Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer., 1922-03-15

.cago S loop or down
town district, with a loss
estimated at from $l0,-
000,0 900 to $I5,000,000.
The fire started soon after midnight
in the center of the block bounded by
Van Buren,, Canal and Clinton streets
and West Jackson boulevard OF un-
known origin, burned every structure
in that area, leaped north across Jack
son and wrecked the sixteen story
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy rail
roads 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
thru to Harrison street. The fire was
not brought under control until near
ly > O'Clock and even then the firemen
were fighting a dozen different fires
and others broke out intermittently
as the wind waited sparks about.
Fifty firms We're burned out. It
was estimated that 25.O00 were made
jobless through the fire
One Fireman Killed.
One fireman was killed, another
seriously injured ten or more slight
~ hurt and an unknown number of
the hundred thousand spectators who
thronged the burning district slightly
/ hurt by falling bricks, burning tim
bers or sparks The fire for time
) threatened to assume virtually un.
limited proportions and every piece
of fire fighting apparatus within five
miles was called out in a series of
! ten alarms
"The rapidity with which the fire
spread was astounding" Marshal
Buckley, assistant fire chief, said
THE fire actually seemed to run from
Ius.'
Started by ncerdiary.
! That the original blaze from which
the confederation grew possibly was
J Of incendiary origin was the state
mcnt Of Shirley p. High city fire
attorney. who early today announced
| the arrest of an unnamed man on IN.
formation supplied by H. r. Schiff,
| president of the confectionery spe.
cialty company at 521 West Jackson
boulevard where the fire started.
Mr.. High refused to divulge the
name of the man arrested, but said
lthat he was being questioned regard.
ling threatening letters Mr. SChiff said
the man, former emplOye, had sent
to him Mr. Schiff told Mr.. High the
man was discharged when he became
iincensed over refusal TO permit him
to purchase stock IN the company and
within the last two months had made
! a series of threats. Mr.. Schitf placed
Ibis personal loss at $4,000,
Loss May Reach St5.0oo,ooo.
| Mr. High summoned several Of his
aids while the fire was at its height
and said an investigation would be
| begun Immediately. He placed the
total loss at from $l0,0000O0 to $l5,'
! j0O0, GEO.
! Traversing the main burned area
| the Metropolitan West Side elevated
! line today was seriously handicapped
! i'm delivering its 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 lh0
midst of the fire.
Was "Fireproof."
The huge Burlington Office building,
called a fireprOOf structure, held tho
fire from spreading westward A Va
cant lot, the site Of the new Union
! station kept the fire from spreading
northward. while progress Of the
. flames toward the south was ended by
! the access the fremen had to the
smaller buildings-two to six stories
which began south Of Van Burcn
! street The Chicago river runs a
! block east of the burned district, hue
would have afforded little protection
had the wind yeered the sweep of the
! flames toward the main business sec.
tion
TWO Fatally Injured,
James McG0vern of insurance patrol
| NO was the fireman killed He was
! hit bv falling wall and died at a
| hospital
Lieut. William Everett of Engine
company No 95. was injured probably
fatally when he was struck by a fall.
ing piece of tile knocked to the ground
and then hit again by another piece
OF tile which inflicted internal iniur-
les
Pipeman Samuelson of the same
company also was hit by tile and in.
.iured Heat from the burning build,
ings, across the street, cracked out
the windows of the Mercantile Trust
and Savings Bank before the Burling.
ton building itself was afre. 4
heavy police guard was thrown about
the bank but was driven away quick
tlv when he building caught fire Cash
and securities valued at approximately
$4,000 900 are said to be in the banks
vaults and it may be several days be.
fore they can be examined.