The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-12-23
rs FIRE FIGHTERS
KILLED WHEN
WALLS FELL
ChiCagODe Department Chief Among
the Dead
BURIED BY PILES OF BRICK
confagration in Stoekyards District
Caused Loss Of over
Million.

Chicago, Dec. 2S.-Fire Chief James
Koran, Assistant Chief William j.
Burroughs and % men were killed un-
der falling walls in a S1,000,000 fire
at the stock yards plant of Morris &
Co yesterday. Fifteen firemen were
seriously injured, including two cap
tains who may die. Mayor Busse
spent 10 hours personally directing
the search for the body of Chief Hor-
an who had been a lifelong friend.
But the chiefs body had not been re-
covered late last night, although
railroad wrecking train with derricks
and steam shovels was used to clear
away the burning ruins.
Apparently maddened by the death
OF their chief, who was popular in the
department firemen threw them
selves recklessly into the work of
clearing away the fallen wall. More
than so men dropped from exhaustion
and were carried back from the in
tense heat of the burning warehouse.
Despite the work OF many engine
crews the fire continued TO burn stub
bornly all day and night Thousands
OF people thronged into the stock
yards and the police kept spectators
back from the danger line with great
difficulty.
Not since the days of the Iroqouis
theatre tragedy. which like the disas-
ter of yesterday, wac holiday time
/ horror. have such pathetic scenes at
tended fire in Chicago. The bodies
OF victims were taken to undertaking
rooms near the fire. Widows and
children of the dead men. whitefaced
and frantic, crowded into the place.
The bodies were so badly mutilated
in most cases that the police would
not permit relatives TO view them. In
several instances women struggled
with policemen in attempts TO see
their dead Mayor Busse, greatly af-
fected by the death OF Chief Koran,
called a special meeting of the city
council, which convened late in the
afternoon. A committee OF Is alder
men was selected to take charge of
relief work for the families of the
dead and TO make funeral arrange
ments At the same time meeting
was held at the Chicago club at which
wealthy business men started a relief
fund. Theater managers also prepar-
ed to hold benefit performances.
The fire was discovered at about 4
O'Clock by a Waterman in the Morris
4 Co. beef house, at Forty-third and
LoOmis streets. An ammonia pipe,
bursting, started spontaneous com
bustion that spread so quickly the
Waterman barely had turned in the
fire alarm before the flames began
bursting from the building.
A graphic story OF the collapse OF
the east wall which carried the men
down to death beneath the wood GOV,
ering is told by Lieut. Joseph Mackey
who was leading a company Of FIRE
men from the top of the canopy
Mackey said as he looked up he saw
the walls bulge and he Immediately
shouted warning. AT the same time
he jumped from the platform himself
and was followed by 10 or - OF his
men. Their escape was miraculous
Il knew Marshall Koran and Bur
roughs were beneath me with az leas'
two companies of men" said Mackey
"and / shouted to them that the wall:
were coming DOWN. heard someone
from below shout u warning and | go
my own men and myself out OF th'
way. Immediately after ] jumped
heard the groans OF the men who Ia,
been beneath me and knew the.
must be caught Although nearly al
OF my men and myself were more o
less hurt it flashed upon ms that Hon
an was among those trapped and vi
bent every effort to save them.
was beyond human power TO do ans
thing for the moment as thousands O
bricks had come down. When tn
bodies are found they will be beneat
this pile OF brick and mortar