New-York tribune., 1899-12-31
FIRE LOSS or u,0OO.ooO IN CHICAGO.
WHOLESALE DISTRICT ENDANGERED-NINE FIRE.
MEN INJURED.

MEN INJURED.
Chicago. Dec SO-Fire at an early hour to-day
completely gutted the buildings extending from
No 2ls to 222 Monroe-st. badly damaged the build-
ing at Nos PIP and PA Monroe-st. caused loss as-
gregatlng about 100000 and resulted in the injury
of nine frenen two OF them. Captain Robert
O'Connor and James Woley seriously.
The fire is supposed to have originated on the
second floor in the workroom OF Wooley & Co.,
wholesale woollens. at Nos 220 and 222 Monroe-sts
and, famed by a fierce northwest wind. spread SO
rapidly that when the first fire companies arrived
on the scene the whole south end Of the building
was mass of flames. A second and third alarm
sent in, but IN spite OF the tons OF water
thrown into the burning buildings by thirty-eisht
engines and two fire tugs the wind and the bitter
cold so hndered the hremen that for time the
entire wholesale district was I'm danger The flames
quickly communicated to the building at Nos. 2l8
and 2S Monroe-st gradually spreading TO Nos.
2l2 and 24 Monroe-st.. where their progress was
finally checked
Brands were carried far as Twelfth-st and
the fremen were kept busy extingushing small
fires on the roofs of surrounding buildings.
The principal losses sfollows: Building at Nos.
22O and 222 Monroe-st s25o0oo; Edwards Stanwood
G. Co. successors to Phelps, Dodge Palmer boots
and shoes third and sixth floors, 5000 ooo; Wooley
& Co.. first and second floors. woolen goods, sl3,-
900; building at Nos PIG and 21s Monroe-st occupied
by J. W. Butler Paper Company. $500 ]. W. Butler
Paper Company. damage TO stock, 10000: fully
insured: Henry o. Sheppard Company. printers. oc>
cupying building at Nos. 2l2 and PA Monroe-st.
100000
Besides these, there were minor losses bringing
the total to about 100000 Figures the insure
not yet obtainable but 1t is probable
that most of the losses are well covered
The escape from death OF Captains O'Connor,
Evans and Carey and five hremen little short
of miraculous. All OF them working the
roof of the building at Nos 2l6 and 2ls Monroe-st.
structure the men gradually driven toward
the middle OF the roof Suddenly the east wall OF
the building adjoining fell with terrific crash.
An immense mass of bricks and timbers crashed
into the roof where Captain O'Connor and his men
at work The roof tore away from the sides
and fell TO the floor beneath, carrying two pipe
men down In the debris and leaving the others on
the frail broken edge OF the roof high above tho
flames They finally succeeded in rescung the two
unfortunate p!pemen and. crawling along the ehak-
ing walls. made their way to fire escape and To
the ground. After the fire had been raging for
about an hour and a half the walls began falling,
James Wolley so seriously that he taken 70
the hospital. .--.--a.i
When the fire was at its height IL looked as
though the buildings far east the alley in the
middle of the block between Franklin-st and Fifth
would all he DESTROYED. The fremen concen.
trated their efforts there, and aided by fire wall,
held the flames I'm check until the walls fell. Tho
fire was one of the worst the Fire Department has
had 10 contend with in years The cold in
tense the thermometer being several degrees below
zero, and several men were severely frostbtten.