TWO LARGE CHICAGO FIRES CAUSED BY CARELESSLY THROWN CIGARETTE BUTTS
Lumber Yard and Barking House Suffers from Somebody’s Indifferenre to Fire Safety— Both in Less than Week—Burnings of Week
CHICAGO suffered two large fires within a week of each other, both caused by lighted cigars or cigarettes carelessly thrown, one a lumber yard blaze on August 9, with a loss of $500,000, and the other a stockyards fire, on August 15, with destruction of over $300,000 worth of property. The first fire, in the lumber yard of Harris Brothers, originated from a carelessly tossed lighted cigar or cigarette falling upon a lumber pile or among some sawdust. The yards extend over two blocks and the blaze commenced at the north side, according to l ire Marshall Arthur Seyferlich, and was driven quickly south by a lively wind. The immense amount of lumber piled in this portion of the yard caused the fire to spread with great rapidity, and in less than half an hour all that portion of the yard was in flames. Intensity was added to the flames by the explosion of an oil tank which contained 1,500 gallons of oil. The explosion shot burning lumber and flames in every direction and threatened, in addition to adjoining building, the tanks of the Benzoline Motor Fuel Company, a block away. These tanks contain 300,000 gallons of oil.
There were some 400 men in service at the fire and the apparatus consisted of 30 Ahrens-Fox, Seagrave, Mack and AmericanLaFrance pumpers, four trucks and four squad companies, under command of five marshals. There were 25 double 2 1/2 4 and 4 1/2 hydrants available, with 20 lbs. pressure, and spaced an average of 200 feet apart. Five hydrant and 25 engine streams were thrown, with nozzles of 1 1/8, 1 1/2 and 1 1/2″ there being some 22,000 feet of hose laid. Five deluge sets were also brought into service. The fire department devoted its energies to saving the uninvolved portion of the lumber yard and the surrounding plants, and in this it was successful, the main portion of the yard and all important structures being saved. The loss on the buildings, valued at $1,000,000, was $100,000 and on contents, value $900,000, $400,000.
The second fire which occured on August 15, the A. D. T. alarm coming in at 2:01 p. m., was in the packing plant of G. H. Hammond & Co. in the Union Stock Yards. This blaze was also caused by the ever-present cigarette stub, and the first alarm companies of the city fire department, according to Chief Seyferlich, suffered a delay of at least five minutes through standing and slow moving freight trains at the entrance of the plant. The cast part of the second floor of the six-story brick building was entirely involved when these companies arrived, and the floor was unventilated. There were 320 men at this fire, with 51 Ahrens-Fox, Seagrave and American-LaFranee pumpers, four ladder trucks, three squad wagons, one water tower, and one high pressure wagon. There were 15 private and three city 2 1/2 and 4 1/2 double hydrants and a reservoir available, with an average spacing of 200 feet. Some 30,000 feet of hose was laid with nozzles of 1 1/8, 1 1/4, 1 1/2, 1 3/4 and 2″. Ten lenghts burst during the progress of the fire. The fire burned for 42 hours before it was finally extinguished. The private fire brigade of the Hammond Company assisted the city fire fighters The loss on buildings, valued at $225,000 was $215,000, and on contents, valued at $125,000, $90,000.
Hydrants Installed in Knoxville, Tenn.—Additional hydrants are being installed in Knoxville, Tenn.
