Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-12-21

While the fire was in progress. a fire
man near the entrance on Washington
street saw a strange sight. An undersized,
fredericksburg woman came staggering
out, carrying literally on her back and
shoulders man weighing apparently $50
pounds. Thinking the man was hurt, as
sistance was offered. 1t appeared, how
ever, that the man (who was the father of
the girD was paralyzed on one side, and
that, fearing he would be unable to make
his way out, his daughter had lifted him
up bodily and carried him from the par
Quet to the front entrance. She desired
no further help than the placing of him
on car, and left the scene before his
name could be ascertained.
A woman came into the station-hou
leading a man by the hand. His face was
badly cut, the skin of the forehead falling
partially over the eyes. She stood for a
minute talking, apparently trying to
cheer him up. Suddenly she looked,
started back, and gazed earnestly for a
moment at his face, and then dropped
his hand and exclaimed in tones of deep
est anguish: My God, this is not jack
She half staggered into the street and was
at once lost in the immense crowd that
surrounded the doors.
One Of the most repulsive features at
the Brooklyn Morgue was the number of
persons who possibly obtained passes for
admission under the pretenSe of having
friends or relatives there. Showing no re-
spect whatever for those who were really
there for the purpose of identifying
friends, they walked about among the
bodies and now and then cut piece from
some garment as memento, until the
practice was stopped by the police.
Strange to say, these curiosity seekers
were principally women.
Among the first, and perhaps the first,
of those whose bravery made them con-
spicuous in Tuesday nights catastrophe,
was Officer Patrick McKeon, who, like
Simmons, the engineer hero of the New
Hamburg railroad accident some years
since, lost his life because he would not
leave his post. On the night of the fire
this brave officers station was in the up
per gallery of the theater. At the first
alarm he was up and ready. Eye-wit-
nesses say that he was perfectly cool,
and used his best endeavors to reassure
the people. The panic there, however,
was beyond the power of one man or one
hundred to assuage. The flames were
leaping and racing from pit to dome,
while volumes of thick smoke rolled one
upon another into the upper tiers as if
they had been discharged from the mouths
of cannon McKeon endeavored to di-
rect the people out, say eye-witnesses, but
to no purpose Men and women crushed
about him frantically, and, while he
stood, caught hold of the skirts of his
coat until they almost dragged it from
his back. McKeon saw that reasoning
with the frightened crowd was use
less. But he made last trial. With
an effort he swung himself clear of
those who hung upon him and sprang
upon seat; then rapidly, but with
perfect self-possession, he stripped off
his coat, which he threw upon the rail
ing of the gallery, and, giving glance
down at the stage, cried out in voice of
thunder: Help yourselves if you can =
go for the dOors!" and added, as the peo-
pie Startled into obedience by the empha-
sis of his appeaD f1ocked toward the doors
as he had directed, Now | have done all
[ cam" To the last, as all accounts agree,
the brave officer exerted himself for 9th
ers and took no heed for himself; and
when the smoke settled thickly around
about him and choEed him beyond endur-
ance, he gave up-nOt his post, but his
life. His body, together with that of ex-
Officer Lott, was found yesterday, with
his truncheon grasped tightly in the hand.
His head and side were burned complete
ly away, and he was only identified by
the truncheon and his watch.-N. Y.
World