1865—Lake Street & South Water Street Fire
Life Span: August 1865
Location:
Architect: NA
- Halpin’s Chicago City Directory for 1864
Carson & Pirie, (Samuel Carson and John T. Pirie,) whol. dry goods, 20 Lake
Church G. & C. W., (George and Charles W. Church,) whol. grocers and tea dealers, 41 S. Water.
Smith Brothers, (Marcellus B., Wqldo W., and A. Judson Smith,) whol. grovers, 43 S. Water.
Chicago Tribune, August 20, 1865
About daybreak yesterday (Sunday) South Water street was again visited by a terrifle conflagration, one of a far more destructive character than even the records of that flery locality can show for several years past. The loss of property is estimated at not far from half a million dollars, and involves the destruction of a large tobacco manufactory, a wholesale grocery establishment, a wholesale drug store, with several other stores which have sustained material damage.
About half past four o’clock, some time before the alarm was sounded from the Court House, the residents in the vicinity of South Water street and Michigan avenue were startled by the cries of fire from several individuals in the street. At the same time a dense volume of smoke was seen to issue from the tobacco factory of Messrs. Van Horn, Murray & Coy, Nos. 37 and 39 South Water street. The fire appeared to proceed from the rear portion of the building, on the second floor, and the supposition is that it originated in the engine room. Very soon the flames made their appearance at the rear windows looking into the alley between South Water and Lake streets, and ere the alarm was given the fire had already made considerable headway. When the department arrived flames were raging from front to rear, while the street was filled with the stifling fumes of tobacco smoke from the monster pipe which had just been lighted.
The building is part of that large five-story block extending on South Water street from Wabash to Michigan avenue, and half way from South Water to Lake street, a narrow alley running between the two streets. It was in this alley shat fames seemed to rage the most vigorously at the onset. The rear windows were nearly all protected by fire-proof iron shutters, but such was the force of the conflagration that they were all burst open, letting the flames blaze forth at every window. From the alley to Water street, and from roof to basement, the whole premises were speedily permeated by the destroying element. The partition walls gave way, the roof fell in and the havoc was now fairly begun. The supply of water was very inadequate to the occasion, but had it been three times as plentiful very little could have been accomplished toward suppressing the fire.
The wholesale grocery establishment of G. & C. W. Church & Cady, No. 41, was the next to fall a victim. The third, fourth and fifth stories were speedily undergoing a similar process to that of the adjoining building, and after that came the wholesale drug store of Tolman, Pinkham & Co., No. 35, which shared the same fate. In the two last named stores, the work of destruction was not so complete as in the tobacco factory, which was entirely gutted, only the front and rear walls of which, with a portion of the inside partition walls, were left standing, and these in a very shaky condition. Not a particle of the stock cond be saved, in fact it was a matter of impossibility to approach the buildings, as the whole street was like a furnace, aud caused many people in the vicinity to quit their rooms. the flames
At an early stage of the calamity, crossed the alley to the block which fronts on Lake street, and caught through the upper windows of Carson, Pirie & Co.’s wholesale stock dry goods store, which contained a valuable stock. Then it seemed as if the whole of the two immense blocks would fall a prey to the flames. The iron shutters on both sides of the alley were bent, and almost shrivelled up like scrolls of parchment. By the efforts of the fire brigade, soon however, down, the fire in the lake street block was put though the greater portion of the stock was destroyed or damaged by fire.
The fire raged from half-past four till destroyed or damaged by the water. nearly nine o’clock, by which time the whole of that portion of the block extending from No. 35 to No. 43, was left in ruins. The thin shell of a wall bulged out on the street as if it would topple down on the heads of the people below, and the interior, particularly in the premises of Van Horn, Murray & Coy, had all caved in.
The origin of the catastrophe could not be ascertained yesterday with any accuracy. No one was on the premises at the time, and, when the workmen left the factory on Saturday, everything appeared to be right. It is conjectured to have arisen from was located on the second floor near the rear of something defective in the engine-room which the premises. The watchman, it is said, was not on duty, having gone from the city for a holiday.
The Losses.
The following is a etatement of the losses and insurance so tar as could be ascertained yesterday. It is far from complete as to the latter particular, owing to the dificulty of obtaining information from the insurance companies, whose offices, of course, were all closed. The estimate given of the losses is as near as could be given the sufferers themselves, and from a survey of the ruins.
The stock of Van Horn, Murray & Coy was valued at $140,000. It was all destroyed. The balding is owned by Hon. N. Arnold, and by Myer & Fuller, and was valued at $50,000. The stock is insured in various Insurance Companies to the extent of $191,600. Myer & Fuller had an insurance on their building of $3,000 in the Mutual Security, which expired last week, and was not renewed. The actnal extent of insarance on the building we have not been able to ascertain.
The stock of Church & Cady was valued at $200,000. Of this about $120,000 worth has been destroyed. A considerable portion of the stock was only partially destroyed. The building, which is owned by the firm, was damaged to the extent of $20,000, and is insured for $13,000. The stock is insured for $35,000 in the following Insurance Companies:
Tolman, Pinkham & Coy’s wholesale drug store contained a stock valued at $100,000. The damage sustained by water and tire will reach about $50,000. The building, which 19 owned by Cornelins Price, and valued at $30,000, is not so much injured as the others. The loss will not exceed $5,000, and is fily covered by insurance. Tae stock is insured for $50,000, as follows:
The wholesale grocery store of Smith Brothers, next to that of Church & Cady, on South Water street, sustained some damage by the water. Probably $1,000 will cover the loss, which is fully covered by insurance.
The wholesale dry goods store of Carson, Pirie & Co., No. 20 Lake street, was a heavy sufferer by the fire. Only the fifth story was in flames, but the whole of the premises, from top to bottom, was thoroughly drenched with water, and the contents all, more or legs, destroyed. The loss on stock is estimated at $75,000, which is covered by insurance.
Jewett & Butler, No. 18 Lake street, a hardware store, sustained damage by water to the amonut of $3,000. Fully insured.
Whitney Brothers & Co., boot and shoe makers, No.22 Lake street, sustained a loss of about $1,000. Insured.
Van Horn, Murray & Cory employed in their factory upwards of forty young women, until who will thus be thrown out of employment until the firm can resume operations, which they expect to do within a few weeks, as soon as new machinery can be set up.
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