Mme. Celloni’s, for twenty years renowned as a gathering place for Chicago’s litterati, adjoins the burned building on the south. It was flooded by water, shaken by explosions and overrun by firemen, who fought to confine the flames to the May rooms.
The damage to the building, which was a three-story brick, and contents of the paint house is $65,000. The loss on paintings, decorations and furnishings in Mme. Celloni’s is placed at $5,000. All is reported covered by insurance.
The injured men were employes of the paint company. Driven by a succession of explosions to the roof, they were hemmed in by flames. They slid down a rope to safety. The injured are:
Joseph Hinners, 312 North Wilson avenue; hands and face burned.
Michael Lorenz, 614 William square; hands burned, right wrist sprained.
William Gee, 6651 North Washington street; hands cut and burned.
James Green, 84 New street; body bruised and contused.
Charles Speer, 916 First street; body bruised.
The men were at work on the third floor when the alarm was sounded. The stairway was in flames and three explosions of wood alcohol tanks in the basement and minor explosions caused by the ignition of smaller containers of oil on the third floor drove them to the roof.
[Pg 117]