Evening star., 1922-03-15
S1Q,O)l,0)O BLAZE
DESTROYS CHICAGO
DOWNTOWN BLOCK
Full Square of Business
Houses Just Outside "Loop"
Prey of Flames.
25,OO0LEFT JOBLESS;
ONE Fireman IS KILLED
Sparks Set Dozen New Fires-Man
Held as Incendiary-Six Mil
lions in Burned Bank Vaults.

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Held as Incendiary-Six Mil
lions in Burned Bank Vaults.
By the Associated Press.
CHICAGO. March 15.-A spectacular
early morning fire today destroyed a
full square Of business buildings just
outside Chicagos loop" or down
town. district. with loss estimated
at from s1O.OOO,0O0 to s15,oo0,00o.
The fire. of unknown origin. 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
twenty-one-story Chicago, Burlington
and Quincy railroads general Office
building. which also houses the Mer
camille Trust and Savings Bank. and,
over Van Buren street southwark and
burned nearly through to Harrison
street.
Fighting Dozen Fires mt Once.
The fire was not brought under
control until nearly o'clock. and
even then firemen were fighting a
dozen different fires and others broke
out intermittently as the wind watt
ed sparks about.
One fireman was killed, another
seriously injured. ten or more slight
ly hurt and an Unknown number Of
thronged the burning district slight
'ly hurt by falling bricks, burning
: tim berS or sparks
The fire for a time threatened to
assume virtually unlimited proper
tions and every piece of fire-fighting
called out in a series of ten alarms.
Spread With Great Speed.
THE rapidity with which the fire
spread was astounding" Marshall
'"The fire actually seemed to run
from u.s.
That the original blaze from which
of incendiary origin was the state
ment of Shirley p. High, city firs- at~l
torney. who early today announced
the arrest Of an unnamed man on In
L.
president Of the Confectionery Spe-
cialty Company. at 521 West jackson
boulevard, where the fire started.
Mr.. High refused to divulse the
name of the man arrested, but said
that he was being questioned regard
the man. former employe. had sent
to him. Mr.. Schih told Mr.. High the
man was discharged when he became
incensed over refusal to permit him
a..
and within the past two months had
made series of threats. Mr.. Schif
placed his personal loss at s59,000.
Places Loss Near $4,000, 900.
Mr.. High summoned several Of his
aides while the fire was at its height
and said an investigation would be
begun Immediately. He placed the
total loss at from S10,000,000 to $15,-
100000.
Traversing the main burned area.
the Metropolitan West Side Elevated
in delivering it's thousands of patrons
to the downtown district. as was the
Aurora and Elgin Electric Interurban
line, which also used the four-track
structure which was caught in the
midst of the fire.
~
called a f1reproof structure. held the
fire from spreading westward. while
progress of the flames toward the
south was ended by the access the
fremen had to the smaller buildings
to six stories-which begin south OF
A vacant lot, the site Of the new
Union depot. kept the fire from
spreading northward. The Chicago
river runs 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 Drives Away Police Guard.
Heat from the burning buildings
across the street cracked out the win
dows of the Mercantile Trust and
Savings Bank before the Burlington
lice guard was thrown about the
bank. but was driven away quickly
when the building caught fire
Cash and securities valued at ap-
proximately s6,000.000 are said to be
in the banks vaults, and il NAV be
several days before they can be ex-
amined.
The Burlington building caught fir,
ut about the eighth story and burned
up and down. No stream of water
was powerful enough to fight the fire
in the upper stories.
Elevated Supports at White Heat,
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 calling out of extra
policemen. automobiles of spectators
quickly jammed' the streets about the
burning district. The flames, leaping
high and puffed by the gusts of wind,
were visible for more than twenty
miles.
The Van Buren, street tunnel of the
Chicago surface lines. under the Chi
cago river. debouches just at tfe
burned area, and for hours q stream
of water poured into 1t until the tun-
mel was filled to street level.
The union depot mail terminal was
not reached by the flames. but postal
employees hurriedly removed all mail
when 1t appeared that the fire district
could not be restricted.
Cash In Vault Snfe,
The Mercantile Trust and Savings
Bank later announced that the cash
and securities in its vaults were am
ply protected by heavy steel, cement
and asbestos walls and that they were
quite safe. Arrangements were made
to have another bank take care of its
business until new quarters could be
obtained. =
The new Burlington building with
AN