The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-08-20
BIG FIRE LAYS FIFTY ACRES
WASTE BUT NO LIVES
ARE LOST.
CHICAGO BALL PLAYERS
Stop Panic at Ball Grounds--Mcn,
Women and Children Frantic.
ally Plunge Into the
Sea.

fire yesterday afternoon and prove
their heroism
Amid scenes Of the widest pani
and narrow escapes from death a con
Ifagration almost destroyed Steeple
chase Park, which covers about fift
acres of an island in the harbor, Will,
women in silks and diamonds, fren
zied men ana screaming children fle,
Into the ocean to seek refuge from thu
pursuing flames.
More than $4,000 persons We're ii
the park when, as it were a tida
wave of fire suddenly swept through
fthe buildings in the center of the parl
and apparently sealed the doom d
the vast multitude.
| An instant later frenzied throngs
dashed toward the beach. There il
nc bridge connecting with the main
land, and as If by d common inspira
tion every one seemed to realize that
there could be no possible escap
from the fire except the waters Of the
harbor. which in turn, menaced tho
holiday crowds with death.
Men, forgetting their wives and lit
tie cnes, plunged into the waves and
Swan to the mainland. The shrieks
Of the whistles on the tugs, the shouts
of the men, and the shrieks aud
screams Of the women and children
mingled with the rush and roar of the
flames.
In scores of places at the same time
thare were distinct panics, but none
more appalling than that in the ball
park where the Chicago National
League team aud the Bridgeport nine
were scheduled to play.
,yo,,'y.,, One Word startst & st,lRa lRaniG,, iG,,,.4.s.
chiefs. men were applauding the play
ers and calling to them in jest, when
dark wreath of smoke, coming from
some mysterious source began 20
wind like a serpent through the am'
phitheatre aud out over the diamond.
For a few moments the crowd
seemed to watch it lazily and evident
ly with Indifference
Fire"
II was a boys voice that called the
warning. which instantly was taken
up by the men and women and grew
tc a roar. Then there was the shuf-
fling of ten thousand feet and the
great grandstand creaked and swayed.
Scarcely had the stampede started
when women began to faint Inc
men in the bleachers seemed not to
observe this as with white, tense
faces they struggled toward the exits.
From the field the members of the
two teams, who had suddenly been
transformed into amazed spectators.
saw the peril. Racing to the amphi-
theater, they scrambled into 1t with
one another's aid. Fighting back the
crowd they shouted warnings to the
men and at the same time lifted the
women in their arms.
PLAYERS Stop Mob.
The appearance of the uniformed
PLAYERS in the ampitheater seemed TO
recall the spectators to their senses
and after the care was taken to see
that the women were given right of
way to safety.
Meantime the flames had leaped in
TO the structure, but fortunately at
"a distance of 100 feet from the exits.
In. ten minutes the site of the am-
pitheater was almost as bare as the
diamond. and yet in that astonnd-
ingly short time the thousands had
succeeded in making their way to
tho broad fields beyond.
Bv various avenues through the
burning city the crowds made their
way to the beach and oined the vast
army on the strand OF in the water.
Dynamite Used.
Sccn dynamite was being used. but
the fire sprung across the gaps.
spread rapidly aud the flames, like
blazing giants leaping hurdlesfi raced
after the fleeing crowds.
The mammoth stadium surrounding
the race track and covering about
seven acres. was roaring like blast
furnace a few minutes after the first
alarm. The earthquake house" the
dance hall. the skating rink and the
whole empire midway were soon
buTnins
Prom the various places of amuse
mepts the actors and actresses. viii
painted faces and attired in theii
strzc costumes. joined the pleasure
seekers aud added bizsar touch ic
the stampede.
/ A number Of small cottages to tn
east Of the park disappeared hK'
finder. The cottage Of Robert Weber
the caterer. was among the FIRST de
strnycd.
Boats 10 the Rescue.
As the people rushed to the val