The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-03-26
FOURTEEN PERISH
IN BIG CHICAGO FIRE
Establishment of Fish Furni-
ture Company Destroyed by
Flames.
GIRLS on LOFTY FLOOR
CAUGHT IN FIERY TRAP
CareIesSness of Clerk Who Was
Filling Cigar Lighters With
BenZine Causes Disaster.

| CHICAGO. March 25.-Search OF the
wreckage for the remaining bodies of
those who lost their lives in the Fish
Furniture company fire here today, was
discontinued because of the danger of
tottering walls, but not until twe,~'
dead had been recovered and eleven OF
these identified
While earlier estimates placed the
number OF victims trapped on the
| fourth and fifth floors of the build
ing al twenty, later and more thorough
investigation indicates that there were
but sixteen. Two of these escaped,
which leaves but two more to be ac-
counted for.
The search was abandoned for the
day on the report of Chief Building
Inspector Short that three of the walls
these arc still standing in the morn
ing the work Of removing the debris
will be resumed
a coroner's jury which was impan.
elled this afternoon. viewed the bodies
at the morgue, but the inquest was post.
poned until April ..
Clerk Started the Fire.
Leo Stoeckel, a clerk of the Fish
company, who is said to have started
the fire. told his story TO Fire Attor-
ucy Frank Hogan this afternoon. AL
though Stoeckel. who is but 90 years
old, is admittedly more unfortunate
than culpable, Attorney Hogan says he
will bring some charge against the
Young man to insure his attendance at
the inquest. Stocckel was brought be
fore the attorney, with his hand, which
had been burned, swathed in bandages
| He appeared heartbroken and told his
story with difficulty
About s;45 o'clock this morning, -
Stoeckcl said, Mr. Mitchell who is
member of the firm, gave me three
pocket cigar lighters and told me to
go 10 the fourth floor and fill them
with benziue had filled two of the
| lighters out of the five gallon can and
was working on the third when there
was an explosion.
"a sheet of flame almost blinded
nc, ] did not fully regain my senses
until / had reached the street. The
lighters contained contrivance to
riake a spark but whether ] ignited
one of them, don I know. ! either
! dropped the can Of benzine when the
flame shot up in front Of me or it was
| blown out OF my hands,
Identified Dead
DARLINGTON Harry, aged 30:
ANDERSON, Ethel, age IS; stem,
pgrapher,
BELL, Minor W., advertising man,
agcr,
BUNKER, Rosie, age II; stem.
agraphcr
BURDEN, Mrs. Hannah, age so;
widow; forewoman folding depart
ment.
SULLIVAN. Lillian. age 16; folder.
GREEN, William, age q: clerk.
| LICHTENSTEIN, Ethel, age IS;
! stenographer.
| MITCHELL, Harry NJ. auditor Of
company. member Of firm; brother-in-
law Of Simon Fish.
VI 'GRATH. V. age is; stenographer.
QUINN, Gertrude, age 90; folder.
Missing
Wargo, Mary, age 90; folder.
ST. Clair, Bert, age %; confidential
clerk.
Three others, whose names could not
be learned. are also reported among the
missing
One of the bodies was identified by
Florence Sullivan as that Of her sister
Lillian. She said she recognized shce
taken from one OF the bodies as one
. | tn3t 0aU pcPn worn DN NcT SlelSI. Y !pl
ence. who is Is years old and switch
board operator, might easily have
shared her sisters fate. She was TO
have gone TO work for the Fish com.
panv at noon, taking the place of an
other girl,
t Alexander Bush, streetcar conduc-
tor, identified one of the bodies as that
If Rosie Brunke, whom he was TO have
married on Easter. He recognized her
: by n number of triukets including an
engagement ring,
] The financial loss is placed at $780,
7 600, equally divided between building
: and stock.
The Fish Furniture company, oecu
allev. one building fronting on Wa
bash avenue, where the fire occurred
aud the other on State street, which
. is a block west of Wabash avenue
: Those in the State street store, look
d ing across the alley, could see glrl'
: on the fifth aud sixth stories of thl
burning structure rushing back anc
forth 10 the windows, screaming fol
= assistance. At times they clung Il
Il each other Then some of them dlsap
: peared. with their hair ard clothing
, blazing.
& Fire Marshal Moran stated that al
Is Investigation as to the preparedness o
:, the building for fire would be made
: The building had but one hre escape
: ho said. whereas it should have ha'
"a two
ID Simon Fish. another member of th
firm. while the blaze was at Its helgh
le made charges of neglect against tn
'e firemen. In bitter language he de
"a clared that the 6remen were slow y
~ responding 10 the alarm and tardy i
OF raising ladders. He protested tina
firemen intcrfered with employees VIII
re were attempting to make rescucs, an
,y ~ against tho fire department.
til 81 believe there would have bee
no loss of life if the firemen had re
ne sponded promptly, declared Mr.. f1si
A. Marshal Horan declared that nj
Of men responded without the loss oil
in ~