The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1898-03-24
NINETEEN KILLED
And About Thirty Injured in n Fire in tho
Heart of ChIcago-Heavy Loss.


CHICAGO, March 1.-THE worst fire
that has occurred in Chicago since the
cold storage warehouse holocaust at
the Worlds fair in 1898 broke out in
the building at the corner OF Wabash
avenue and Jackson boulevard We'd
nesday. The death list will prouably
reach 15 and may exceed that figure.
The injured number about 80.
The following is list of dead and
injured SO far as known:
Dead-Miles A. Smith, salesman.
lived at 1886 Wrightwood avenue.
Samuel A. Clark, jumped from the
fourth floor, employed by the w. A.
Olmstead Scientific Co.
Unidentified man, taken from 215
Wabash avenue, burned beyond recog.
milton.
w. A. Olmstead, president of the
Olmstead Scientific Co., when the ex-
plosions occurred, ran to the rear OF
the seventh floor of the building and
has not been seen since. 1t is thought
he was buried in the ruins.
Miss Kate Carney, forewoman of the
National Music Co., believed to have
perished in the flames after helping to
safety the last one of 40 girls in her
charge.
Charles Anderson, employed by
Sweet Wallach & Co., has not been
seen since the first explosion.
Injured-Samuel c. Snyder. $50 Hud-
son avenue, employed by Sweet, Wall
ZACH & Co., burned severely.
E. A. Wise, 154 South Albany avenue,
| employed by Sweet, Wallach d Co..
burned severely.
Mary Lapere, 571 South Sangamon
street, employed by Sweet, Wallach &
Co., burned while descending the fire
| escape from the sixth floor, taken
| home.
Herman Overman, 1S9 west Harrison
| street. descended the fire escape with
Miss Lapere but fell from the second
| floor; burned and received internal in
| juries, taken home.
Philip Farley, s4 Elburn avenue, en-
ployed as piano mover by the Con-
over Piano Co., was in the building at
the time of the explosion. can not be
found.
An Office boy, employed by Sweet,
Wallach & Co., jumped from the sixth
floor, and is thought to be buried in
the debris caused by the falling walls.
| Andrew Nashton, employed by the
w. A. Olmstead Scientific Co., face and
hands burned
| Fred Smith, driver for the Con-
over Piano Co., face cut by falling
glass.
Emile Brozeman, of 8s3 North Arm
itage avenue, jumped from sixth floor;
injuries to spine and lower limbs; will
probably die.
David Schaefer, 1905 Wentworth
avenue, arm broken while trying to
catch a man who had jumped from the
sixth floor.
Josie Baxa, $50 West Nineteenth
street, jumped from second floor; right
ankle broken.
Police officer Rogers, overcome by
smoke, taken to county hospital.
Annie ,Baxa, $50 West Nineteenth
street, jumped from second-story win.
dow; ankle sprained and body bruised.
Unidentified man, jumped from sixth
floor, back broken, taken to the county
hospital
The Conover Piano Co. occupied the
first, second and third stories Of the
building. the other tenants including
the Presbyterian Board of Publication
and the Sweet, Wallach & Co., dealers
in Photographic supplies, the latter
firm being on the sixth floor. 1t was
here that the fire broke out
The floor was stored with chemicals
and materials used in the manufacture
of Photographic supplies and accord.
ing to some who escaped the entire
floor was swept with flames in five min
ties after the fire broke out Three
hundred girls were employed by this
firm and when the fire broke Out
panic ensued. many of the un.
fortunate women being trampled unde,
the feet of their comrades in thei,
frantic efforts to escape. Cut off from
escape by the elevators and stairways
people penned in the burning building
began jumping from the windows, anC
though the firemen and others helG
nets and canvas, many were crushed
on the stone sidewalks. According tc
eye witnesses as many as ten jumped
at once from the top floor
and others were seen shortly
after to fall back into the flames. The
flames quickly spread to the floors be
meath, and the floor occupied by the
Presbyterian Board of Publication ant
the Sunday-School Supply Co. also
contained material which readily
burned. On the lower floors the
piano supplies and instruments helt
in stock by the Conover Piano
Co. were soon transformed into tin
der. The firemen were badly handi
capped by the heat, which was ter
rife. Within radius of block tn,
heat broke panes of glass and dis
lodged signs, and streams of water
were directed on the buildings on botl
sides of the street that far away il
order to prevent them from catching
fire. Several times minor blazes die
occur. The greatest danger was in th'
rear of the Conover building, wher,
were located big dry goods stores.
Thirty five minutes after the fire hao