Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1902-10-23
FIRE IN SKYSCRAPER
CLAIMS MANY LIVES
The Corn Product Company's
Plant Burned in Chicago.
FIVE DEAD; SEVENTEEN MISSING


FIVE DEAD; SEVENTEEN MISSING
Victims Were at Work on Top Floor
of Building and Had No Chance to
Escape-Men Jumped and Were
MangIed on Pavement.
Chicago, Oct 22.-Five persons are
known to be dead, while II are unac-
counted for as d result of the fire
which destroyed the plant of the Corn
Products company, West Taylor street
and the river, last night. Four OF
those unaccounted for are thought to
be alive, as three men were seen es-
Gaping down the water pipe during the
progress Of the fire and were seen 10
jump into the river, and it is suppos-
ed they will all be found at their
homes. The known dead are:
List of Known Dead.
Otto Trapp, 135 Ruble street.
Edward Steinke, 172 Blue Island av.
enue
Unidentified body, now at OBrien's
morgue.
Two unidentified bodies at county
hospital, where victims were removed
last night, but died early this morn.
ing.
Frank Rothernburg, the owner Of
the plant, who was reported dead last
night was not in the building at the
time of the fire, having gone home
early in the morning.
The loss to the buildings will be in
the neighborhood of 100000, although
the directors of the company this
morning would NOT give out any esti,
mate of the loss nor of the number of
victims until a complete investigation
could be made. The property was
fully covered by insurance.
Flames Spread Rapidly.
The plant of the company consist
ed of three buildings, the drying house,
seven stories in height, the main re.
fnery, IA stories high, and another
structure of four stories. The fire
started in the drying house, being
caused by an explosion.
The flames spread with almost in.
credible rapidity, and by the time the
first of the fire department had ar,
rived the building was ablaze from
foundation to roof. 1t was impossi.
Bile for the firemen to make any eff.
fectfve fight against the flames and
in short time all the walls were
down, and the building, within a halt
hour of the time Of the explosion, was
a mass of debris.
Viaduct Was Endangered.
The fire was so hot that at one time
it was feared that Taylor street via.
duct, across which access is had to the
south side of the city, would be de.
stroyed, but the fremen managed to
save this after hard struggle.
The men employed in the three low.
er floors of the drying house ran for
the doors and windows as soon as they
them succeeded in reaching the open
air. On the third floor there was one
man at work. He was cut off from
the fire escape by the dense clouds VI
smoke that poured through thes build
ing and was compelled to make a run
for his life down the stairs. He burst
through mass of fame and when he
reached the lower doorway was badly
scofched.
No Chance For Their Lives.
The men on the seventh floor had no
chance whatever for their lives. Sew.
eral of them left the windows and
crawled along the stills in an effort to
reach a place of safety, but with this
exception of two men all those who
attempted to reach safety in this way
made up their minds that it was GER.
tain death and went back into the
burning building.
Two men, however, determined
to take the chances of a leap and elm.
ing up on the window ledge they
sprang out into the air. One of them
came straight down for the greater
part of the way, but just as he was
within short distance or the pave.
ment his body swung around and
struck the stone walk at full length.
The other man turned over and over