BIG FIRE IN CHICAGO

Evening Star, Issue 21725, 21 May 1934, Page 9

BIG FIRE IN CHICAGO

STOCK YARDS SECTION SWEPT FLAMES VISIBLE FOR ONE HUNDRED MILES Pres* Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. CHICAGO, May 19. Starting late this afternoon, fire swept the stock yards section, on tho south side.. It was five hours before the officials announced that the fire was under control. It razed an area of about a milo square. For a time it was feared that the flames would spread to other sections. The damage to property is estimated at 8,000,000 dollars, making it tho 'city’s greatest fire since tho oohflagration of 1871, which all but destroyed the city. One fireman was killed by a falling wall and a dozen injured, some seriously, while scores were overcome by smoke and heat. Every available man and every piece of equipment was pressed into service. The firemen used water at the rate of 20,000,000 gallons an hour, seriously curtailing the service iii other sections. Thousands of dwellers and shopkeepers evacuated the area, carrying such belongings as they could. Clouds of acrid smoke beat over tho down-town business section, and even into the exclusive north side residential district. The flames were visible for 100 miles, according to aviators. A score or more of large buildings, including several meat-packing plants, were burned to tho ground. To control the fire it was necessary to dynamite many buildings. There is no estimate of the number of animals that perished, but probably it was high as the fire started in the sheep pen and immediately spread to other buildings housing stock.