Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-12-18
ESTIC.
Fire and Loss of Life-FrighiIui Disaster
at Buffalo.

Fire and Less of Life-FrightIui Disaster
at Buffalo.
BUFFALO, December 18th. serious fire.
attended by heavy loss of life, occurred
this evening about o'clock. The fire was
discovered in the third story of the immense
fve-story building owned by George W.
Tiff, occupied by Birge & Sons, wall paper
manufacturers. The building is so feet front
by about 800 in depth, and about $50 men
and boys are employed at the present time
the business demanding extra help All of
the number were. at work, and in less than
twenty minutes after the alarm was given the
building was mass of flames. The walls
erumbled and fell, and probably buried
twenty to thirty employees. The doors to
the different rooms were hung to swing in,
and each had heavy spring closing them.
thereby retarding the egress Of the occupants.
The building was without fire escapes of any
kind. The terrified workmen jumped from
the windows, and many escaped with broken
bones and bruised bodies. Those in the
upper stories, unable to escape, appeared for
moment at the windows and then sank
back suffocated in smoke and flames.
THE KILLED, INJURED AND MISSING.
The following is list of those known to
be killed:
One of the foremen in the fifth story badly
burned and leaped to the ground; unrecog-
nizable his head and body mashed to a jel-
"; supposed to be Thomas Fields.
John Malone, aged 49, jumped from the
fifth story killed.
William Berry, fatally injured in the head,
spine and inwardly; jumped from the fourth
story.
John Griffin jumped from The fourth
floor; right arm broken and badly injured in
ternally.
Moses Maloney, leg fractured; jumped
frem the fifth story.
Patrick O'Brien, badly burned about the
head and back, and arm broken.
Ed. Mccormick, jumped from the fifth
3Oor; badly cut on the head.
Joseph Malone, brother of John Malone,
5Umped from the fifth floor fractured leg
qAnd broken arm.
Mike O'Brien, right leg broken.
The following aremissing, and are supposed
to be in the ruins: Stephen Haclzett, Martin
MCGEE, Peter Swarder, John and James
iStoul (brothersl, Jay Voltz.
THE LOSSES.
The flames next communicated to the
u MON malt-house, adjoining, also the prop
erty of Geo. W. Tiff, which was destroyed.
The building was three stories high, 60 feet
wide, 200 feet long, containing S25, 900 worth
OF grain, the property of John B. Manning.
The loss can be estimated only at present,
and is placed at the following figures: Geo.
w. Tiff, on building, S105,0OO; Birge &
Sons, machinery and paper stock, $15O,OO0;
John B. Manning, grain, $4,000; City En-
gine-house, 50, 900, BY falling walls. The in
surance is estimated at $3.50, 900.
INCIDENTS OF THE DISASTER.
James Ryan and John Kennedy, employed
in the fourth floor of the Birge building
jumped to the ground, escaping with only
slight bruises.
A small boy, name unknown, was seen to
jump from the fifth floor, caught hold of
Telegraph wire, which broke, and sliding
down the wire escaped with only badly cut
hands.
The parents and friends of the dead and
missing ones surround the ruins.
The streets are full of rumors, and prob
ably the list of ''llnown to be killed viii be
more than doubled when the smoking bricks
and ruins can be removed.
sherman ON Grant and the Proposed
Captain-Generaicy.
New York, December 17th.- General |
Sherman writes to a friend here as follows:
Lest you and my personal friends may be dis
turbed by the stories again put in circulation, in
consequence OF the recommendation in the Pres- |
dents message, to make General U. S. Grant Cap |
tain General, viii explain my case to you. When |
General Grant nominated for President, in the |
first instance, in 1865, he volunteered to the |
opinion that when his term WIS out, he would not /
desire to regain command OF the army. as it would /
be unjust to me. have never heard him since say |
a word to indicate a change in that opinion and /
do not believe he or his friends suggested the PresI
dents idea Of the Captain Generally, or OF regain
ing place the army retired list. There is no
reason why President may not be retired the same
as the members of the supreme Court. General |
Hancock when candidate for President in June |
last used this language in private letter to me
To surrender the position of senior Major General
is not safe thing 10 do could not even retire in
such a contingency with the benefits ordinarily at
tached to such action, for the Gommander-ln-C Chief
Of the Army and Navy could be on the retired list
of any service AS 10 nay retiring, you know | will
not be 62 years old until 1882, and the rumor Of my
intending voluntarily TO retire grew out of an ex
pressed desire To manage as to bring Lieutenant
General Sheridan to Washington, and thus to leave
the three military divisions for the three Major
Generals now ON the army register But as the |
President has just indicated a new fourth commits
Mai thatfl has
passed, and am in measure committed as 10 my /
future action. The service is embarrassed already |
with too much rank for our small army. don't |
know what Captain General viii ind TO do. There |
never was such an officer in the United States, and |
It Will need legislation TO create and define such
office. viii take my own time and course of ac-
tion when the emergency comes As always, your |
friend. WIN. I. SHERMAN.
phia.
PHILADELPHIA, December 18TH = Last /
night the Sophomore class of the University
of Pennsylvania had cremation of the old
textbooks used by them during the past
term. The cremation exercises occurred on
the college grounds. and the students arrived
about half past o'clock, accompanied by an
escort of about thirty policemen, as it had
been limited during the day that the medical
students would break up the exercises for an
alleged affront given at their Commencement
last summer. When the Sophomores, to the
number of fifty, arrived, they found several
hundred medical students gathered, who
shouted aud hooted at the Sophemores. Sew
eral breaks in the ropes which surrounded
the cremationists were made, and then po-
liceman discharged his pistol. This was the
cause of a general rush of students, and the
policemen were nearly overpowered They
-sken made an arrest. and this led TO throwing
bucks, rotten eggs. etc. Several policemen
asere injured one seriously, by being struck
an the head with brick. Another claims t.