The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1872-06-27
Death by Fire.

5 I-ence OF the IeatE OF hIs son John Kat
terson, by fire in that city On that day.
/ The news soon spread, and many were the
anxious inquiries made in regard to the
terrible event, as young Patterson was well
/ known and universally respected and liked
/ BY all, but beyond the meagre announcement
in the dispatch, no information could be
obtained. We copy from the Chicago
I Post of Saturday last, the full particulars
Of this most terrible calamity, which has
brought such woe to many hearts. The
/ following is the account alluded to:
+ 1.-THE first fatal fire in the business dis
/ trict since the great fire of last October
/ was sounded this morning from box 3.
/ The place in flames was No. II South
/ Water street. four-storv brick building
owned by VIM. Kicking, formerly of Otta-
wa, now living at No. l0i Calumet avenue.
! The building was rented by Ii. Finck, who
occupied the first floor as restaurant and
/ bar-room. ID the back part George Hern-
j stem and Jacob Linton were sleeping.
+ The front part Of the basemen was occu-
/ pied as barber shop by Joseph Masselly,
who had only been in three days. The
second and third floors were unoccupied,
+ having been swept out yesterday. The
/ fourth floor was occupied by Herman &
/ Seeger Bros, as 4 cigar manufactory. On
/ this floor two young men named Theodore
| Becker and August Seeger had sleeping
apartments.
/ The fire was first discovered by Jacob
Linton who was d runner for the restau-
rant kept by Finck. lie heard a noise
which seemed as if some one was getting
into the store, and in few minutes he
was walked again by glare of light. lie
! Immediately called on the young man who
! slept in the same room with him, and
went to the front part of the store and
found Il small fame issuing from behind
and above the gas meter. Throwing
pail of water upon it, he was going back
for another when a heavy explosion of the
meter with the sound of a cannon, shook
/ the building and scattered the pieces Of
/ the meter all over the floor. All the
/ young men Immediately left the building,
/ shouting for those who slept on the fourth
/ floor to come down. The pounding and
shouting Vi oke them and they came down
without any clothing except their shirts.
When they left the fourth floor there was
no fire there, but the front stairs Of the
first floor were in flames. In few mo-
meuts the Waterman from the Illinois
Central depot came with Babcock extin-
guishers Ucrnston could not approach
The front door. He threw the keys through
the glass Of the window and the door was
+ opened from the outside. Engine No. Is
/ then came on the ground and took up
/ station at the rear of the building. BY
/ this time the flames were bursting out of
j the third story windows. In another min
4 ute the Fire Patrol came up, aud David F.
/ Donnelly, followed by John Patterson,
James McManus, David Shippy and At
! kins went into the bniliing on the first
| floor. They had scarcely entered when a
second explosion from the gas which had
escaped from the now open gas pipes,
! knocked them down and stupefied them.
/ McManus, Shipry and Patterson re-
turned. The back door was broken open
by the Captain of the Ellsworth. All
were rescued with the exception of Pat
terson, who fell within four or five feet Of
safety The room was 50 flied with smoke
aud gas that the fremen were unable to
see a single foot before them, but McManus
told the Captain of the Ellsworth that
other men were inside. \ lantern was
obtained, and in a moment the body of
Patterson was rescued, with the heart
still beating. He was taken to the alley,
but died almost instantly thereafter. No
trace of Donnely could be found and it
was not until the Chief came on the ground
that his body was discovered with the hand
resting against the front door onc-balf of
which was shut. When found he was
: burned beyond recognition. His badge
was brought to the Yire Patrol station
this morning, it having fallen from his
breast in the struggle for life. Atkins
escaped with his life by going down the
/ dumb waiter into the kitchen Of tie res
taurant III the basement, and escaping
thence 10y the window.
David Z. Donnelly, Assistant Captain of
the Fire PATROL was about 81 years old, and
had been connected with the Fire Depart
ment ever since he WAS boy. lie was
universally respected by the members of
the force who knew him. lie has a moth
cr living in Phi ladelphia and his remains
will be taken there to rest with those Of his
wife, whose picture he always carried cx-
ccpt when he went to fires, and which he
has frequently requested should be buried
with him in his coffin. John Patterson
was about u years old, and had not been
connected with the fire patrol one week at
the time of his death. lie joined June 18th
and this was the first fire he had attended.
/ His body awaits a telegram from his father
who lives in Manitowoc, Wis.
Both Atkins and Shippy were badly
/ burned in the face and hands, and they
We're taken home; the former to the city
limits on the north side, near Lincoln park,
the latter to South Park avenue, near
! Twenty street. McManus was
slightly bnrned on the hands.
The verdict of the Coroncr's jury, i'm
rancled this morning. was, that John Pat
terson ana David +. Donnelly came to their
death from suffocatiOn and burns received
by the explosion of "A gas meter on the
premises known as No. u South Water
street.
From the Chicago Utter Ocean June %.
4 LARGE gathering assembled yesterday afternoon
to do tie last touors to the remains IF John Patter
/ son anu David Donreilv. the two gallant hremen
/ no fell It post OF duty SatEr az orniug
/ Is. TIE patrol Dui ding draped in mourning
with the IA al half-mast. They were iaii in state
in tae third story .inco in ele-..ht burial cak +
/ on tue too OF which ~ere wTe Il : OF flowers. and
lie helmets Of the se !. E tci coffin had sii-
/ Yer u!Lte Inscribed WITH the names and date Of
! Geath. Alter a dlrIe b, the band. Rev, Father
Noonan read tie beautiful hurIai service of the
/ Catholic Churca Ten comades OF tie deceased,
/ ar;iied III the neat fatigue CTm OF trU.-
I black paRtaioons, " shrts ana heimetS-aC'ei IS
pal bearers, and conve ed the ains 10 the two
Hearses In waltin. \ procession. CONFUSED o
tie members OF the Bo Ri OF Cu8,i riterS. tl-sPo-
ice Co.-mis sionors, ,hy members 10 The Fire Pr
tot tour delegates IRON eac. en45ue-hoCse. tie
in.UTTu patTo-utun ut the relatives ~ tie -sCea--
accompanied the rem. ms o h"nuel'tu II. .tuC- ii
the Pittsburgh- Fort Wasuo sri Chicago Id.lroad,
whtIe the were .lyeH L. ,Et~-e 81 ms brother t.
be conveyed to Philade,phIa. tae body otP-tteT-
( then taaeu TO the troa8ricA .c6 {, re
i sent 10 his ho.Ie IL NJ nltoTuc
The BODY o. tie Inflated voun- received
/ Iere ,csterday morning by the steamer She1uvZar.
whence they were conveyed 10 the First Presby-
terrain Chlrch. In tle afternoon a large concourse
of the friends and relatives o. the deceased, the
Fire Department and citizens generally, ass amb e.
at the church II 40 ine last saa honors 10 the re-
/ mars whom t ey loved and respected The
funeral services were conducted by Rev. John
Pattcr son, after which the procession marched TO
the cemetery where were deposited the remains OF
/ ono p-hh died IS Of nfy