Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-03-15
$15,OOO,OOO CHICAGO FIRE
DESTROYS WHOLE CITY BLOCK
CONFEDERATION IS AVERTED
Man Arrested as lncendiay, Charged With Starting Blaze
That Threatened Repetition Of Ciys Great Fire; Every
Fireman and Every Bit Of Apparatus Brought Into
Fight; Banks $6,0OO,OOO in Debris.
BY Associated Press to Every Evening.

BY Associated Press 10 Every Evening
Chicago. March ia spectacular
early morning fire today destroyed A
full square OF business buildings Just
outside Chicago's Loop" or downtown
district. with a loss estimated az sf5.-
100000 The fire started IN the cen
ter of the block bounded by Van
BBren, Canal and Clinton streets, and
West Jackson Boulevard. Of unknown
origin. burned every structure IN that
area, .leaped north across Jackson
and wrecked the History Chicago,
Burlington and Quincy railroads Of
fee building. which also houses the
Mercantile Trust and Savings Bank,
and under boost Of strong wind.
dipped over Van Buren street south
ward and burned nearly through 20
Harrison street
The fire was not brought under. con-
troll until nearly . O'Clock and even
then fremen were fighting dozen dif-
ferent blazes and others broke out in
iterrnittently as the wind waited sparks
about.
/ One fireman was Killed, another
seriously injured. ten or more slightly
hurt and an unknown number of the
hundred thousand spectators who
thronged the burning district slightly
hurt by falling bricks. burning tinlbers
or sparks.
/ The FIRE for a time threatened TO as
sume virtually unlimited proportions
and every fireman and every pierre of
fire fighting apparatus was called out
in series of ten alarms.
That the original blaze from which
the conhagrstion grew possibly was
Ot incendiary origin, was the state
ment Of Shirley r. High. city fire at
torney who early today announced the
arrest OF an unnamed man. on fnfOr-
nation supplied by r. T SchiH. presi-
dent Of the Confectionery Speciality
Company. at 52i West Jackson
Boulevard. where the fire started.
Heat from the burning buildings
across the street cracked out the win
dows Of the Mercantile Trust and
Savings Bank before the Burlington
Building itself was afre. A heavy
police guard was thrown about the
bank. but the watchers were driven
away quickly when the building
caught fire
Cash and securities valued az an
Droxtmately $4,000. 900 are said 20 he
IN the banks vaults and Il may be
|. several days before they can be er-
amined.
The huge Burlington office buildiu
. caught fire at about the eighth seo-v
and burned up and down. No strea m
OF water was powerful enough 10 fight
the fire In The upper sections.
So intense was the heat in n.
burning district that the steel sup
ports Of the elevated structure could
be seen L. white heat
Despite the calling out Of extra
, policemen. automobiles Of spectators
quickly jammed the streets about the
p burning district. The flames. leaning
high and puffed by the gusts of wind,
were visible for more than 20 miles
The Van Buren street tunnel OF the
Chicago surface lines. under the
Chicago river. debouches Just at the
burned area and for hours a stream
Of water poured into 1t until the tun-
mel was filed 70 street level.
The Mercantile Trust and Savings
Bank later announced that the cash
and securities in it's vaults were be-
lieved to be amply protected by heavy
steel, cement and asbestos walls.
Arrangements We're made 10 have
another bank take care OF its busi-
ness until new quarters could be OBJ
tained.
The new Burlington building with
, stood a heat so terrific that the fire
escape on the side facing the flames
across the street became red hot
and bent Of its own weight.
II was estimated that more than
$4,000 persons are jobless through the
fire.