The San Francisco call., 1910-12-23
WALL FALLS On
FIRE Chief and
many HELPERS
Explosion of Cold Air in Packing
Plant Wrecks Building
During Fire
Mayor Busse Searches for BODY
of Friend Amid Shower of
Bricks and Beams
Flames Break Out Afresh After
Men Are Exhausted by
Sixteen Hour Fight

NHICAGO. Dec. 22.-Of the 25 men
killed in a fire at the stock yards
today by falling walls, the bodies
OF IS, including that of Fire Chief
James Horan. had been taken from the
ruins at a late hour tonight The list
Of dead includes the chief. the assistant
chief, two captains. five lieutenants. 13
city hremen. two private firemen and a
railroad employe.
It was many hours after the explo-
sion OF cold air within the beef re-
frigerator Of Morris Co.'S plant.
which threw wall on squad of men,
before the bodies cou:d be released by
e steam derrick.
All the Is iremen who were injured
viii recover.
Fire Breaks Out Afresh
The fire broke out afresh at s o'clock
tonight after it had taxed the strength
Of the fire department. for 16 hours.
Acting Chief Seyferlich sent general
call TO outlying stations for fresh men.
These, aided by police reserves. con-
dnued the fight on the fire and the
search for bodies Of the dead.
Mayor Busse spent 10 hours today
personally directing the search for the
body Of chief Koran, who had been a
lifelong friend.
Insurance inspectors tonight said
that the killing of the chief and his
men was not due to an ammonia ex-
plosion. as at first was supposed. but
10 the sudden expansion Of cold air in
the beef warehouse. This, it is said.
caused the four story wall to fall as
violently as though an explosion had
occurred within the building
Known Dead and Missing
The following are the known dead:
JAMES HoRAN, fire marshal.
WILLIAM J. BURROUGHS, assistant marshal
PATRICK E. COLLINS, engine captain.
DENNIS DOYLE, engine captain.
JOSEPH MURAWEsKI, pipeman
CHARLES MOORE, truckman.
Among the missing are the follow
ing:
Thomas O'Connor. pipeman: James Foster.
nipeman: Joseph Osborn. driver: J. H. Behrens
driver; Nicholas Crane truckman; Frank Waters.
pipeman.
Two entire fire companies. the names being:
Charles Berkery. lieutenant Charles Sweenie,
William J. Daley, Peter J. KILL william T.
Weber; John F. Dubash lieutenant; Charles
Cooney John G. Link, Joseph P. Mulhern, Francis
P Eagan. John J. McClary. James J. Bannon.
John Helfert, william T. Murphy.
Flames Spread Quickly
The blaze was discovered at about 4
o'clock by watchman in the Morris
beefhouse at Forty-third and Loomis
streets. II spread so quickly that the
wstchman barely had turned in the
alarm before the flames began burst
ing from the building.
Fire Marshal Koran, at his home in
the west side, heard the second call for
apparatus and went 10 the stockyards
in his automobile. By the time of his
arrival his ASSISTANTS had abandoned
the effort TO save the beefhouse and
were endeavoring to head off the rush
Of fire toward other buildings. Flames
were coming from several structures
nearby.
The awning which later became the
destroyer of a score of lives seemed to
offer shelter from the flames. Under
this the crews fed for shelter, led by
Horan. Burroughs and Fitzgerald.
Wall Falls on Firemen
on top Of the canopy another group
OF fremen played streams of water into
the heart of the fire. Lieutenant
Joseph Mackey. leader of the band
above. felt the wall going and shouted
warning to those below. He jumped
with his men and escaped death. But
below the canopy found victims
Meanwhile firemen who knew moth
ing Of this and augmented by constant
lv arriving aides, stood their ground
at building after building only to be
driven back.
Assistant Marshal Seyferlich.. then
in command, realizing the futility of
saving property then ablaze. drew all
the men back and acknowledged at
1918 o'clock that the whole stoclyards
district was in danger.
we've got no water here, and we
can not do anything effectively he
said. The thing really is beyond our
control right now"
Only One Man Escapes
). N.,raptain II. II. Fuchs of engine com
V,anv %. who had just left Marshal
- .,-s+l, orders for his comnanv