Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-01-29
Another Devastating Blaze in
Center of Business District
OF Chicago
FLAMES SWEEP ENTIRE BLOCK
Dozen or More Business Firms on Wa
bash Avenue Suffer Heavy Losses
Whole Fire Company Has Narrow
Escape-Traffic Blocked and Thous-
ands Witness Disaster.

practically destroyed, elevated and
surface ear traffic to many points of
the city suspended, and property loss
of sl.5OO,OO0 were some of the results
of a fire which last evening drew
$1,000 persons to the lake front, I'M
periled an entire block of structures
between Wabash and Michigan ave-
nues and Mad son and Monroe streets,
and in spectacular features and thrill
ing incidents rivaled any contlagratlon
which has occurred in Chicago for
years.
Injury to tiremen and peril to entire
companies attended it. and the man
sumably fireproof structures and swept
thru them carried ominous portent
from the standpoint of insurance men.
AT one time half a dozen buildings
were ablaze. AT another the flames
jumped a forty-foot alley and entered
fireproof structure opposite. The
buildings destroyed included three of
Chicago's largest wholesale millinery
houses and one Of the largest artificial
flower concerns in the city.
Forty engines pumped streams for
three hours into the structures, until
water actually was backed uphill in
Michigan avenue. For over an hour
engine company No. 81 was lost on the
L,ti1 a iy,try nd
the men in engine company No. 10
barely escaped death from a falling
wall One fireman. James j. Duffy,
slipped from ladder and fell thirty
feet.
Guests of the Windsor Clifton end
Continental hotels We're in panic.
and about 500 members and guests
were forced by the smoke from the
Chicago Athletic club.
The most alarming feature of the
fire. from the insurance standpoint.
was the fact that it jumped the forty
foot alley and entered tireproof build
ing. the Keith Building, presumably
amply protected against exposure to
fires. The rear walls of the Keith
Building We're equipped with iron
shutters on the lower floors and wire
glass windows above, which. with the
wide space, should have prevented
the spread of the flames.
Within few minutes the upper
floors of Edison Keith & Co, 1894,
Michigan avenue. with it's immense
amount of 'Women's toggery, was Il
roaring furnace. From the front VIM
dows the flames shot out toward the
lake forty feet, while three engine
companies struggled up the fire es-
cape of the building.
A gallery Of 10000 or 10000 stood at
this time in Grant Park, watching the
struggle of the firemen. Some We're
forced back until candy" Leiber of
engine company No. 9 was struggling
two floors ahead to raise himself and
the home at the same time. The
crowd cheered and yelled encourage
ment. while it seemed at every moment
that the fireman would be licked in by
great tongues of fire that Tapped from
the windows on either side of him.
Assistant Chief Seyferlich ordered the
man down, but he apparently thought
he was commanded to go on. for he
appeared to climb faster. The water
was turned on and with it the firemen
fought on each floor until they finally
gained the roof of the neighboring
building.
While this spectacle was being en-
acted in the front yard of the city,
Chief Horar was performing an equal
ly daring feat in the alley separating
the two walls of fire. which at times
shot forth across the divide until the
tips of the flames kissed. The mar
shall with two companies, had gained
the fifth floor on the fire escape of the
Keith building, and was there spouting
water first on it and then into the
windows on the west side of the alley.
At times it looked from the ground as
if the chief and his aids were COM
pletely enveloped by fire with the voice
of the chief sending orders to a dozen
companies how and where to attack
the flames.
The losing track Of an entire fire
engine company, No 81 caused the
fire marshals considerable worry for
more than an hour. This band was
one of the first of the firemen to ar
rive on the Wabash avenue side, and
was ordered up fire escape of the
Colby furniture building. Within
twenty minutes it looked as if the wall