The New York herald., 1922-03-16
Big FIRE IN CHICAGO
LAID TO ARSON BAND
S5,000,OOO Blaze in Union De-
pot Section Charged to
Incendiaries.
RIVER SAVES THE CITY
Scores Of Buildings, Including
New Burlington Skyscraper,
Destroyed.
RIVER SAVES THE CITY

Special Dispatch TO THE NEW YonK HERALD.
CHICAGO, March 15.-In a fire that
swept through the Union depot business
section early to-day score Of buildings
were destroyed. one fireman was killed
and a score injured.
Business men estimated the loss at
from $1o,000.000 to S15,o00.000. but
Fire Marshal O'Connor after survey OF
the ruins estimated that the loss would
be about $5.000.000.
1t was the biggest fire in the his
tory of Chicago since the conf1agration OF
1871 and threatened for a time to re-
peat the history of that disaster. Only
after four hour battle did fremen sue
ceed in getting the blaze under control.
The entire block bounded by Jackson
Boulevard, Van Buren street and Clinton
and Canal streets was devastated. Not
less than 120 firms. the underwriters
estimate, are rendered homeless by the
conf1agration. The number of employees
who are rendered temporarily jobless Is
set at $4,000.
Incendiarism was blamed for the fire
by the authorities Mystery as TO the
origin, however, bafied the efforts OF
the fire attorney and squad OF detec-
tives from the State Attorneys office.
A suspect arrested early in the day was
released this evening.
Confirming the suspicion of the ofil-
cials that an arson band was responsible
for the FIRE a woman who lives op-
posite the Burlington sky scraper the
center OF the confiagration, told the
police tonight that just before the hrst
alarm was sounded she had seen four
men running from the building.
started In Dozen Places.
"The fire is certainly the work OF
incendaries,' said Fire Attorney High.
Reports say It started in dozen places
at once. I am positive that we will
uncover a big arson plot before we are
through with our inquiry"
An investigation is also being made OF
the weak water pressure, which made
1t impossible for the firemen, even with
the use of water towers. to throw
streams higher than the eighth floor OF
the burning buildings. Except for this.
1t is stated, the flames would have been
checked long before they were.
The fire started at 1 o'clock in the
morning in a building in the middle OF
the destroyed block, probably at 52l
Jackson Boulevard. The ancient struc-
ture occupied largely by printing and
paint concerns and full of infiamable
materials. went up like torch. The
flames spread rapidly from building to
building and within a few minutes the
whole east side of the doomed block
was wrapped in mammoth sheet or
blue and yellow flames. In half an
hour so per cent. of the city fire fight
ing apparatus was on the scene.
Flying brands from the blazing build
ines set fire to houses three and four
blocks distant, but IN every instance the
flames were extinguished before serious
damage was done.
River as n Fire Wall.
Chicago's natural fire wall, the river,
foiled the efforts of brisk northwest
wind TO carry the fire into the loop dis
trict and probably saved the business
section Of the city
Within an hour after the blaze started
the flames leaped across Clinton street
and kindled the towering new Burlington
Building, in whidl are the offices or the
Chicago. Burlington and Quincy road.
The building is practically destroyed.
Water pressure. said Assistant Fire
Marshal Buckley, failed to carry streams
above the third floor.
The Mercantile Trust and Savings
Bank occupied the ground floor OF the
Burlington Building. 4 million and
half dollars in currency and bonds were
left unprotected in the vaults OF the
bank. Fire fighters made desperate
effort to check the blaze in the bank,
but the intense heat OF the burning block
drove them two hundred feet away and
dissolved their puny streams OF water
into clouds of steam.
All The records in the operating. en-
gineering. legal and executive depart
nents of the Chicago. Burlington and
Quincy road. stored on the ninth 10 the
fifteanth floors were DESTROYED