Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-05-06
FIRE AT CHICAGO.
Blocked Crossing Prevents
Firemen Reaching Scene.
Seven Burned to Death, Three Fatally
and Others Slightly Injured.
1rainme" Arrested Tor Blocking Track b..
Claim IL Was firemen's Fault,

Chicago. May 5.-Seven persons were
burned TO death three fatally injured
ana several others slightly burned and
inJured in fire that destroyed a three
story apartment building at 931S Mar
1uette avenue. South Chicago. early
today.
The dead: Mrs. Josephine Cooley:
Mabel Cooley. daughter: Annie Cooley.
months old, daughter Of ms. Cooley:
i'eter Zook. owner of the building:
Mrs. Peter Zook; Victoria Zook: Nicho-
las Zook.
The seriously injured: VIM Cooley,
husband of Mrs. Josephine Cooley
hahiy burned, will die; Louisa Chris
t'ahsen. face and body burned. will
probably die; Mabel Christensen. .
y.af-old daughter of Mrs. Christensen,
severely burned will die: Harry Muir
ply. slightly burned and both legs
tr"ken by jumping from third story.
will recover: John Zook. badly burned
and bruised about the body, will re-
cover: Mrs. Julia Erwin. burned and
bruised
While the occupants of the burning
building were struggling with the
smoke and flames in the hope Of fore
ing their way to safety, the firemen
who We're responding to the alarm
were vainly waiting for a freight train
which blocked the way of the fire en-
gines. to move away from the crossing
and give the men open road to the
fire.
Marshal nriacoll. in charge of the
firemen, called to the conductor and
brakemen to move the train. but they
refused to comply with his request. The
police Were sent for and the crew was
arrested. Then, under orders of the fire
marshal. the train was backed from
the crossing. but by the time the fire
men reached the burning building the
structure had been destroyed. Scatter
ed among the embers were found the
charred remains of the victims. The
bodies We're burned beyond recognition
and We're identified in various ways.
The train crew. who live ut Elkhart,
Ind. are being held without bail.
awaiting the verdict of the coroner's s
inquest.
The origin Of the fire is unknown.
The building was an old one. built of
wood. and burned so rapidly that all
avenues Of escape by stairways We're
tut OIl w uPsihts "tiC
aware of the fire.
Officials of the Lake Shore & Michi-
gan Southern railway. on whose
tracks the train is said to have block
ed the firemen. declare that they have
evidence that the blocking lasted but
few minutes and that the members
Of the train crew did everything in
their power to make way for the fire
engines Conductor Brown. who was
arrested. claims one of the tiremen un-
coupled one of the air brakes without
turning the angle cock. setting the
brakes, and that the engineer was un-
o Bile to move the train until the pipes
were filed again and the brakes re-
leased. After an investigation by the
police officials the train crew was re-
lea sed on bonds. tonight.
The fire was fraught with an incident
of the most distressing character. The
little 2-year-oid daughter of Christian
sen. who lived on the third floor. was
terribly burned. her left arm and her
face being roasted. Her father fol-
lower of DR.. Dowie. refused to allo"
the little one to have medical atten-
ton and fought desperately when she
was taken from him. He clung to the
burned arm Of the child and part of
the flesh was torn from the member.
When finally the police forced him to
give up the little one he cursed them
a nd prayed that they might be punish
cd for sub iecting his child to the world
~ science of medicine. The father was
knocked down by some person in the
crowd and barely escaped lynching.
He was arrested.