The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-08-18
MILLION DOLLARS
LOST BY FIRE
Big LInseed OIL Plant In Chicago Is
Destroyed This Morning and
Much Adjoining
Property.
HAD BLAZE
Fire Captain Fell From Window,
AIghting Upon Hia Head and
Received injuries Which
Are Fatal

UNITED Press Leased Wire Servlco.I
CHICAGO, Aug. 1s.-Fire that en-
veloped the big plant OF the Midland
Linseed OIL company In flames today
had caused loss OF approximately
s500,0o0 at 8 a. M, and a score Of fire
companies were seeking to prevent
tts spread. Twelve tanks containing
400 gallons OF oil each, exploded and {
set fire to ten residences adjoining
and a string OF eight freight cars.
Eight firemen were overcome by
smoke within half an hour after tho
first companies arrived Frequent en-
4 plosions of oil tanks made the work
OF fighting the flames difficult.
| The first building to 90 was i've
story warehouse Two other buildings
in the block, occupied by the COM
1pany fell into the flames few min
utes later. -Four dwellings showered
!by burning oil and eight box cars load i
ed with fax and Hnseed had been de-
stroyed when the hrernen arrived.
The oil company is one OF the
branches Of the Midland Products
4 companies with other factories In
1 New York and Minneapolis.
Omaha Blaze.
OMAHA, Nebr. Aug. 1S.Captain
. John Engle OF Engine Company Num-
Der One is in st. Jossph's hospital
, with fractured skull, sustained at a
fire on Howard street between Eff
:. teenth and Sixteenth streets last
!. night when he fell from window a
; distance OF is feet md alighted on his
; head. His injuries may prove fatal.
Fireman Charles Baarnan was over
come by smoke and dragged uncon-
. scious from danger by his comrades.
!. He was revived by the prompt use OF
: the pulmotor.
LOSS OF approximately $4,000 was
sustained by the tenants and owner OF
the building occupied by the Omaha
Gas Company. the BurgessG Granden
! Electric Fixture and Supply Company
: and Rubel Bros Following is an esti-
4 mate of the property Loss:
Rubel Furniture Company, $4,000.
Omaha Gas Company, $4,000.
Burgess-Granden $4,000.
3 Daniel Corn, owner of the building,
n $4,000.
1t was shortly after eight O'clock
= that the fire was discovered In the
y Burgess-Granden store which is one
q of three in the Daniel Corn building,
II three story brick structure
IS Within ten minutes after the first
a. alarm the three story building was q
seething mass Of flames and which
were only under control after three
hours of steady fighting.
= The fire is supposed to have been
"a caused by spontaneous combustion OF
- chemicals in the Burgess-Granden
y. Company's store.
:. The fire happened at time when
!, the downtown streets were crowded
- - with people seeking relief from the
= > intense heat At least 10000 people
!, witnessed the blaze and the police
:. - lines were established early when the
: crowd hampered the firemen.
~ -
is
GRAND ISLAND, Neb., Aug. fs.-
Tony F1eischer, fireman, is dead here
today as the result of yesterdays fir,
in the railroad section of the cit.
j which caused property damage 0
r. $4,000
" Fleischer was directing one OF th
,s- streams of water upon the blaze whel
a an overhead electric wire charge,
oy with 1900 volts melted and droppe,
BIS upon the fireman. coming in contac
oh