Omaha daily bee., 1902-10-22
MANY DIE IN CHICAGO FIRE
Flames Sweep Through Big Factory, Over
whelming Toilers Far Above Street.
SOME LEAP FOR LIFE. BUT MEET DEATH
Estimated Fatalities Vary, but Police
Put Loss at About Twelve, and
OhieiaIs Say million VIII
Cover Damage.

CHICAGO, Oct. 22.-By a FIRE which broke
out shortly before midnight In the glucose
sugar refinery 1t is said twenty nine men
lost their lives. The exact number Of dead
has not been established yet, but Il is
known the men were in the building, work.
ing on the seventh floor. The flames spread
so rapidly that a man on the third floor
had barely time to escape and It is not
thought that the others could have avoided
death.
At midnight two bodies had been found.
but the fire was burning so fercely that It
was impossible to make further search.
The plant of the refining company consisted
OF three buildings.
The FIRE started in the drying house. being
caused by an explosion. and in short time
all the walls we're down and the buildings,
within half an hour from the start, was
a mass Of debris.
Many Leap for Life.
a. m.-The men on the seventh floor
had no chance for their lives. Several Of
them left the windows and crawled along
the stills in an effort to reach a place Of
safety, but with the exception Of two all
made up their minds that It was certain
death and went back The two men, how
ever, climbing up on the window ledge,
sprang into the air.
One of them came straight down for the
greater part OF the way, but just as he was
within a short distance Of the pavement
his body swung round and he struck the
stone walk at full length. The other turned
over and over as be came whirling down.
Their bodies were horribly mangled and it
was impossible for any Of the men who saw
them to identify them.
Four other men jumped from the windows
on the fourth floor. They we're terribly
injured and were taken to the hospital.
Two OF them are Joseph Butkos and Paul
Kauris.
Frank Rothenberg. a foreman working on
the fifth floor, met his death in making a
Jump for a net held by the iremen under
meath the window. He was compelled to
leap far out in order to clear some OBJ
structions on the side of the building and
missed the net by a yard.
Joseph Butkos, who escaped with his
life, but is badly burned and bruised, had
better fortune in striking the net when he
leaped from another part OF the fifth floor.
He hit 1t squarely. but being a heavy mau
went through and struck the ground. He
was rushed to the County hospital, where
it was said he might recover.
Paul Kauris also broke through the net,
but was not badly hurt.
The fre was under control before I, and
although 1t was not possible at that time to
form any estimate of the loss of life, the
police department declared that in their
opinion 1t would not be more than ten OF
twelve.
The officers Of the company say the dam
age may be anywhere between $500, GOO and
81, 600, 600.
2:3O a. m.-The estimated dead run an
the way from ten to thirty.
The following is the list so far as yet
known:
The dead:
FRANK RoTHENBURG. foreman, skull
crushed in leaping from fifth story.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN, six feet tall, skull
crushed in leaping from nth story.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN. both legs broken
killed by jumping from building.
FRANK LAWRENCE. electrician. sup
posed to be dead; known to have been in
building and not seen since.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN, crushed in jump
| from window.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN. head crushed.
Injured:
| down q water pipe.
John Tuckey, spectator. fell through hole
in Taylor street viaduct. hip fractured.
Paul 9utkos, badly burned, severe In
tcrnal injuries sustained in jumping from
| building.
Paul Kauris, face and hands burned
badly bruised in jumping from building.
Gregos Gretalski, badly bruised, sligh
burns.
Paul Krukrie, bruised and lungs scorcheC
by inhaling flames.