The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1904-01-29
PANIC AT a FIRE.
Masonic Temple, Chicago, the Scene or
a Threatening Blaze.

Masonic Temple, Chicago, the Scene or
a Threatening Blaze.
Chicago, Jan. 26.-Fire broke out in the
Masonic temple, a twenty-five story build
Ing a block from the I%roquois heater,
Saturday. Tire were 5000 people il
the building and there was much eN-
element. The fire started at the fourth
door. All the elevators were kept rum
ming, and the building was quickly emp
tied, while smoke was pouring out. a.
thousand shoppers were attracted to the
building, and the sight of the majestic
building in clouds OF smoke was one long,
to be remembered.
The fire soon spread to three floors,
the chemicals in a number Of doctors
offices furnishing food for them. Ele-
vator conductors continued to run their
ears and allayed somewhat the fears
of he fright stricken occupants. Every
corridor was soon filed with people,
.rying to get to the lifts. Several wom-'
an tainted, but it Is believed every per-
Eon in the building escaped without in
Jury.
Firemen Arrived Promptly.
Firemcn We're summoned by the au-
tomato fire alarm sent in from the
rooms in which the fire occurred. The
dremen quickly made connection with
@ stationary %standpipe in the building
and began throwing water on the floors
where the fire began to make head
way. The danger was increased by the
suspected presence of a quantity of
chemicals which the occupants de-
clared were stored neal the place
where the flames originated. The oc-
cupants were warned by the smoke and
flames n lost no time in seeking the
exits. Guards We're placed at the ele-
vator entrances on each floor to pre-
vent congestion, and the panic-stricken
people We're easily taken out and hur-
| rinj fInp, thn h,,iJItru
The origin of the fire was an eXplos-
ion of chemicals in a Doctors office on
the fifth floor. The explosion was heard
distinctly on the floors Immediately be-
low n above, but not by hundreds Of
other occupants of the building. Flames
followed the explosion and quickly
spread to adjoining floors above. Men
and women rushed madly for the ele-
vators and stairways. So rapidly did
the skyscraper fill with smoke that the
fremen found it almost impossible to
work.
Fire on Three Floors.
In a short time fire was raging on
three floors containing the chemicals
of many doctors. In the height of ex-
element a man climbed out of the
fourteenth floor onto the fire escape
and made his way to the ground. The
men for the most part kept their
senses, but the women were soon in a
panic, and several tainted and had to
be carried from the building. The po-
lice were early on hand and assisted
the firemen to control the fire and quiet
the people. Armed with axes the fire
men broke the windows and doors to
get to the seat Of the flames.
In an our after the alarm was
turned in the fire had been extin-
Buished. A number of persons were in
jured as a result of the fire. r. Fried
I ~ rIn, in NvhnCn- Nr1 tbn n ~ 20 n,ip -
mated, was found unconscious, over
come by fumes from chemicals. Twelve,
girls employed by him made escapes.
The injured are as follows:
The List of Injured.
Julius Ernest, stock clerk, hands and
face burned
Jock Stack, boy.
Henry Buell., stock boy.
Walter DOWney, labOrer.
Walter S. Parker, advertising solic-
ltor.
w. C. Preston.
John Sullivan.
John Long.
Il. Leonard.
George Mueller.
Fred Lynch.
John Stearns.
Lewis Tremain.
All were slightly burned. d. Smith;
aged so, was thrown down an area,
way and found unconscious and re-,
moved to his home.
For a time it was feared the water,
which threatened to foe the basement,
would put out the fires in the boilers.
md stop the elevators. The drains
were found ample, however, to carry
pff the water and elevators continued
10 run.
At they passed the burned floors they
were subjected to intense heat and
smoke swept through them to the VIM
lows in the rear. The great rotunda,
with fourteen elevator shafts, made an,
deal chimney for escaping smoke, and
The levator men were forced to.
breathe the Smoke-laden air until the
people were removed. Faint and weak,
however, they remained at their posts
n a heroic manner and helped the peo-
pie to escape.
I. Friedlander, brother Of the propri-
rtor Of the establishment where the fire
started, went back to his post to SCI
cure $1,000 which had been left in al
drawer, and made his escape without.
%Berious injury.
Owing to the extraordinary precau-
lions adopted in the construction of the
building against loss by fire, it is esti-
mated the damage will not exceed
$50, 900.
EA - Ra Na N