Evening journal., 1898-03-17
A CHICAGO HEROINE.
Helps to Save Forty Lives at
the Hazard Of Her Own.
FATAL FIRE ON WABASH AVENUE
u Is Estimated That sixteen People Are
Dead and Thirty Injured In Blaze
Which Devastated Big Busi-
ness Building.

CHICAGO, March ia fierce fire
Droke out yesterday at Wabash avenue
and Adams street, across the street
from-the wellington hotel, in a building
occupied by a number of business firms.
The guests Of the hotel were with diff
Guilty restrained from jumping to the
street A number of people in the burn
ing building did jump, and four were
killed outright.
1t is estimated that the total number
Of dead Is 16 It was on the sixth floor,
occupied by Sweet Wallach & Co., deal
ers In photographers supplies, that the
fire started. The firm employs 800 girls.
and when the blaze broke out a panic
ensued, many Of the unfortunates being
trampled under foot by their comrades.
AS soon as it was learned that the
building was on Gre, the 40 or more girls
employed by the National Music COM
pany rushed to the elevator and stair
ways. Miss Carney, their forewoman,
tried to stop the rush, but was unable
TO cope with the panic stricken girls,
and while some rushed down the stair
ways a large number beat at the ele-
vator cage and screamed for help.
When she saw there was no hope Of
stopping the panic, Miss Carney darted
|
AS the elevator ascended Miss Carney
ordered the conductor to stop. She then
| turned and helped her frightened
| charges into the cage. During all the
| excitement she remained calm and is
sued orders as though directing the wo-
| men at work. As the elevator started
to descend without Miss Carney one Of
the girls cried to the conductor to STOP
but the brave woman, though staring
death in the face, shouted for them not
to mind her, that she would take care
! Of herself.
The girls she sent down in the ele-
| vator escaped unharmed. Two of those
who bolted headlong down the narrow
| stairway, Josie and Annie Baxa, made
their way TO the second floor. but were
cut off by the flames and were forced to
jump from q window. They were both
badly injured, but at the hospital their
greatest anxiety and sorrow were re-
| garding Forewoman Kate Carney, who
It was afterward found had managed
to escape.
The list of dead and missing includes
so far as known, William Olmstead
president of the Olmstead Scientific
company; Miles A. Smith. salesman
1886 Wrightwood avenue; Samuel A
J Clark, employed by the Olmstead sci
entifc company; Charles Anderson, en-
ployed by Sweet, Wallach & Co. PhiliT
Farley. a plano mover; Edward Binns
cashier Of the -Wallach company
- Mcdonald a colored man. Their
were fully 80 people injured more o'
less seriously.
The fremen were handicapped by the
heat, which was terrific. Within a ra'
dius of block the heat broke panes Of
glass and dislodged signs, and stream:
Of water We're directed on the building
on both sides Of the street that fa'
away IN order TO prevent them from
catching fire. Several minor blases die
occur. The greatest danger was II
the rear of the COnover building wher
were located big dry goods stores.
Thirty-hve minutes after the fire ha
! broken out the floors had all fallen, an
q moment later the rear wall fell. TIL
firemen working there were warne
barely in time to escape being crushed
There were number of explosions.
Shortly after the front wall bulge
outward and fell, the tracks OF tn
Union elevated loop being completed
! covered with debris and blocking tn
whole elevated system. Nearly 200 fee
of the loop will have to be rebuilt.