The Washington times., 1910-12-22
FORTY ARE DEAD
IN CHICAGO FLAMES
Chief HoTan, His Assistant,
and a Lieutenant Among
Killed.
MANY ARE CRUSHED
WHEN WALLS TOPPLE
Explosions of Ammonia Make Work
of Rescue Almost
Impossible.
Continued from First Page1

CONTINUED from First PageD
IN the United States and during his
incum beney Chicago was practically
free from disastrous fires
Fire Marshal Martin Lacey. who for
some time was believed 10 be among
the dead, was later found. and he gave
the first real information Of the disas-
ter With Fire Chief Koran, Marshal
Burroughs. and about twenty-five men.
he said. he was working ia the beef
stTingiEg house when a break In tine
ammonia tanks released a gush Of dead
y fumes and nearly every man was
snothered. Retaining only enough life
u make his own escape, Lacey fed ard
as he went he saw the bodies of Koran
and Burroughs lying inert in the very
midst Of the poisonous fumes
Returns TO Fire
Lacey, staggering into the open al.
made his way 10 a drug store and after
being revived. returned 10 the fire.
where his reappearance was the first
ray Of comfort the department men re-
celved as they fought desperately 10 res
cue their comrades Lacey knew nothing
Of the falling wall.
When the news that the chief had
been buried reached other firemen,
they deserted the battle with the
flames and Joined in the rescue party
which was working frantically TO d-aE
bodies OF living or dead men from the
ruins
The flames were started in the hide
cellar Of the Morris plant u was dis
covered by a private WatChmsn IN the
stOCkyards who turned IN the alarm.
Building Wrecked
A disastrous explosion of ammonia
wrecked the building, and at o'clock 1t
WAS believed that Chief Horan, Second
Assistant Chief William Burroughs,
and a score of fremen from Engine
The number OF injured was then esti-
mated al fifty
The fremen and their commanding
officers were believed TO be buried be-
meath tons Of Ureckage- Rescue par
ties worked frantically to dig away the
debris in the hope that some OF the
men would be found living
Thirty IRE engines responded TO the
first call and In an hour the streets
for blocks were Jammed with fire
fighting apparatus
Thousaads Of men and women
thronged the thorOugbfares and many
were Injured in the crush
At S-45 IL was reported that all the
members OF Engine Companies Nos .
ana 53 and nine members Of Hook and
Ladder Truck No IS, were missing and
probably buried beneath the debris
At 7.S9 O'Clock all the available FIRE
apparatus in the city had been sum
noned TO the scene Of The fire on LOOMS
street between Forty-third and Forty
fifth streets
At that hour the damage was esti-
mated at between S5G0.c1O and SI,aVoo2o
aad additional alarms for more fire aD-
paratus were sent In every half hour as
the entire stock yards district was
threatened In addition TO fighting the
flames fremen were making frantic ef-
forts TO rescue their commanding Of
hce-s and comrades from the tons of
debris under which they were believed
20 be buried
FuIIe- hft- 6remen were known to- be
Injured from the flames and explosion
The explosion ripped the roof of the
building and shattered The east val
"WIIlful Murder
Negligence that almost amounts 20
vilIful murder was given as the cause
or the IRE and explosion by Coroner
HOFFMAN
Somebody Is TO blame for the failure
o. The high-pressure system in the
s-oc-z yzrcs district to work. he de-
cIa-ed.- ~I am going 10 investigate
thoroughly. and the man vsiro Is respOn-
sihIe for the deaths OF these poor fel-
To--s 7ifl have to pay the penalty
- was told that either the high pres
sure was TUNED of or IL failed en-
ts-eIy J heard II was turned OF every
night want 20 md out who ordered
Il turned OF. The FIRE could have been
Put out n ifteen minutes II the high
pressure mad been working"
Coroner Hoffman fnpaueled a jury
and viewed the ruins The taking Of
testimony in the inquest viii be begun
fomOrrou