Evening journal., 1910-12-22
OVER TWENTY PERISH
In CHICAGO FIRE
SfifIed by Ammonia Fumes and Crushed
by Falling Walls Chief Koran
and Men Are Killed
BEEF STORAGE BUILDING
OF MORRIS AND co. BURNED

By United Press Leased Special Wire.
CHICAGO, Dec. 22.-Stifed by am
mOnia fumes and crushed by falling
walls, Chicago's fire chief James Ho-
ran, his second assistant, William
Burroughs, and a number Of fremen
variOusly estimated at f-om twenty TO
thirty perished here today, when fire
destroyed the four-story beef storage
building of Nelson Morris and COM
pany with a loss OF more than 100000
Among the dead are:
James Horan. IRE chief
William Burroughs. second assist
ant FIRE chief.
Patrick Collins captain of Engine
Company SO.
Dennis Doyle, captain Of Engine
Company 80
George Murawski. pipoman, Engine
Company 40.
How death came to Chief Horan and
his fire fighters was told by Lieuten-
ant Joseph Mackey driver for the dead
fire chief, who suffered a broken les.
Inside the building Mackey said,
there were a number of men lighting
the Gre aud outside, near the wall,
b Fire Chief Koran and I were stand
ing talking near the chiefs automo-
bile. Lieutenant James Fitzgerald on
( Engine Company % had just come up
/ for orders when there was terrific
4 explosion, the whole of the roof OF
tho building near MS blew up and the
wallis fell out. burying a score Of tho
men working outside Of H.
81 saw Chief Horan aud Fitzgerald
20 down is ruins and was hurled
against freight car and my leg
broken.
Inside the building the explosion
doubtless liberated the fumes Of
ammonia and the falling roof crushed
the men who were made senseless by
the gas.
outside, as J was dragged to safe
ty by rescuers I could hear the
groans and cries of the men buried
under the wall. which falling on a
, sort Of canopy. under which they were
/ pinned them down. amid the mass OF
burning timbers where they roasted
while the gush of flames from thl
q building drove all resouers back"
Explosion Unexpected.
I Tt was more than an hour after the
e alarm Of fire that the catastrophe oc-
4 Cured Flames were first discovered
by a watchman in a storage room OF
/ the plant. Tho firemen had the fire
under subiection When the explosion
came which spread through their
ranks II gave the fire a new start
and short time, nearly the whole
OF the four-st0ry structure, a block
square, was again aflame.
Tho first body recovered was that of
! Pipeman George Murawski II was
, identified by his helmet Shortly af-
ter Murawsld was found bodies sup.
posed to be those of Assistant Fire
I Chief Burroughs. Captain Doyle, Cap
I, tain Patrick Collins and Fire Chief
! Koran were found. All were sc
{ scorched and mutllated that positive
- identification was almost impossi.
- BILE
0 After their recovery fresh out
d bursts of fire again drove off the
p searching parties OF iiremen, and al
J. 10 o'clock the work of digging fol
} the victims was again abandoned, and
I every means was resumed TO control
s the ilames. Just how many bodies
I has perished was still unknown
e though Assistant Fire Marshal But.
p Ter, after an examination of the rolls
a of the declmated companies, estimated
b the death list would not be under
e. thirty.