The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1922-03-24
s15,0O0,000 FIRE
SWEEPS CHICAGO
One Square OF Buildings Destroyed and
Flames Do Considerable Damage
TO Adjacent Structures


square OF business buildings just out
side chlcagO's loop" district. with a
loss estimated nj from 100000 10
S15,ND,OU. The fire started In the
center of the block bounded by Van
Buren. Canal and Clinton streets, and
West jackson boulevard. burned every
structure In that area, leaped north
across Jackson and wrecked the 81
story 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 southwark and burned nearly
through another block to Harrison
street
The flames were not brought under
control until nearly 3 O'Clock. and even
then firemen were fighting a dozen DIFF
ferent fires, and others broke out inter
mitiently as the wind waited sparks
about One fireman was killed, an
other seriously injured. 10 or more
slightly hurt. and an unknown num-
her OF the hundred thousand spectators
who thr0nged the burning district
slightly hurt by falling bricks, burning
tlmbers or sparks. The fire for time
threatened to assume virtually unimlt-
ed proportions, and every piece of fire
fighting apparatus whiting five miles
was out In series of 10 alarms
incendiarisnn Suspected.
That the original blaze from which
the conflagration grew possibly was OF
incendiary origin was the statement OF
Shirley High, city fire attorney. who
announced the arrest of an unnamed
man on information supplied by II. IT.
Schfff. president Of the Confectionery
Specially company at 521 West Jack
son boulevard. where the fire started.
Mr.. High refused to dlvulge the
name OF the man arrested. but said
that he was being questioned regard
Ing threatening letters Mr. Schiff said
the man, former emplove, had sent
To him. Mr.. Schiff told Mr.. High the
man was discharged when he became
incensed over refusal to permit him to
purchase stock In the company, and
within the past two months had made
n series of threats. Mr. High sum
moned several of his aides while the
fire was at Its height and said an in
vestigation would be begun mme-
| diately
Heat from the burning buildings
across the street cracked out the win
dows of the Mercantile Trust and Saw
| lngs bank before the Burlington build
Ing itself was on fire. heavy police
guard was thrown about the bank, but
was driven away quickly when the
building caught fire. Cash and Sc
curlties valued at approximately So
| DOO.OOO are said to be In the banks
vaults and 1t may he several days be-
fore they can be examined. The Bur
lington building caught fire at about
the eighth story and burned up and
down. No streams OF water were pow
erful enough to fight the fire In the
upper stories.
The flames. leaping high and puffed
by the guests Of wind we're visible for
more than 20 miles. The Van Buren,
street tunnel Of the Chicago surface
lines under the Chicago river energies
Just at the burned area. and for hours
the stream OF water poured into the
tunnel until II was filled to the street
level. The union depot mail terminal
was not reached by the flames, but
postal employees hurriedly removed all
mail when It appeared that the fire dis
trict could not be restrained.
| Money Is Protected.
| The Mercantile Trust and Savings
bank later announced that the cash
and securities In Its vaults was amply
protected by heavy steel, cement and
asbestos walls and that II was quite
safe Arrangements were made To have
another bank take care of its business
until new quarters could he obtained.
| The new Burlington building with
stood 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, The orna-
mental tile on the building crumbled
In the heat and the hot blast. breaking
through the windows, DESTROYED the in
terior decorations In many rooms and
wiped out everything made of wood.
II was estimated that more than % :
N" persons were made jobless through
the fire
After being questioned for several
hours, the man arrested in connection
with the lncendlary theory was re-
leased