Show FIRE MAKES SEETHING INFERNO OF BLOCK ll IN CHICAGO LOOP I Loss Estimated as as Varying Between Between Be Be- tween Ten and Fi Fifteen teen Million Million Mil Mit- lion lion in Blaze Which Destroys Destroys Destroys De De- De- De Many Buildings s j CHICAGO March 15 16 By the Associated Associated Asso Asso- dated Press Eress Press Press-A A A spectacular early morning fire today today destroyed a fu full square of of business buildings just outsIde outside outside out out- side Chicago's loop district with a loss estimated at t from to The fire started in the center of the block bounded d by Van VanBuren VanBuren Buren Canal and Clinton Clinton streets and West Vest Jackson boulevard rd of of unknown I origin burned every structure in that I area leaped north across Jackson and I wrecked the twenty story twenty story one Chicago Chicago Chi Chi- Chi I cago Burlington Quincy railroads railroad's I general office building which also houses the Ule M Mercantile Trust and Savings Sayings Say Sav ings bank banI and under burden of sav-I sav a strong wind dipped over Van Buren street s southward and burned nearly through another block to Harrison street The flames were not under brought under control until nearly 5 o'clock and andeen even en then firemen w were wre re fighting fIghting a dozen different fires and others broke out intermittently as the tte wind wafted wafted sparks about KIL KILLED ED AND INJURED One fireman was killed another se seriously seriously seriously se- se Injured ten or more slightly hurt and an unknown number of the hundred thousand spectators who thronged the burning district slightly hurt by falling bur burning timbers or sparks The fire for a time threatened to toI assume virtually unlimited proportions proportions I and every pl pi piece ce of fire-fighting fire ap apparatus apparatus apparatus ap- ap within five miles was called out In a series of ten alarms The rapidity rapidity- with which the fire spread was was astounding Marshall Buckley as assistant st t fire fre chief said The fire actually seemed Deemed to rim rui run from us That the the original bl blaze ze fr from m which the c conflagration grew brew possibly was of incendiary was the statement statement statement state state- ment of Shirley P. P High city fire attorney who e early ly today announced the arrest of an unnamed man on in information information in- in formation supplied by H. H T. T president of the Confectionery Specialty Specialty Specialty company at 52 West Jackson boulevard where the fire started LETTERS THREATENING Mr High refused to divulge the I name of the man arrested but said that he was being questioned re regarding regarding re- re re-I re garding threatening letters Mr said the man a former had I sent to him Mr 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 a series of threats After being questioned for several hours the man arrested In connection with the incendiary theory was re released re- re leased Mr High summoned several of his aides while the fire was a at t its height and said an Investigation would be begun Immediately He placed the total l loss ss at t from to 15 0 Travers Traversing g the main burned area I the Metropolitan West Side Elevated line today was seriously handl handicapped In delivering Its thousands of patrons to the downtown district as was the Aurora Elgin Electric Interurban line which also used the track four-track structure which was caught in the midst of the fire CALLED FIREPROOF The huge Burlington's building called a fireproof structure held the fire from spreading westward Progress Progress Progress ress of of the flames to 0 the south was arrested by the facilities firemen were able to o muster by flocking to the tops of the the- smaller buildings there two there two to six stories high high and and thus Increasing IncreasIng increasing ing the range of their water streams A vacant lot the site sHe of the proposed proposed proposed pro pro- posed new Union station kept the fire from spreading northward The Chicago river runs a block east of the burned district but would have afforded but little protection had the wind veered the sweep of the i flames toward the retail business section section sec see I tion to the east I James McGovern of insurance patrol I Continued on page 3 I FIRE MAKES AKES Continued from page 1 No Ko 1 was the fireman killed He was hit by a falling wall and died at ata a hospital I f WINDOWS F FALL FALLOUT iL OUT OUT Heat from the he burning buildings I across the street cracked out the windows of ot the Mercantile Trust and andI I Savings bank before the Burlington building Itself was afire A heavy I police guard was thrown about the bank but was driven away quickly when the building caught fire Cash and securities valued at approximately ap are said to be In the banks bank's vaults and it may be several days before they can Scan be examined The Burlington building caught fire at about the eighth story and burned up and down No streams of water were powerful enough to fight the fire tIre In the upper stories The flames flames- leaping high and puffed by the gusts of wind were visible for tor tormore more than twenty miles The Van Buren Street tunnel of the Chicago surface lines under the Chicago Chicago Chicago Chi Chi- cago river debouches Just at the burned area and for hours a stream u u u u n UL of water poured into lULU the LU tunnel until It was filled to street level MAIL REMOVED The Union depot mail mall t terminal was not reached by the flames but postal hurriedly removed all mall mail when it appeared that the fire district district dis dis- could not be restricted The Mercantile Trust and Savings bank later announced that the cash and securities In Its vaults were amply protected by heavy steel ce cement cement cement ce- ce ment and asbestos walls and that it was quite safe Arrangements were made to have another bank take care of the business until new quarters quarters quarters could be obtained The new Burlington building withstood withstood withstood with with- stood a heat so terrific that the fire escape on the side facing the flames across across the street became red hot and J bent of Its own weight The ornamental ornamental ornamental orna orna- mental tile on the building crumbled In to the heat and the h hot t blast breaking breakIng breaking break break- ing through the windows destroyed the interior decorations in many rooms and wiped out everything made of wood It was estimated that more than p persons w were re made jobless I I I I I i J through the fire Storms Storm's Toll Heavy In Southern States LITTLE ROCK Ark March 15 15 At least seven lives were taken by storms over the state within the last twenty four hours a checkup today showed All of the dead ad are negroes CORINTH Miss March 15 Twenty seven persons were Injured Ina in ina ina a tornado which struck here late yesterday NEW ORLEANS La March 15 By United Press Press Four Four dead one white boy and three negroes was Ithe the Ithe Oll toll taken b by the tornado o which swept T f O a section O VM M I t f of West Baton Ro s 9 1 t l I uge parish a yesterday e t d I P Guests Escape 3 In Nighties 3 1 R RENO ENO E N O Nev March 16 Scores Scores of 3 guests escaped from upper windows In their night clothes when thes the Riverside hotel the largest hotel here was destroyed by fire early this morning At 5 Ii o'clock the building was still stilla a a. furnace and the ruins could not be searched but a check was started to learn If any guests were missing No serious injuries were reported The firemen prevented the flames from spreading to other oiher buildings but could not save the hotel Several thrilling rescues were reported re reported re- re ported among them that of two children from a blazing room The scantily clad guests were cared forin for forin forIn in surrounding houses A mild night saved them much suffering from exposure The fire tire believed to have started inthe In Inthe Inthe the engine room broke out shortly after atter 2 The flames fJames spread upward quickly quickly- and the guests aroused by the smoke found the stairways cut off Most of ot them were rescued by firemen with ladders Estimates of the damage were lacking early this morning Practically Practically all an the tho guests' guests effects were believed to have bave been lost The hotel was a three-story three brick structure structures It was situated by the Truckee river f Hoboken Fire Causes Big Loss j I HOBOKEN N. N J J. March 15 Fire Fire early today destroyed dE a a. business structure structure ture a a. tenement and eight gar gar- ages Early arlY estimates pla placed ed the tho loss 1083 at i Co atI 1 j jI I r. r |