New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-24
A r NHEIM
Broadway and 9th
FIRE IN MASONIC TEMPLE
PANIC IN SKYSCRAPER.
Uomen Faint in Fight to Get ont of
Chicago Building.

Chicago. Jan. 23.-Fire broke out this after
noon in the Masonic Temple from explosion
Of chemicals IN a doctors Office the nth floor,
Flames Immediately followed the explosion, and
spread quickly 10 the floors above. Fremen
were summoned by an alarm automatically sent
in from the rooms in which the explosion oc-
Cured The hremen quickly made connections
with the stationary standpipe in the building,
and soon tons Of water flooded the floors why're
the smoke and blaze were thickest.
In the mean time the noise OF the explosion
had warned the occupants Of the floors imme-
dately above and below where it occurred. and
and women rushed wildly for the stairs
and elevators But the building is twenty stories
high and upward OF two thousand people work
in the offices and stores ~ It. The first warn
ing the most Of them received was the spread
OF the smoke through the building.
Sunocating clouds OF smoke rose through the
rOtunda and penetrated every corridor. So rap
idly did the building fiji with smoke that the
fremen found 1t almost impossible 10 work
within the walls. Guards were stationed at each
elevator door every floor and the panic
stricken people we're hurried from the building
The elevators surrounding the rotunda cOntin-
ued TO run while the smoke and flames issued
from the windows in the upper stories. From
the top floor down the cars were damned with
passengers and a number OF women tainted.
senses. The elevator stuck 70 their work
like heroes and continued TO run their lifts until
ii was said that every person out of tho
building. For time it was feared that the
water. which threatened to flood the basement,
would put out the fires in the boilers and thus
stop the elevators. but the drains were found
ample TO carry away the water and the elevat-
ors continued to run.
The flames appeared first in the rooms Of R.
A.. q
paratus. at the southwest corner of the fifth
floor. and directly across the street from Mar
shall Field & Co.'S retail store. The explosion
which was the cause OF the fire. occurred In
$4,000 worth OF vacuum tubes stored in the
room. In a short time the fire was raging on
three floors containing many chemical estab-
lishments and doctors offices. Further explo-
sons We're mOmentarily feared and Fire Mar
shall Musham. who was personally in charge OF
the fire, warned his men OF the danger
Great crowds quickly surrounded the build
ing. drawn from the shopping district OF State
st. and adjoining thorOughfares. They were
thrown into panic by explosion which
threw quantity OF acid through the windows,
sending the smarting fluid raining on the crowd.
IN the rush Tor SAFETY an old man was thrown
down an areaway, from which he was brought
up unconscious and taken to a hospital
George AshmoTe. barber, and Tony" a
bootback, climbed down the fire escape from
the nineteenth floor OF the building. While men
and women were fleeing in wild confusion from
the building Lieutenant Commander John F.
Luby. u. S. N, Numbered "St down. at a
number Of applicants for the navy who were
undergoing examination before him In his Of
ttCe on the fourteenth floor.
The first duty of a sailor Is to obey orders -
ne shouted. Go on with the examinations
The building is freproOf"
The men obeyed and remained at their desks
While they did not attempt to answer the ques-
ttons before them. they remained calm and cool
until the hre was over and the other tenants
began focking back to the building.
The FIRE was out within an hour. A number
or persons were injured. Friedlander in whose
suite the fire originated, found unconscious
on the floor. He was overcome by smoke and
chemical fumes The others hurt only
slightly burned or were scratched by falling
plaster. Twelve girls in Friedlander's employ
made their escape at tire first alarm.