The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-03-17

Chicago, March 16.-It required just
90 minutes this afternoon for one OF
the most savage fires Chicago has seen
since the famous cold storage ware
house fire on the Worlds fair grounds
in 1893, to take anywhere from to ID
lives. MAIN so people and reduce six
story building to pile of blazing tim
pers. red-hot bricks and twisted iron.
The number Of dead is still in doubt,
and probabIv will not be definitely
known until the debris of the building
is sufficiently cooled to admit of a
search being made for the bodies that
are undoubtedly in the ruins. rms
will be two days hence. at least Ihree
men are known to be dead. They are:
Samuel A Clark, boo1keeper for the
Oimstead Scientific company.
Miles \. Smith, salesman for the
Olmstead company.
Edward Binz, cashier for Sweet, Wal
ZACH & Co.
The missing. Of whom nothing could
be learned at n late hour tonight, ana
many of whom are unquestionab!y IN
the wreck, are:
THE MISSING.
Those reported missing and who had
not returned home or communicated
with their friends tonight, and whose
bodies are believed TO be in the ruins,
are the following:
w A. Olmstead. president W. a:
Olnstead Scientific company: rushed
through the sixth floor, notifying ms
employees of their danger; seen to go
towards the rear of the building, and
was not seen to leave.
c II. Arms, secretary of W. A. Ohm
stead Scientific, company.
Mrs. If. r. Harris. widow. Y years
old: employed as booki1eeper for W. A
Olmstead Scientific company.
Unknown woman, seen at window
on the sixth floor shortly after Miles
Smith leaped to his death
c. Z. Anderson, employed by Sweet,
Tony -. last name unknown, Of
fee boy for Sweet, Wallach & Co.;
Jumped from the sixth floor.
Fred Hamili. vaudeville singer, en-
ployed by the National Music COM
pany
stead Scientific company.
solomon Grollman, jr., western
agent for Henry Hoffman of Column
bus, o.
solomon GrolI,nan. sr.. with Solomon
GEollman, jr.; thought to have met his
sons fate.
Anna Guest, cashier for the National
Music company.
H. r. Nelson, with Samuel Clark.
and thought to have been burned to
death.
William Marvin, shipping clerk for
the Presbyterian board of publications.
William Boss. errand boy for Pres
byterian board of publications.
w. J. Wilcox, partner Of w A Ohm
stead.
SERIOUSLY INJURED.
The following are among the seriously
injured:
Paul Q. Snyder, employed By Sweet,
Wallach & Co, severely burned about
the head and body; may die.
Emil Bresserman. dropped from the
third floor to the street, hip broken and
spine injured; may die.
y F. Mccullough jumped from third
floor; right nip and shoulder broken and
internal injuries; may die
Mary Lapere, fell from fire escape on
second floor TO ground. and sustained
internal injuries. may die.
W. s. Lenley. colcred waiter at II.
H KOhlsaat & Co. restaurant, became
frightened and jumped from second
floor of restaurant; right leg broken
Philip Farley, piano mover for Con-
over Piano company. right leg broker.
Jessie Baxa, right ankle broken in
jumping from second story window.
Anna Baxa. Jumped with her sister i
from second floor. Severely bruised.
David Shaefer. arm broken trying 10
catch A. E Mccullough, who jumped |
from the third story.
Jacob Hercfin, letter carrier. jumped /
from second story; back injured and |
ankle sDrained-
John McDermott, employed by The |
Conover Piano company, jumped from |
second floor and dislocated his left /
shoulder.
SIX-STORY BUILDING.
The building was six stories nigh, had
& frontage Of IS feet on Wabash ave-
nue.. and extended hack $50 feet 10 an |
aliev. II was OF what is known as mill /
had two elevator shafts, |
one in the front and one in the rear, |
and reaching from the third story to
the roof was light shaft, which gave /
the flames every chance, and it was
because of this shaft that the fire
spread with such awful rapidity.
The building was occupied by a
number Of concerns, some of them en-
plOying large numbers of people. It is
estimated that 400 people We're at work
in the building when the fire was dis
covered.
ORIGIN OF THE FIRE.
The origin Of the fire, which followed
an explosion, is in doubt, but the
weight of evidence seems to be that
the explosion was in the lower part of
the building, for the flames shot up the
light shaft at once.
The sound of the explosion threw
the inmates of the building into a
panic, and on several floors a wild
stampede began fer the stairways and
elevators. To add TO the panic the
men in charge of the elevators ran
their cars up to the top of the build
ing. shouting Fire. at every floor.
When they reached the top both
elevators took on a load of frightened
women and started for the bottom
The front elevator was in charge of
Harry Gleason, a boy. and the rear3
one was handled by William St John,
3 young man.