New-York tribune., 1908-08-04
EIGHT DIE In FLAMES
FIFTY HURT IN CHICAGO.
Fire in EIeUator and Freight District
Causes $4,000 Loss.
rBy Telegraph to The Tribune.1

1By Telegraph The Tribune1
Chicago, Aug. 3-The most extensive and dis
astrous coniagration in Chicago since the great
fire of 1871 swept through the elevator and
freight warehouse district, bounded by 18th
street. Canal street and the Chicago River, this
afternoon
Eight men reported dead in the ruins.
The list of injured numbers more than fifty.
Hundreds were hemmed in by the rearing walls
Of flame which. famed by wind amounting
almost 70 gale. swept through the district.
An area of six city blocks was burned over.
Armour & Co.'S immense grain elevators ''E'
and "F0 and the Union Elevator Companys
large elevator destroyed. They contained
1,S75,000 bushels of wheat Between five hun
dred and six hundred freight cars. many Of them
loaded with freight, destroyed In the Bur
lngton yards.
The freight warehouse used jointly by the
Burlington and Pennsylvania railroads was
burned, the freight house of the Lake Shore &
Michigan Southern was badly damaged and
that Of the Chicago & Eastern Illinois was
threatened.
A conservative estimate of the property loss
puts the figures at from 81, 900 900 to $50 1000.
The fire started at II: 80 p. m, when. it is
said, a railroad employe tossed the stub Of
lighted cigarette away. 1t happened to fall IN
rubbish surrounding a number of barrels
of chemicals. The fire started quickly, and was
followed almost instantly by explosion which
scattered the flames far and wide and gave
them a tremendous start before the fire depart
ment could arrive
Every available engine in the city rushed
to the scene, but SO rapidly did the flames spread
that the f1remen were unable to make any head
way in fighting them. Grain elevators. freight
sheds. freight cars and buildings were swept
F,IlaI bod
jumped the Chicago River and were endangering
the railroad and manufacturing district the
East Side. An immense crowd OF sightseers was
packed along the east bank of the river, and
when the flames leaped the stream many men
and boys were injured in the wild scramble TO
escape
Twenty fire companies made fana movs
and were hurried across the river ten minutes
before the flames gained foothod on the East
Side. In spite of this the freight warehouse
of the Chicago & Eastern Illinois was in
flames and the fire threatening TO work through
the maze of railroad tracks and warehouses to
Clark street.
The fire was rendered more spectacular by the
efforts of the fremen and salvage to pre-
vent the flames from reaching hundreds Of BAR
reIs Of oil and chemicals stored in the ware
houses along the river To prevent explosions
these hundreds OF barrels, already almost too
hot to handle were thrown into the river. The
conclusion, slight II was. caused many to
explode. throwing great columns of water high
into the air. and adding weird aspect to tbs
scene. ---.---z----~--.s-----s--e-
Eight engine companies-four-hfths of the
city's fire fighting apparatus-were at work at
2:3O O'Clock in an endeavor to get the fire under
control but with little success From West
14th street to West 18th street, and from
Lumber street to the river. a solid mass OF
flames prevented the firemen from getting into
the heart of the blaze. Four freboats poured
tons of water upon the plants, but with little
effect The heavy streams Of water were trans
formed into clouds of steam. and the paint on
the sides of the freboats peeled and blistered
from the intense heat Finally the ireboat 1lli-
nois was compelled to withdraw.
The out freight house of the Burlington Rail
road fronts on the west side of the river and is
building was 80 feet long and built of wood.
It rested on a dock surrounded by piles of in
1ammable material. 1t in this building
that the fire started. The explosions of barrels
of chemicals shook the buildings along the river
docks and were heard for blocks. From the
freight house the flames sprang TO the hun
dreds of freight The fire was famed by
a high wind from the west. The gale swept
the flames to the Union Elevator. ten story
structure Fire Chief Horan sent twelve en-
CINE companies to this building but the
structure and its contents practically con-
sl1med. Armours two big elevators suffered
the same fate One contained 100000 bushels
OF wheat, the other 100000 Armour & Co. es-
innate their loss at 81 100000.
The fire was finally checked before 1t got beyond
the railroad and elevator district Had 1t
spread through the maze Of yards and reached
the south side, Fire Chief Horan declares Chi
Cago would have witnessed fire disastrous
in the extent of property loss. at least-as the
one which practically destroyed the city in 1871.