Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1910-12-29
81 F|REMEN KILLED At FIRE
Chief Koran and Many Of His Men
Lose Lives While Fighting Tornado
Of Flames in Chicago.

/ building fell away like child's house
of toy building blocks. A large part
Of this fell on the canopy over the
loading platform. tearing the latter
away and bearing It to the platform
itself, which was crushed like an egg
shell. with its human freight of fire.
fighting men.
Falling Bricks lnjure Many.
There were scores of fremen stand
ing on the outskirts of where the
bricks fell. Many of these we're in
jured, some of them painfully. They
were taken to st. Demands hospital
and to their homes in ambulances
and police patrols, which were rush,
ed to the scene by the score when the
explosion came and 1t was known
that there would be list of dead and
injured.
Fumes Of ammonia filled the build
ing with rapidity. 1t was seen att
once that ammonia pipes forming a
part of the refrigerating machinery
that keers the south end of the build
ing chilled for the stoarge of beef
carcasses had exploded.
At once fear became widespread
that many firemen and their officers
were In the building at the time and
that the ammonia fumes would
strike them to the floor, leaving LDen,
easy prey for flames and smoke or
killing them outright.
Fireman Work In Danger.
The rescuers worked under tho
greatest danger to their own lives and
ignoring burns and lazard of falling
walls. Des pite tie fact that they were
aware of the fatality and knew that
the bodies of the victims were buried
under the brick pile, firemen worked
about the pile, directing streams of
water into the burning building. Many.
OF them went about with tears stream
ing down their cheeks, overcome with
grief over the fate o. the chief and
his subordinates.
Begin Rescue Immediately.
Almost as soon as the wall fell
those of tie fighters who had escaped
tie fater of their companions rushed
at the ruins to bring to safety those
who might still be alive. Amid the
blazing timbers, the redhot bricks and
the sizzling steel, the firemen worked \
unmindful of the terrible burns they
were suffering.
The work of rescue was extremely
difficult. The terrific heat of the fire,
combined with that of tie fallen ma
terial, made it almost impossible for
the rescuers to work without being
overcome. Even around the edges,
the injured could hardly be found,
because the dust and CRIME with which
they were covered made them almost
from the ruins.
The peril Of the brave fire fighters
did rot cease after the explosion and
the falling of the wall on tie score of
men on the loading platform.
Other and smaller sections of the
wall continued to fall and warning
calls from commanding officers to
men who were imperiled from time to
time by these were heard continually.
Finally an order was issued for no
man to venture near enough to the
building to be caught under any col
lapsing masonry.
The building that was destroyed, for
its loss was practically a total one,
was the principal beefhouse Of the
Morris plant. 1t adjoined on the
south the building in which are the
main offices of the company, and was
the largest Of the Morris group of
structures. It was six stories high.
The structure consisted of group
Of four buildings, although they APP
peared to be one, being built close to-
get!er and the walls joined so as to
make them four units joined into one
They were Nos. 4, 8. 6 and OF the
Norris & Co. group.
Twenty-Three Dead In Fire.
Philadelphia, Pa. - Twenty-three
lives were snuffed out as the result of
a fire which destroyed the leather
goods factory of D. Friedlander, 1116
10 1920 North Bodine street, and as
many more were injured, many Of
them fatally. While the firemen were
lighting the flames from the roofs of
adjoining dwelling houses the south
wall of the factory collapsed. burying
near'y two score of firemen. AS soon
as the extent of the calamity became
known policemen were hurried to the
scene in an effort to save those who r
we're still alive in the debris by tear
Ing down the north wall, which was
This body of policemen had scarce
ly got to work when the north wall
crashed uron them. At the time of
This second fall there were between
Is and 30 policemen and fremen at
work directly under the high mass
Of bricks.