Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1908-01-31
FIRE At CHICAGO
IS SPECTACULAR
Destructive Flames ImDerlI
an Entire Block of Busi-
ness Buildings.
LOSS PLACED AT SI,7OO, 600
Sixty Fire Engines Pump Water
on the Burning Structures
for Several Hours.
Wall Paper, Furniture and Millinery
Feed the Flames Great Blaze At
tracts Thousands of Peo-
pie to the Scene.

Chicago, Jan. 30.-Fiye buildings
partly destroyed, elevated and surface
car traffic to many points Of the city
disarranged, and a loss which may
reach $1,7OO,0OO were some of the re-
suits of fire which drew $4,000 per
sons to the lake front, imperiled an
Wabash and Michigan avenues and
Madison and Monroe streets, and i'll
spectacular features and thrilling in
cidents rivaled any contlagration which
has occurred in Chicago for years.
The fire practically destroyed the
buildings occupied by Alfred Peats *
Co, wall paper; John A. Colby x Son,
furniture: and Edison Keith x Co., mil
linery; besides doing large damage to
adjacent structures in both avenues.
Loss Placed at $1,7OO.OOO.
The loss is estimated at $1,1OO,00O,
in great part covered by insurance.
The Keith house and the adjoining
business houses of Gage Bros. & Co.,
and Theodore AScher company, all of
them millinery establishments, are es-
pecially heavy losers, because the
salvage OH such stocks is considered
nothing, and they are able to insure to
less than half full value.
In point of number of engines at
work and additional alarms the fire
was the largest in Chicago since tie
summer of 1894. There were sixty
fire engines engaged in pumping water
for the scores of streams thrown into
the burning buildings. Firemen de,
clared the fire the largest within the
loop district. in the matter of proper
ty loss, since the fire of 1874.
Transit Lines ParaIyzed.
The fire throughout was spectacular
and attracted tens of thousands of per
sons to view it. The four elevated
railroad systems of the city were
paralyzed in their loop terminals, and
the Cottage Grove and Indiana sur
face lines were blocked for five hours
Theaters in the vicinity of the fire
were almost deserted during the earlier
acts Of the plays.
One fireman was slightly injured,
but otherwise the record is free from
casualties, in spite of the terrific
sweep Of the flames and the sharp cold
Of the night, made more bitter by
northwest gale.
Besides the firms mentioned above
nany smaller concerns suffered losses
varying from 5000 to $4,000.
Million Dollar Fire at indianapolis.
indianapolis, Ind, Jan. 3O-Fire at
the warehouse of Henry COburn & Co,
caused Il total loss which is placed at
S1,OOO,O0O with insurance of &5T5. 900.
Over one hundred firms with goods
stored in the warehouse are losers
Marion county had stored 100000
worth of voting machines on which
there was no insurance. Six firemen
were slightly hurt, none seriously.
Thirty-Five Horses Cremated.
Newton, Kan, Jan. 30-Fire here
that threatened the business district
destroyed half a dozen stores, causing
A loss of S150,0O0 The Lehman Hard
ware and Implement company's build
ing and other small buildings, togeth-
er with thirty-fve horses in the
Thompson livery stable were con
sumed
Flames in a Packing Plant.
Kansas City, Mo-, Jan. 3O.-Fire Of
unknown origin in the canning depart
ment of the $27 100000 packing plant
Of Nelson Morris & Co., in Kansas