River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-12-22
FURIOUS FIRES.
a Heart KendinG Holocaust Near
Pitfsburg, PA, and a Million Dollar
Eslaze at Chicago.
SIXTEEN MEN BURNED TO DEATH.

SIXTEEN MEN BURNED TO DEATH.
PITrsBuRG, Dec. 10.-News of the
terrible and shocking holocaust which
occurred at Rock Cut, seven miles from
this city. this morning, about 8 o'clock,
by which sixteen men were burned to
death and q number fatally burned,
has been received here. The fire oc-
cured in a boarding house, i'll which
there were nearly 80 workmen, en-
ployed at David Island. Particulars
later.
HORRORS, THICK AND FAST.
PrrrsBuRG, Dec. 10.-The horrors of
Pittsburg follow close on the heels of
each other. Last evening, terrible
explosion occurred at the Keystone
rolling mills, in the Fourteenth ward.
but this morning comes another, which
exceeds in horror anything which has
occurred in this vicinity since the terri
bic destruction of life caused by the
collision at Twenty eighth street. Ear
ly this morning, frame boarding house
located on the line of the Pittsburg d
Lake Erie railroad, some seven miles
below this city, was set on fire by the
EXPLOSION OF LAMP,
and Of 40 pesons known to be sleeping
in the building, only "a escaped alive,
and even they were all more or less
burned, and not one of them succeeded
in securing his clothes, SO rapid was
the progress of the flames. The others
were literally roasted to death, without
the possibility of an effort being made
to rescue them. The origin of the
flames which brought such terrible de-
structi, to human life and which
caused 81 y agony to those who
Escape FROM THE DEATH TRAP,
was the upsetting and explosion OF
kerosene oil lamp. The story, es told
by an eyewitness, was as follows: Be
tween 2 ard 8 A. NJ, Mr.. Kown, the
boarding house keeper, arose and kin
died fire IN the kitchen stove. He
left lighted lamp on the table, near
the door leading to the dining room,
and went TO arouse his wife and ser
want girl. While he was gone an ex-
plosiou occurred, and in an instant the
| dining-room was filed with flames.
Mr.. Kown succeeded in escaping with
his wife and girls, but could do no
more than call on those upstairs to
ESCAPE FOR THEIR LIVES.
In another moment, the flames had en-
veloped the stairway, thus cutting oil
means of escape for those above.
FILLED WITH CoMBUsTIBLEs.
The loft was filed with straw and
other combustible material used as bed
ding, and it was only those who were
nearest to the opening who could make
their exit. The occupants in the rooms
were supplied by the sitting smoke.
The norrid flames rapidly licked up the
floor and filed the lott with smoke.
The scene battles description.
Twenty-three of the occupants of the
loft succeeded in squeezing through
the openings some with their under
clothes on, and the others rushed fran
tically about the room, first to one end
and then to the other, their location
being known by their cries, until the
smoke smo hered them, and their
voices were sti1ed in less time than il
takes to tell it. The building was
WRAPPED IN SHEETS OF FIRE,
and the survivors could only writhe il
pain and shiver in the frosty air of the
early morning. AS soon as possible
word was sent to the other boarding
houses along the line of work in pro
gress, and physicians were summoned
from the neighborhood and city
Special engines were sent down on the
Pittsburg Il Lake road, and in the
meanwhile
THE sHIvERING CREATURES
were covered with such clothes a;
could be obtained. The seriously injur
ed were brought to the depot ard re
moved to the West Pennsylvania hos
pital, while those who were less seri
ously burned were removed to the
hotel of Martin Joyce. on Pennsyl
vania Avenue. The scenes, this morn
ing. at the site of the -fated building
were of a sickening character. In {
heap, III one corner of the ruins. were
THE CHARRED REMAINS
of six men, who had, evidently, sue
cumbed to the fiery element while en-
deavoring to escape through an open
ing in the roof Among those was the
body of Patrick Foley, one of the fore
men.
From the best sources of informa
ton, the following is list of those who
are known to be
MISSING OR DEAD.
There are others yet to be added tC
the list: Patrick Foley, Michael Dona
hue, Thos. Foster, James Curran, join
Reilly, John Kennedy, Jerry Hanl0n
John Calnorsa, John Conley and
John Duffy.
WOUNDED.
Among those sent to the hospita'
are John Connolly, Martin Taffy, Mi
chael Morgan, Michael Leonard, Hugh
Nick con and VIM. Barr.
PITrsBURG, Dec. 10.-kfter the ex.
element subsidized list of those known
to have been sleeping in the building
last Eight was made out, and it was
found that nine men persisted in the
flames, as follows; Pat. Foley, section
boss, so years old, native of county
Galway, Ireland, single; NJ. Donahuc,
aged so, single; Andrew Doyle, aged
gle; Jerry Hanlon, aged So, single. Jas.
Kernes, aged 30, single; John Riley,
aged 80, single; Sno. Duffy, aged 50,
single; Jno. Kenney, aged 80, single;
Thos Foster, aged %, single. None o!
these have fixed residences. The
wounded are as follows: Michael Nor
gan, Worcester, Mass, fearful burns
about his head and body, he will die;
John Connolly, of Pittsburg, deep burns
on face and hands, he cannot recover;
Martin Loffey, wife and family in Ire
land, badly burned about the face and
body, likely to die; Michael Leonard,
of Pittsburg, seriously but not fatally
burned; ii. McCune, boarding house
keeper, burned and trampled on, re
covery probable; VIM. Barr, burned
! slightly; Edward Cullin, hurt about the
feet, not serious; Matt. Clancy, of New
York, burned about the feet, rot seri-
Gus; Montgomery Bush, of Washing
ton county, Mo. (wife and family there),
bruised and trampled upon, will get
well; Jno. Riley. badly hurt about the
feet, and painfully burned, will recover;
Aug. l.. Campbell, slightly burned.
BIG FIRE.
CHICAGO, Dec. 10.-The large four
story brick warehouse of d. M. Os-
borne & Co, on South Logan street,
was entirely destroyed by fire this
morning. The alarm sounded abont
4 O'Clock, but the flames had gained
such Roadway that it was impossible
FIR tn o fir. dano rtrnppt tn siIiadtIa them