The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1922-03-15
s15,OOO,OOO
L0SS;CA|CAGO
BLOCK BURNS
Spectacular Blaze Destroys
Full Square Of Business
Buildings Just Outside Loop
District Spreads Rapidly.
THOUGHT INCENDtARY
tI.v Associated less,

full square of business buildings just
outside Chicagos loop" or downtown
district, with loss estimated at from
$l0,000,000 to $l5,0OO,0O0.
The fire started IN the center of the
block bounded by Van Buren,. Canal
ana 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 & Quincy
railroads general Office building which
also houses the Mercantile Trust and
Savings bank, and under burden of a
strong wind dipped over Van Buren,
street and southwark and burned near
ly through TO Harrison street
Ihe f1re was not brought under con-
troll until nearly o'clock and even
fhen firemen were fighting a dozen
different fires and others broke out
internationally as the wind waited
sparks about
One Fireman Killed
One fireman was killed, another seri-
ously injured, ten or more slightly
hurt and an unknown number of the
hundred thousand spectators who
.hronged the burning district slightly
hurt by falling bricks, burning timbers
or sparks.
The fire for time threatened to as
sumo virtually unlimited proportions
ana every piece of fire fighting appa-
ratus within five miles was called out
IN series of ten alarms.
That the original blaze from which
me confiagration grew possibly was
of incendiary origin. was the state
ment of Shirley p. High. city fire at
torney, who early today announced the
arrest of An unnamed man on informa-
tion supplied by H. T. Schiff. president
OF the Confectionery Speciality COM
pany, at 521 West Jackson boulevard
where the fire started.
Name Withheld.
Mr.. High refused to divulge the
name of the man arrested, but said
that he was being questioned regard
ing threatening letters Mr.. Schief
told Mr. High the man was DISCHARGED
when he became incensed over refusal
10 permit him to purchase stock in the
company, and within the past two
months had made a series of threats.
Mr. Schiff placed his personal loss st
$4,000.
Mr.. High summoned several Of his
aides while the fire was at its height
and said an investigation would he
begun Immediately. He placed the
total loss at from $4,000, 900 to S1J,-
0,0OO
Lines Handicapped
Traversing the main burned area
he Metropolitan West Side Elevated
line today was seriously handicapped
in delivering its thousands of patrons
TO the downtown district, as was the
Aurora and Elgin electric interurban
Inc which also used the four track
structure which was caught in the
midst of the fire.
The huge Burlington office building.
called fireproof structure, held the
fire from spreading westward, while
progress of the flames toward the
south was ended by the access the fire.
men had to the smaller buildings-two
10 six stories-which begin south of
Van Buren, street. A vacant lot beside
the new Union depot kept the fire
from spreading northward
The Chicago river runs a block east
Of the burned district but would have
afforded but little protection had the
wind veered the sweep of the flames
toward the main business section
Heat from the burning buildings
across the street cracked out the win.
dows of the Mercantile Trust and Sav.
ings bank before the Burlington build.
ing itself was afire. A heavy police
guard was thrown about the bank, but
was driven away quickly when the
building caught fire.
Cash and securities valued at an.
proximately $6,0O0.000 are said to be
in the banks vaults. and it may be
several days before they can be exam.
ined.
Burns Up and Down
The Burlington building caught fire
at about the sixth story and burned
up and dowE. No stream of water
was powerful enough to fight the fire
in the upper stories.
So intense was the heat in the
burning district that the steel sup
ports of the elevated structure could
be seen at white heat.
Despite the efforts of extra police
men, autos of spectators quickly
blocked the streets about the burning
district. The flames. leaping high
and puffed by the gusts of wind, were
visible more than 20 miles.
The Van Buren, street tunnel of the
Chicago surface lines under the Chi
cago river debouches just at the
burned area and for hours a stream
of water poured into il until the tun.
mel was filled to the street level. The
union depot mail terminal was not
reached by the flames, but postal en-
ployes hurriedly removed all mail
when 1t appeared that the fire district
could not be restricted
Not Fireproof
The San Francisco fire proved that
fireproof buildings are not fireproof
and that explains why the Burlington
building. said TO be fireproof. was
burned" Mr.. High said. The block N
which the fire had its inception was
covered over with two to eight stel V
buildings. An alley traversed tne
center of the block, from east to west.
and down that run the elevated lines
Shortly after / a. m. a fire company
responded to an alarm at West Nor.
roe and Canal streets and extinguished
= small fire. A few minutes later au-
other alarm was sent in, at first
thought to be recall to the same fire.
Firemen responding to the call foun,,
Continued on Page Thirteen)