The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1910-12-30
CHIEF HORAk. TWO ASSISTANT
CHIEFS AND THIRTY FlREMEN
ARE CAUGHT UNDER A
FALLING CANOPY.
IN CHIC.CO S@TOCXYARDS
Explosion Of an Ammonia Pipe in Beet
House Of Nelson. Morris e. Co.
Causes Spontaneous Com
bustion.-Coroner's Jury
Watches the Fire.

Chicago, Illinois. - Fire Marshal
James Koran and twenty-five fire
men and two other men were killed
and forty others were injured in a
fire which caused an estimated
5 1900, 900 damage and which still
threatens the whole of ChiCagos great
Stockyards.
A wooden canopy fell from he beef
house of Morris & Co, where the ire
started, carrying with it tons of red
hot bricks and debris upon two COM
panies of firemen and the chief, crush
ing them TO death. 1t held their
bodies in a veritable furnace into
which their comrades were unable to
dig, so that practically all those who
were not killed outright when The
walls fell were burned to death.
Assistant Chief William Burroughs
and Lieut.. Fitzgerald were with Chief
Koran under the frail canopy when it
fell and went down to their death with
their leader.
Claw Fierceiy at Hot Bricks.
Other firemen, witnesses of the dis
SIX u'StI NSu AS o'it PEI 49, ~ ''N
blazing structure and, rushing to the
pyre. sought with their bare hands 10
drag apart the glowing bricks and de
bris to save at least the body of their
chief and his Inflated comrades, Find
ing this a vain effort they obeyed
again the direction of Assistant Mar
shall Seyferlich and redOubled their
A ffnrfc fn Sl1It in tho arrn16jno araa
Of destruction.
The blaze was discoveled by o
Waterman in the Morris & Co. beet
house, Forty-third and LOOMS streets.
An ammonia pipe, bursting. started
spontaneous combustion that spread
20 quickly the Waterman barely had
turned in the fire alarm before the
flames burst from the building,
Seek Shelter Under Awning.
The awning which later became tie
destroyer OF a score of lives seemed
to offer a shelter from the sWeltering
waves of heat that radiated from the
fire with blistering effect. Under this
the i'll fated crews fled for shelter. led
by Koran. Burroughs and Fitzgerald.
Coroner's Jury Watches Fire.
Coroner Hoffman arrived early aud
impanelled a coroner's jury, which sat
in Mortified silence watching the de
vouring flames. AS the recovered
bodies We're brought out, %mangled,
scorched, ~shapeless masses, the jury
itself forgot its duty OF inquiry and
joined with feverish efforts the hun
dreds OF civilians who We're lending a
hand to the tiremen.
Soon the newspaper extras on the
streets in all parts OF the city carried
the news Of danger or death that had
visited the fremen, and relatives and
friends Of those firemen known to be
on duty went in throngs TO the fire.
Out at her Ashland boulevard home
Mrs. Koran. wife OF the marshal
learned she was q widow. and dlSDe
lieving until assured by the newspaper
reporters, she swooned in the midst OF
her -four little children. She was pros
trated and has required medical atten
ton.
A wrecking engine on the Chicago
dllu LtSltIu ll.ilOlo oaN ioNSh
a derrick, topping ~Obstructing box
ears into the ditch as it came A rOat
scraper, attached to n of the cables
scooped up great masses of brick ant
scorching firepen %saVagely pushed thu
great scoop into the brick heap il
hope of reaching the sufferers, who's
groans could be heard
Fell at Their Posts.
Long before noon Assistant Marsha
S~eyferlich. on his round of the fir
area, began 10 find here and ther'
prone figures where before brave mel
had stood in the breath of the flames
sturdily holding their own. They ha,
been overcome and their companion
had been unable to aid them. Some
recovering. started in ane to sta,
the progress of the flames. but thei
efforts were too feeble to be OF use.
or the rs men killed. the bodies o
10, including hat Of Chief Koran, hav'
been taken from the ruins. The lis
Of the dead includes the chief, assis
tant chief. two captains, five lieuter
ants. 13 city fremen, two private fire
men and a railroad employee.