The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-09-25

the building, tho HrHInen we're unable To force
| water up sufficiently high At one time |
to quiet the inmates and prevent panic wpr,
successful; but the fire was then burninf
| under the cornices and soon the dom,
tell with q, tremendous crash. Nobod,
, wss injured personally by this fire.
wnlcn completely reduced the build
| Ing. leaving only the Common street wing
standing. The sparks lighted On what wat
Known 90 "Ciapps Church" which was ther
situated where the Western Union Telegraph
once now is, and entirely consumed 1t. The
ilremen played On the adjacent buildings ant
prevented Immediate contagion, but The
aparks succeeded In reaching the Methodist
yhurch, ht the corner of Oarondelet and Poy.
dras Streets damaging It considerably, The
department was occupied fully fifteen hours
playing on the IT. Charles Hotel
THE NEXT MOST EXTENSIVE FIRE,
In fact, the greatest In point Of number
which has ever occurred In New Orleans
was that on Esplanade street on December !
1876 In which BIO houses were consumed
Chief OConner attributes this calamity, which
made one OF the handsOmest bOulevards 81
tute as blackened wilderness, entirely. to the
lack Of water. When he reached the place 81
Its oriEination, Columbus and Esplanade
streets, the fire was tined 10 q small house,
and ono engine with an adequate supply Of
water, could have kept 1t there. There had been
dry spell for some time. the pipes from the
river were choked up and high wind pre-
vailed. Hence the calamity which led to 30
great o destruction Of property.
Considering the noted intrepldity OF our
tiremen It 10 remarked that SO comparatively
few fatal consequences occurred to them dur
ing the existence OF tho fire department.
Several tragic results were experienced. and
THE MEMORY or THE DEAD
is pnshrined. not only In the hearts Of their
companions, but COMMUNICATED by entabla-
lures at the cemetery or at the engine-house.
AS already stated. the first victim was Trad
extant was named He was foreman Of Mis-
sissippi No. 3 and was with his men at y fire
which occurred on Camp street, nearly oppo-
site Commercial Place, In 1850, or thereabonts.
Forcing his way with a hose. to the upper
story, he fell through the hatchway and was
instantly killed.
In 1868 lire occurred on Magazine street,
opposite the st. james Hotel In which two
members Of Mississippi No. 2, Mcleod and
Woodruff. were killed by crumbling wall.
eral day, In the commercial section Tchoupi-
toulas, Magazine, Lafayette and Poydrns
streets resulted III the injury OF eight or ten
tiremen, but, fortunately, oil recovered. Bart
tlestan Clayton and Strawbrttlge, Of Ameri-
Delaland, Of Pelican No. 4. we're killed In 1860
at lire on Galvez street by a
falling wall. AT this fire James Ross,
OF American No. ., sustained such Injuries
that he died soon afterward.
I'm 1864 ID fire occurred on New Levee street,
near Gravier, In which Mike Buckley, of No
I'll, was killed and several other firemen in
iured. Buckley had been
CAUGHT TN THE BUILDING
BY the heavy timbers and as securely fastened
as In the stocks. The fastening did not reach
above the legs, but II sufficah to render him u
helpless captive. Every effort was made by
his comrades to save him amid flying rafters
and darling flames, but all proved Intellectual.
His words mt the time are worthy OF record
Many lesser hero has been tmmortalized by
the bard and the historian, and few showed
the same resignation to O certain and terri
Bile fate. III the midst OF falling walls and
timbers he cried out to his companions:
leave me alone; save yourselves" The
cracking of the Wnll under which they were
stumbling forced his friends reluctantly aud
sorrowfully to leave him, aud the next seen
OF Mike Buckley was his mangled remains
under the ruins.
In 1866 young Maillott, or Mississippi No.
q WINS killed by falling through haten way,
| at a fire on Magazine street, between Puydras
| and Natchez In 1869 eight men we're severe
~ injured, ut a fire which occurred at the cor
ner OF Canal and Front streets. by falling
walla, but none OF the Injuries resulted fatal
ly. Mr.. NCnnnor stated that at this time
Major q. a. Burke, who was chief engineer of
the Galveston fire department., was Ou visit
10 NOW OIIGhua. liHlEIflR LNA GILL, M " GOU-
nor sold, Major Burke joined the local depart
mont and appeared at his first fire ia New
Orleans. While enrieavorng to force the iron
shutters. Major Burke and eight or ten
others were discovered In the second-story OF
the building surrounded by flames, which
they impotently endeavored to subIne. See
Ing danger Of the walt falling, they were
ordered out, and us they LETT it crumhlnd,
Wounding eight men, among them Muior
Burke.
r. i,l, H. - i 4,
fire which occurred 1T the old Varieties The-
atre, OH Gravier street, and tiremaQ named
GIavier died shortly afterward Of wounds re-
ceiyed at the same fire. The record OF their
tragic deaths is still preserved In the compa-
MES to which they respectively belonged.
On July 15. 1878, at the fire which consumed
the
MADISON sCHOoL-HoUsE,
Hartnett and Lehr, of Columbia No. 5, gave
up their lives In the performance of their
duty. Tho particulars of this most sad and
tragic affair must yet be fresh in the minds
OF the readers Of the DEMOCRAT. The flames
had already consumed five houses whe1r tho
Madison school-house found Itself invaded
and environed. In endeavoring to direct the
hose the more effectively, Hartnett and Lehr
conceived Q desperate thought.to gain the
railing OF the front gallery and play upon the
they succeeded in reaching the railing, but no
sooner had they done So than wall went up
which carried terror far around The wall
came tumbling down. buryinR the two hardy
fremen under the ruins. Soon after their
charred and mangled remains were dragged
from under the burning mass, but though life
wac not yet extinct In either, 1t did not pro-
long the agony Of living much longer. When
the new and magnificent school-house now
seen was erected on the ruins OF the old, the
board Of school directors thoughtfully caused
q tablet to be inscribed and placed In the wall
where Lehr and Hartnett we're killed, and it
was made the occasion Of fitting ceremonies
on It's unwilling. 1t bears the following in
scription:
Dedicated to the Memory
of
JOSEPH W. HARTNETT AND MICHAEL LEHR.
Who lost their lives In the Destruction by fire
Of the
Madison School. house.
Monday July Is. 1878,
While In discharge Of their duties as members
Of Columbia Steam Fire Company ho.5.
New Orleans Fire Department.
The latest name added to this