The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-12-31
NINE FIRtMEN INJURED
MIRACULOUS ESCAPE OF TWO
FROM A BROKEN ROOF.
FALLING walls INJURE SEVERAL MEN
Tons Of Water y!dinIy Thrown Upon the Build
ings ErVeIoped in Sheets of Flame.
The Firemen Hampered by
the Intense Cold,
the Intense Cold.

Chicago, ILL.,, Dec. 3Q.-Fire at an early
hour today completely Quilted the build
ings extending from 216 to 222 Monroe
Street, badly damaged the building al
212-214 Monroe Street, causd a loss ag-
grgating $95O,000, and resulted in the
INJURY of nine iremen. Two of them,
Captain Robert 0'Connor and james
Wolley were seriously injured
The fire is supposed TO have originated
on tie second floor IN the work room
III Wooley x Company, wholesale
w1olens. at go and 222 Monroe Street,
and famed by a fierce northwest wind,
slGead 50 rapidly that when the first
hre companies arrived on the scene the
whole south end of the building was a
anass of flames. \ second and then a
third alarm was sent in, but in spite OF
the tons Of water thrown into the burn
ing buildings by IS engines and two
tire tugs. the wind and the bitter cold
30 hindered the fremen that for a time
the entire wholesale district was in dam
ger. The flames quickly communicated
to the buildings at 2l6 and 21S, bur
there their progress was finally checked.
Immense brands were carried long dis
Tances and the firemen were kept busy
exJinguishing small fires on nearby
roofs. The principal losses follow:
Building at 220-222 Monroe Street,
loss $225,000.
Edwards, Stanwood & Company, sue
cessors TO Phelps, Dodge IL Palmer
boots aud shoes, third and sixth floors,
loss 100000.
Woolley & Company, first and second
floors, woolen goods. loss $780, 600.
Building at 216-21S Monroe Street,
occupied by ]. w. Butler Paper Com,
pany, loss $4,000.
]. w. Butler Paper Company, dam
age to stock $2J0,000. Fully insured.
Henry 0. Shepard Company, printers,
occupying building at 212-214 Monroe
Street, loss 100000.
The building at 217 Fifth Avenue,
also damaged to the extent of $4,000
Nest of the losses are well covered
by insurance.
The escapes from death of Captains
O'Connor. Evans and Carey and Fire
men padden, 0Hara and three others,
was little short of miraculous All of
the men We're working on the roof of the
building at 216-21S Monroe Street, and
-lc int NV CiEpl Gthstl TT tliC AeSb sue
Of the structure. the men We're grad
ually driven toward the middle of the
roof. Suddenly the east wall of the
building adjoining fell with Il terrific
crash, An immense mass Of brick and
timbers crashed into the roof where
Captain O'Connor and his men were at
work. The roof tore away from the
sides and fell with "A crash to the floor
beneath, carrying Pipemen O'Hara and
Padden down in the debris and leaving
the others ON the frail broken edge OF
the roof, high above the flames. Cap
tain OConnor. Lieutenant Callahan
and Pipemen Fountain and Horgan,
finally succeeded in rescuing the two
unfortunate pipemen, and crawling
along the shaking walls made their way
to the fire escape and safely to the
ground. After the fire had been raging
about an hour and a half the walls be-
gan falling, and several fremen were
more or less injured, James Woolley
SO seriously that he was taken to the
hospital.
The fire was one of the worst in years,
and the intense cold hampered the fire.
men in their work.