Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1902-10-23
MANY DIE In FIRE.
FLAMES SWEEP THROUGH eLu.
CoSE PLANT IN CHICAGO.

CosE PLANT IN CHICAGO.
Some Leap for Life, but Miss Net
and Meet Death on Street-offcials
Say Half Million Will Cover the
Property Loss.
Chicago, Oct. 22.-Flve men are
known to have lost their lives in a
fire which last night partially de-
stroyed the plant of the Chicago
branch of the Glucose Sugar Refining
company, situated at Taylor street and
the Chicago river. The list of dead
will certainly be much greater than
five and may reach as high as thirty
The estimates run all the way from
that number down to ten. Only one OF
the five men whose bodies have been
recovered has been identified. The
list is as follows:
The dead: Frank Rothenberg, fore
man. skull crushed in leaping from
fifth story; Frank Lawrence, cleo
trictan, supposed to be dead. known to
AorS OSSA al OQl1uluS duu uOL seen
since; four unidentified men.
The injured: Frank Moore, hands
burned while sliding down a water
pipe; Paul Butos, badly burned, Sc
we're internal injuries sustained in
jumping from building; Paul Kauris,
face and hands burned, badly bruised
In jumping from building; Gregos
Gretalski, badly bruised, slight burns;
Paul Krukrie, bruised and lungs
scorched by inhaling flames.
Rapid Spread of Flames.
The flames spread so rapidly that a
man who was working on the third
floor had barely time to escape with
his life, and 1t is not thought by the
employees Of the concern or by the
fremen that the men in the upper
story could have avoided death. The
plant of the refining company con-
sisted of three buildings. the drying
house, seven stories in height; the
main refinery, fourteen stories, and an
other structure of four stories. The
IRE started in the drying house, be-
Ing caused by an explosion. The
flames spread with almost incredible
raptdity. and by the time the first of
the fire department had arrived the
building was ablaze from foundation
to the roof. 1t was impossible for the
dremen to make an effective fight and
in short time all the walls were
down and the building within one-half
hour from the time Of the explosion
was mass of debris.
The men employed on the three
lower floors of the drying house ran
for the doors and windows as soon as
they had knowledge of the fire, and
all succeeded in reaching the open
air. On the third floor there was one
man at work. He was compelled to
make a run for his HE down the
stairs. He burst through q mass Of
flames when he reached the lower
doorway and was badly scorched.
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 place Of safety, but with the
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. The two men, how
ever, remained to take their chance
OF a leap, and, climbing 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 a short dis.
lance Of the pavement, his body
swung around and he struck the stone
walk at full length. The other man
turned over and over as he came
whirling down. Their bodies were hor-
ribly mangled, and it was impossible
for any of the men who saw them d.
rectly after their Jump to identify
them in any way.
Jump From Fourth Floor.
Four other men jumped from the
windows on the fourth floor. These
men were terribly injured and
were taken in police ambulances to
the county hospital.
One of the survivors, who reached
the ground in safety after perilous
journey down the fire escape from the
fourth story, said: Il do not believe
any OF the men on the top story could
have escaped. The flames drove me
from my post and but for the fact that
was near the fire escape l would
never have reached the ground"
Frank Rothenberg, foreman, work
ing on the fifth floor of the drying
house, met his death in making Jump
for net held by the firemen under
meath the window where he stood. He
was compelled to leap far out in order
to clear some distractions on the side
Of the building and missed the net by
a yard. His skull was crushed and
he died instantly. 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
man, he went through and struck the