. effect Of the explosion was NANTES
: The entire front was piled into tn
) street. Explosion followed explosio
| for about half an hour, between IL an
t | O. clock. The fire, with n report lil
! that OF a cannon burst through walls
. all directions. Burned out walls cam
toppling down. and firemen, policeme
and spectators were rendered almo
powerless Il act by the sense Of aw
and terror which the scene inspired
The injured were taken to the hom
" opathic hospital and rs fast as the
were brought in We're placed in Il
;, emergency ward and scattered throug
the various wards and in the corridor
Most of them We're not badly hurt.
Only Eight Corpsrs.
f PlrTsBURG, Pa, Fob. II. But eigl
= bodies have been recovered instead
o IA as reported -Four persons are mis-
q ing and tho tiremen believe numb
a Of others are still under the ruins. III
It dead, as identified, are:
q Lieutenant Of Police Berry. Jol
IS Dwyer, William Scott. Jr.. Stanl,
Sipe, George Loveless. William