Show A destructive FIRE CHICA april 12 chicago this evening suffered the most moat destructive gre fire that has occurred since the fire of 1871 the loss is ia fully it was almost iu in the geographical centre of the city that the flames started aud and like the terrible disaster of twenty years ago began in a stable in this case the stable was the property of the well known furniture manufacturer and politician john M smyth and was located in the rear of his big house furnishing establishment on west madison street near halstead street the flames speedily spread to the fur kiture establishment and a moment later to kohl middletons Middle tons dime museum A general alarm was turned in to the fire department followed by a special call for extra engines as the fire was gaining ground with great ra rapidity edity an fn in leus leso than five minutes the smoke was pouring from every window of the museum and enveloped the huge six story building occupied by smyth and in a marvelously short time both structures were turned into A MASS OF FLAMES great fiery tongues darted across the street aud and lodged in the upper stories of the building on the north side of madison street A moment later the firemen found themselves working between the two towering walls of flame fur for a time it looked as though the conflagration fla would get beyond control ano and as aa in 1871 sweep toward the lake to add to the trouble the wind was blowing stiffly from the west probably people gathered in the neighborhood bor bo watching the progress of the possible impending cala calamity m alty at this critical juncture howe however ver the thorough discipline of the fire department became magnificently apparent the men obeying orders stood steadily in the street where flames scorched them on both sides and after a battle brought the flames ina in a measure under control THE IMMENSE BLAZE however continued to rage in the buildings already partly destroyed the museum was nothing but a heap of ruins and walls of the smyth building were falling one after another fortunately they all fell inward and no person was injured across the street also the walls soon goon fell the upper story of a three story bu building alding on the northwest corner of madison and union streets caught fire flames lodged around the fifth story of the Hayi haymarket theatre building and was soon eoon stretching ning along under the mansard roof just west of the haymarket the five aary building of the peoples peopled outfitting outwitting Out fitting company caught fire in front despite all efforts the buildings between union street and haymarket block were wiped out sw aa well aRld an abose hose on the south side bide of the street I 1 n the hayt hay market theatre the fire was confined to the upper story atory but the whole building was filled with smoke and water the first intimation the inmates of kohl middletons Midd Middle letona tons museum had of the close proximity of the fire was when some one opened a window on the third floor through which a koume poured A WILD PANIC followed among the persons in the building the most of whom fortunately were on the first floor door watching the variety performance they were apprised of their danger by the stampede on the upper floors and as they arose to their feet and fled precipe precipitately lately toward the front doors fire appeared at the rear windows increasing the terror the emergency brought out a hero I 1 in a the person of policeman forcing his way through the frightened people who were madly retarding each other he be stationed himself at the head of the feairs and drawing bis gun declared his intention to kill the first person persan refunding ref to obey orders by his coolness and determination he succeeded in quieting the panic and with one exception everybody reached the he safely the exception was C H messenger who jumped from a window before the officer reached the stairs and was frightfully injured several people were following him but stopped horror stricken long er enough ough to be roped in by and his little gun one old lady fell when near the bottom of the stairs and broke her arm I 1 As soon as officer cleared the people out he went up to the third floor where scores of monkeys were caged he wrenched apart the iron bars of the cages so that the little men keys could escape but with the binate perversity of sheep they scampered upstairs and were burned to death the policeman nearly lost his own life getting un down stairs the ae excitement among the freaks who were on exhibition on the third floor was pitiful they were practically unable to help themselves and were with difficulty restrained from throwing themselves from the windows madame carver the pound woman seized her son dragged herself to a rear window and was about to throw the child out when she was restrained by manager belmont who with difficulty escorted them down stairs A D lafayette the father of the big headed boy who was so top heavy that he be could not navigate alone seized the boy and while leading him out found the albino girl almost blind and groping about in the smoke with the big headed boy under his arm he seized the albino dragged her to the stairway and soon reached the street the fire in the haymarket theatre was discovered just twenty minutes before the close of the lastant last las tact act the smoke was barely perceptible when the manager stepped out on the stage ond nd tried to persuade the audience to itle ale out in order at this moment some one yelled fire and a panic danic seemed imminent the excitement was partially subdued by prompt work on the part of the ushers and the theatre was soon cleared without any one getting hurt J before the west wall of the smyth building foil fell a venturesome boy climbed up to the third floor of the building adjoining and stood watching the flames when the walls walla toppled and the smoke cleared away he could not be seen and it is feared he be went down in the mass of debris while lethe the fire was at its height the sidewalk at union and meridian streets collapsed precipitating forty people into an excavation beneath mrs bessie higgins was fat illy injured and several others painfully hurt when the fire broke out dr J Z bergeron was attending mrs sarah macks in a flat in one of the buildings subsequently burned when fire got too close bergeron seized the suffering woman and wrapping her in some blankets descended three flights of stairs with his burden and carried her to a refuge near by in less than fifteen minutes a fine girl baby was born amid the crash of falling walls and shouts 0 firemen both mother an ani I 1 child are doing well veil dr bergeron lost a valuable set of instruments and his overcoat and hat bat but tonight was 13 happy py in having saved his patient ath the e episcopal cathedral on washington boulevard caught fire frombly from flying sparks but the flames were extin before any damage was lone done one of the exciting incidents was the panic which seized the boarders at the haymarket Hay markut hotel when the flames leaped across the street about forty occupants of the hotel in eluding the servants made a wild rush for the back stairway the latter is a narrow winding affair and became blocked resulting in the mob being badly bruised and hight frightened ened before getting out charles monger menger was asleep in his room and was nearly suffocated with one side of his face badly burned when he was found and carried out IT TOOK FIRE ENGINES and firemen to bring the fire under subjection averal times it seemed as if the men would be compelled to abandon the engines so intense was the beat but urged by their superiors they managed to withstand it by turn edg the hose on themselves the nerve displayed by the firemen was heightened by the fact that all the time they knew that at least barrels of oil varnish etc was stored in the basement of the smyth establishment liable at any time to cause a terrific explosion they flooded the basement keeping the oil barrels completely covered LOSSES john M smyths loss on stock and building is fully kohl middleton museum neely bros boots and shoes A kampmier Kamp fier jeweler A alfred fred peats i wall paper kirrmann Mi tobacconist onist 25 manna hanna hogg liquors 20 the be miscellaneous losses of the other firms and the haymarket theater will bring the total up to a million the insurance to is light 11 ht smyth carried but kobi kohl middleton and kirrmann Mi mana had bad allowed theirs to lapse as they expected to move ina in a couple of weeks the insurance of the other sufferers is light |