New-York tribune., 1922-03-16
Jobless,
Millions Lost,
In nCl,icagoFire
Flames Ascribed to Firebugs
Said TO Have Burst From
Dozen Places: Valuable
Records Reduced to Ashes
Greatest There Since II
,,ne Killed and Eight Build
ings. Including HISTORY
Burlington Home, Fall
s...., na.nntoh 70 III rr,anan


CHICAGO. March 15.-Incendiarism
,o-day was blamed for the fire which
..used one death, injury to scores of
os-scns and did property damage vari
Ysssiv estimated at from $4,000 900 to
sis6oo.o0O in Chicago. The stocks and
sss.ords of $50 firms. including the gen
.rsl office of the Chicago. Burlington
4 Quincy Railway. were wiped out and
5000 persons were made jobless by
=. hre, which was the greatest since
,ss confagrstion Of 1871, in which
s-s,tically the whole city was burned.
The entire block bounded by jackson
p,rjevard. Vsn Buren, and Clinton and
c.r.l sv streets was destroyed and several
.~;ld;nes south of that block damaged.
T."n;gbt T.b the fire still was smoldering
M flames burst frequently from q pile
d debris.
lanes McGovcrn, member OF In
ssrance Patrol No. !. lost his life. He
wss struck by d falling cornlcc.
Detectives Seek Solution
Mystery as to the origin of the fire
baHed the efforts of Shirley T. High,
-~e attorney. and dozen detectives.
sThe fire is surely the work of incen-
Ssries.p declared Attorney High.
some reports say the fire started in
5,rcn places at once. Because of the
,omplete destruction of the building
~ which it started our efforts to in
,sstigate from that source are baffied'
Mrs Clarence Wendt, wife of the
cashier Of the Mercantile Trust and
savings Bank, told Mr.. High that she
saw seven or eight men fleeing from
the scene of the fire. Mrs. Wendt was
sitting in al automobile in front Of the
Burlington Building waiting for her
husband. She said she saw the men
running from behind the buildings.
They were roughlooking men, she said,
snd she feared they were going to hold
her up.
The fire destroyed the S2,5oo,oOo
building owned by the W. W. Springer
sstate ruined the ffteen-story Bur
lngton Building, valued at 100000
snd razed one hve-story and four two
story buildings facing Jackson Boule-
Yard. between Canal and Clinton
streets. In addition. it destroyed an
other tive-story building south of the
Metropolitan Elevated tracks and the
Canal Street station Of the elevated
roaG
The fire started at either SIT, 5la or
81 West Jackson Boulevard. In less
''aN two hours after it was discovered
s. entire block was in flames.
Railroad Records Burn
re Austin building, in which the
lanes we're first discovered, adjoins
ss "freproof' Burlington Building,
iaa inside OF which, together with the
's,-able records Of the railroad, was
''lced to ashes.
The flames attacked the railroad
5glilng the intense heat cracked walls
a. cement floors, causing them to fall
ID roar, sending sparks hundreds
feet into the air. These sparks set
i's 10 hundreds of other buildings in
pl ueighborhood. but they were ex-
gylshed by volunteer bucket bri-
,i;.;
59sn the flames had subsided sufi-
-ia.ay a guard of 200 policemen was
= =: around the burned district to pre-
:l. looting. and 5000 men we're set
hvork digging in the ruins for records
9i the firms which were victims of the
.Fe
An Investigation of the origin of the
lie BY the City Council was asked by
Alderman Joseph Kostner this after
aoon. The inquiry order also asked
an investigation Of every skyscraper
IN Chicago.
The attention of the City Council
was called to the fact that, while the
department was able to halt the flames
on the lower floors of the Burlington
Building. it was helpless against the
IRE above the eighth floor. The streams
rom the hose were unable TO carry
higher
clNnge in the city's fire fighting
methods also may result from the
disaster. officials of the Chicago
ooard Of Underwriters declare they
rave been appealing to the city for
some time for needed mprovements.
ucn as water towers. for the Fire De
'af,nlent The department, according
% the underwriters, is also short in
man power
Water towers. which have been used
~ me New York Fire Department for
,i0le 'han twenty years. would be Of
~ great assistance 10 fire fighters con-
.tynaihg with confagration such as
'..al winch destroyed section Of Chi
1sgos business district, officials of
night. o. ''''e''' 'N'u 'a''
se Inc towers, it is said, are not eff
,s''Ve ABOVE the tenth floor. and can
De operated only from a comparatively
-ue ,t': street, permitting them to es-
"a L."'.Sh proner angie with relation to
.ne buildings upper floors and roof.
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