Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-12-23
CBy Associated Press.i

g been taken from the runs
CBy Assseiated Press.l
CHICAGO. Dec. S.-Fire Marshal James
Koran and = Of his firemen were killed
today in a FIRE which caused N.5o.Ooo
damage 10 the warehouses and stock OF
Morris q Co. packers. and for hours
threatened the great union stock yards.
The injured will number more than 90
Early this afternoon the FIRE had been
headed IN and it's spread had been checked
but efforts to save any OF the buildings
attacked by the names were vain
The buildings destroyed include two
warehouses. full lof dressed meat. hemp
etc, a taIIow house and other structures.
Assistant Chief William Burroughs and
Lieutenant Fitzgerald were with Marshal
Koran under the fatal canopy when 1t
fell and went down to their death with
their chief.
wooden canopy fell from the beer
house OF Morris e. Co, where the nre
started, carrying with it tons OF red not
bricks and debris upon two companies OF
hremen and the chief. crushing them to
death ana encasing their bodies in YER
liable furnace into which their comrades
were unahIs 10 dig for several hours. SO
THAI practically all those who we're not
killed outright when the walls fell were
roasted to death before help could come
70 them
TO SAVE THEIR CHIEF.
Other aremen. witnesses Of the disaster.
for a brief tine deserted the other parts
Of the blazing structure and. rushing to
the pyre. sought with their bare hands to
drag apart the bricks and bring the oody
of their chief and his companions out OF
the debris Finding this vain effort.
they followed the orders of Assistant
Marshal seyferiich and redoubled their
efforts to check the spreading area Of
destruction
The blaze was discovered about o'clock
10y a watchman in the Morris beef house
An ammonia pipe. bursting, started spon-
taneous combustion and the fire spread SO
quickly that the Waterman barely had
turned IN the alarm before the flames be-
gan bursting from the building
MARSHAL. WAS AT HOME.
Fire Marshal Koran. at his home on
the west side, heard the second call for
IRE apparatus and dashed to the stock
yards-and to his death-in his automo-
bile.
BY the time he arrived his assistants.
who had reached the scene earlier. had
abandoned the effort TO save the beef
house and were endeayoring TO head off
tie rush OF FIRE toward other buildings.
Flames were issuing from several struct-
Gres nearby when the marshal arrived
and the inferno was bi.stering the hands
and faces Of the pipemen ard ladder
men, who were sticking by their posi-
tons under the encoura cement OF their
commanders. themselves burned and bis
tered BY the fierce heat
The canopy which later became the
destroyer OF a score OF lives. seemed to
offer a shelter from the threatening wave
OF heat that ranged for a hundred feet
from the FIRE. Under this the Inflated
crews fed for protection, led by Horan'
Burroughs and Fitzgerald
MEN SHOUTED WARNING.
On top OF the canopy another group Of
firemen with their hacks To the roasting
inferno. still played streams of water
into the heart OF the fire. Suddenly Lieu
tenant Joseph Mackey. leader Of the
brave band above, felt the wall going
and shouted a warning to those below.
but beneath them the cavernous nav on
the canopy was not 20 De cheated OF It's
victims. and engulfed the fire fighters
with an awful roar.
Meanwhile. fremen who knew nothing
of this and augmented by constantly ar
irving aids. were standing in the path
Of the raging flames. They stood their
ground at building after building. only
"a he driven back at last. biistered and
scaIded by the steam from their own hose
with lungs scarcely able to breathe fresh
air.
ASSISTANT IN COMMAND.
Assistant Marshal SeyferIich. on whom
now Law the command. realizing the flu
tiIity Of saving property then ablaze
drew all the men back to a firm stand
in the lee OF the flames
.sy've got TO let the rest OF IL go, men.
he shouted TO those whN still were re-
Iuctant 70 quit the fight at close range.
get back here and well make final
stand"
.sMsybe we can save this part pleaded
some Of the bllstered men close in, crszed
by the heat and unable TO realize their
danger.
-AII hell couldn't stop that fire in that
building. boys" was Seyferlich's answer
and the men fell back
STOCK YARDS IN DANGER.
The assistant marshal acknowledged a;
fO:I5 a. m that the whole stock yards
district was in danger.
We've got no water here. and we car
do nothing effectively" he said. THE
thing really Is beyond our control right
now. But we've got to stick out there in
the path of her and head FER OF IL Il
takes every man We have got In the dc
pArtmsnt"