The Savannah morning news., 1904-01-24
FIRE IN MASONIC TEMPLE.
Four Thousand People in the Chi
caEO Building Got Safely Out.

ctbkO DuIlulnS LOT safely Out.
Chicago, Jan. 23.-Fire in the Ma
sonic Temple to-day caused a panic
among the 1000 occupants of the build
ing and damaged the stock and fix
lures of tenants to the extent of $780,
900. All occupants of the building es
capped without serious injury through
the bravery of the elevator men, who
remained at their posts, operating their
cars while dense clouds of smoke filled
the building
The fire broke out in the suite of
five rooms on the fifth floor, occupied
by Robert F'riedlander & Co, manu-
facturers of x-ray apparatus. A light
ed match, carelessly thrown by an en-
ploye into pile of excelsior lying in
corner of the packing room, is be-
lieved to have started the fire.
There were large number of x-ray
vacuum tubes stored in the company's
rooms, and these exploded the moment
the heat reached them. Robert Fried
lander, senior member of the firm, re-
allied the danger from these tubes.
and worked until overcome by smoke.
throwing them out of the window. The
fire spread rapidly from the packing
room to the other rooms, and in a
few minutes the entire suite was in
flames, and the light shaft of the
building was filled with flames.
The thousands of occupants of
the building were alarmed when
clouds of smoke filled every
floor, and rushed to the elevators.
Many women tainted in the scramble
to get into the elevators, but none
were seriously injured. The large
building was emptied within half an
hour after the fire was discovered.
That the damage to property and in
| jury to individuals was not greater
was probably due to the efficiency of
| the fire drill of the employees, organ
lied since the Iroqouis fire. When the
| great bell at the top of the rotunda
| sounded the alarm of fire, every jani-
| tor, engineer and fireman in the build
| ing responded, and long before the fire
| department had reached the scene the
| Temple fire brigade had attached hose
to the standpipes, which extend from
| the basement to the roof of the struc-
| ture, and eight streams of water were
turned upon the confagration by the
| volunteer firemen.
George Ashmore, a barber. and
| Tony" bootblack, climbed down the
| fire escape from the nineteenth floor
of the temple. When the knowledge
| IF the fire reached the barber shop
| everybody made a rush for the eleva-
| tors. They were full. Thereupon Ash
more. and the bootblack ran to the fire
| escape and started to climb downward
Several times" said Ashmore, "as
we passed by a. window, smoke rolled
| out in volumes that threatened to suf-
| focate us. But we knew it was death
if we lost our heads and we hung on.
We were mighty glad when we reach
| ed the bottom"
| While men and women were fleeing
| in wild confusion from the building,
Lieutenant Commander John F. Luby,
| u. S. N, Numbered, "Sit down" at d
number of applicants for the navy who
were undergoing examination before
| him in his office on the fourteenth
| floor.
1.-THE first duty of a sailor is to obey
ORDERS he shouted. Go on with the
examinations. The building is fire
proof"
The men obeyed They remained at
! their desks, and while they did not
attempt to answer the questions be-
fore them, they remained calm and
! cool until The FIRE was over and the
other tenants began flocking back to
| tho b11iIdiDp