The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1908-05-13
MANY FIRES IN
CALUMET REGION
Officer Mullaney Saves a
Mans Life at Whit
ing Today.
EAST CHICAGO HAS A BLAZE
Pine Street in Hammond Is Also
Visited By Damaging Con-
fagration.

The fire fend started to wipe out the
Calumet region last night but he had
a crimp put in him before he got fully
started.
The worst of the five blazes reported
took place at Whiting early this morn
ing.
officer Frank Mullaney of whiting is
the hero of $4,000 fire which broke
out in the Union Hotel at One Hundred
and Nineteenth street, near the Stand
ard Oil railroad tracks. this morning
between 8 and 4 o'clock.
Overcome by Gas.
Rushing through the burning build
ing Mullaney broke open the door of a
bedroom in which lay Carl Matchkom,
overcome by the gas fumes that were
created by the fire. Already the flames
were licking at the bed clothes and
the foreigners face and hands were
scorched when Mullaney found him.
Picking him up and wrapping him in
bed clothes the sturdy officer carried
him from the second story into the
fresh air where he was revived, after
which he was taken to DR.. Putnam's
office. Matchkom was later removed
to st. Margaret's hospital in Hammond.
where it is reported that he will re-
cover from his injuries.
Loss $4,000.
About O'Clock this morning officer
Mullaney in walking his beat noticed
that the house, which is a two-story
frame building, was af1re. Nobody in
the house seemed to be aware of it and
the officer Immediately turned in fire
alarm. Running to the house he broke
open the door and walked the occupants.
In the building were the proprietor of
the building, his wife and child, who
lived in rear fat; their three board
ers, one of whom was Matchkom, and
Mr.. and Mrs. Charles Welsch, who oc-
cupied the front fiat. All had narrow
escapes.
Building Was Gutted.
Four streams OF water were thrown
on the building, but all that the depart
ment could do was to save the sur
rounding buildings. Almost the entire
building was gutted and the roof caved
in. The loss is estimated at $4,000
which is fully covered by insurance.
How the fire started is mystery. It
was found to be burning in the upper
rear fiat. The first floor is occupied as
saloon. The Robertsdale fire depart
ment was called to the fire and did ef-
fective work in checking the progress
of the flames
Fire at Skating Rink.
About IL o'clock last night the Whit
ing fire department was called to the
Heintz skating rink. where fire had
broken out in pile of rubbish beside
/ ~ To iz
ing person accidentally dropped g
match or cigar in the neighborhood
of the rubbish. The fire was extin-
guished before any serious damage was
done.
Fire at East Chicago.
| Fire broke out in the engine room
of the busheling mill of the Republic
Iron and Steel company last night
The damage was nominal, the flames
having been checked before they could
make much progress. The fire was no
ticed about $3.50 by a watchman ant
an alarm was turned in.
Fire I'm a Trunk.
Fire from an unknown origin started
last night in a pile of clothes that were
lying on a trunk in a closet in th'
residence occupied by John Malo anC
family at 126 Pine street, Hammond.
The fire department was summonet
and the fire extinguished, but sparl
settled in some of the clothes in th'
closet and smouldered there until tn,
department was gone, when the fir
broke out anew and burned everything
in the closet. Through the strenuou
efforts of Mr.. Malo the fire was conf1ne,
to the closet, this being done withou
the aid of the fire department.