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Show FIRE CAUSES A PANIC. Blozo in Chicago Hesults in Wild Scenes in a Hotel. CHICAGO. Nov. 12. The largo five-story stono building at the northeast, corner of Madison street and Wabash avenue, occupied occu-pied for tho most part by Browning, King &. Co., clothiers, was destroyed by flro tonight. It Is estimated that tho loss on tho building npd contenla will aggregate aggre-gate $200,000. The direct cause of tho flro lo not known, but several explosions Were heard before tho flames were seen. The blazo spread through tho building with great rapidity, and by tho tlmo the lire dopartmcnt waa able to work there was small chance of spvlng tho building or any of Its con-tcr.to. con-tcr.to. A panic waa caused in the Continental hotel, on tho South aide of Madlaon street, across from the burning building. Smoko penetrated tho hallways and the intenso heat cracked tho windows Men and women wom-en In tho hotel sought safety In flight, but tho firemen prevented a spread of tho flames to this building. In this they wero aided by the wind, which was from tho South. The Immense establishment of Montgomery Mont-gomery Ward & Co. Is separated from tho burned building by a narrow alloy, and for a time llamcs seriously threatened tills structure, but thoy were finally held down to the Browning, King & Co. building. The tenants of tho building, all of whom suffered total losses, were: Browning, King Sc. Co., Chicago Millinery company, Chicago Feather Dyo company and tho Kennedv Furnlturo company, which oc-cuDlcd oc-cuDlcd tho fifth lloor for storage purposes. A largo portion of tho south vall crashed crash-ed down Into Madloon strcot at midnight, burying several hoso trucks and engines. Thcro was a report that several firemen had been Injured, but It proved Incorrect, Incor-rect, all of thorn being able to escapo tho falllnir wall. |