The San Francisco call., 1899-12-31
CHICAGO BLOCKS
RAZED BY FLAMES
Blaze in the Wholesale
Dis trict.
NINE FlREMEN ARE INJURED
ALMOST MIRACULOUS ESCAPE
FROM DEATH.
Roof Collapses Under Them and They
Are Carried Down With the
Debris TO the Floor
Beneath.
NINE FIREMEN ARE INJURED
ALMOST MIRACULOUS ESCAPE
FROM DEATH.
Special Dir9a,ch to The can.

CHICAGO. Dec. M.-Fire al an early
hour to-day completely ruined the build
incs extending from PIG 10 222 Monroe
street hao2 damaged the building al 2i2-
.l4 Monroe street, caused a loss aggregat-
ing Ss5otn and resulted in the injury Of
hine hremen, two Of them being hurt seri-
ously Following Us the list OF the in
slrcd.
Captain Robert o'Connor. serious;
James Nooley. serious: William Padden.
Michael oHara. Captain John Evans.
captain William Carey. Captain Thomas
otonnor. Luke Hayes. Lieutenant os-
Wald.
The FIRE IS supposed to have originated
on tAe second floor in the workroom Of
Mooley Co.. wholesale dealers IN wool
ems. al 30 and % Monroe street. Famed
10y heTce northwest wind il spread so
IAplulN mat when the first fire company
arrived on the scene the whole south end
81 me building was mass OF flames.
A second and then a third alarm were
stll lh, hut ln spite OF the tons OF water
l.iNMn INTO The burning buildings by the
Aiii - -e.sht engines ana TWO ire tugs the
N.i.a a-ia the nitter cold so hindered the
ail men ihat Tor time the entire whole
SAFE district VAS IN canger The flames
@Alchi4 comfnLnicated 20 the building at
40 and as Monroe street, gradually
sIftaulrE east 10 2l2 and Pa Monroe.
MAtfc ils progress was finally che ked.
immense hranQs were carried as far as
NNAAAN Ntl''l. aLo tnc ~ tmNu were kepf
bls4 tNuaE l.sElas small nres on the roofs
~ surrounding buildings
he principal losses are as follows:
lIuding al 220-2.2 Monroe street loss
s-Za.l11. Edwards-StauRCod Company,
successors 20 Phelps. Doage & Palmer
Aonis ana shoes, tnlro ana sixth floors.
loss a-.n,HN. Mooiey az Co. first and sec
cna nlors, WODlen goods. loss sl35 600:
schwartz a. Kline. snIrts. fourth floor,
loss s1Ivu, John Harper. cloak manufact-
Lrer, nfth floor. Joss S5e0. building at 2l6-
-lN Monroe street. occupied BY the J. W.
hufltr Paper Company. loss IS Oh: j. W.
Bltcr Paper Company. damage OF stock,
$4,000, fuzzy insured. the Henry O. Shep-
ara company, printers. occupying build
ing al 2l2-2ls Monroe street. loss SIo0. 600.
the BUILDING al 2l7 Fifth avenue was dam
ased S21l0
Besides these there were several minor
losses caused by smoke and water. Fig
ures on the insurance are not yet on
tainable. but II is probable that most OF
The losses are well covered
The escape from death OF Captains
0.tonnc-. Evans and Carey and Firemen
fadGen. % hara and three others was lit
tie short Of miraculous. All Of the men
were working on the roof. AS the FIRE
creDt close 10 the west side Of the struc-
ture tho men were gradually driven to-
ward tho middle OF the roof. Suddenly
the east wall of the building adjoining
fell with "a terrific crash. An immense
mass ~ brick and timbers crashed into
the roof where Captain O'Connor and his
men were al work The roof tore awav
from the sides and fell with a crash .
The floor beneath. carrying Pipemen
O'Hara and Padden down In the debris
and leaving the others on the frai brok-
er edge ~ the roof. high above the
flames. Captain OConnor. Lieutenant
Callahan and Pineman Horgan finally
succeeding In rescuing the two unfortun-
ate plpemen. and crawling along the