The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-02-25
Appalling Calamity at Chester, Pa.

Early on Friday morning OF last week the
Pennsylvania Military Academy at Chester
was destroyed by fire, invoyinga loss OF many
thousand dollars worth OF property, besides
being most serious loss to the business IN
terest OF the town.
The fire department had barely come away
from the ruins OF the Academy when another
alarm was sounded, aud it was found that the
old Porter Mansion was on fire. This stood
on the bank of the river, and was owned by
Admiral Porter, of the [. s. navy. 1t was the
old Porter homestead and in its day had been
the finest and most stately mansion IN that
part of the country but for some years past it
had been allowed to 20 to decay, and was, at
the time of the fire, occupied by ;. W. Jack.
son, of Philadelphia as "a mandatory OF fire.
works, being at the time in charge of a man
named Bagshaw, "A Colored family also occupy
Ing rooms on the ground floor. When the
crowd had grown TO considerable proportions
and the men were at work near ana upon the
roof of an extension of the burning building,
II tremendous explosion occurred, hurting the
TOoi Oh Tue Iehi acultlOn pi tue STuCtuIt luto
the air, the manglcd bodies OF tremen upon 1t
into the great trees near 10y, and the walls out.
ward IN fragments upon the curious crowd.
The shower of stones and timber killed and
wounded over forty people. An eyewitness
thus describes the scene in the \. !. HcrGid.
Without warning walls aud men were swal.
lowed up in an eruption OF flame \ shower
OF stones and broken timbers filled the air,
and after mOmCnl OF CONSERVATION followed
"A panic The groans of wounded and dying
were heard on all sides, The fire engines were
so badly damaged that they stopped working,
and the great crowd surgcd back over the dead
aud wounded. Away up among the tree tops,
huttcrng pieces OF clothing were seen, and an
investigation showed that they marked the
track followed by the body of poor Tony Bar.
bOur, volunteer fireman, who had been
standing on the root of the annexed building
A moment later the iircmen who had been
seen by his side before the flash, was dlscOv.
cred lodged among the burning rattcrs Of the
main structure. There in full sight of thOus
and persons, Perry Williams, quiverng and
writheing IN deadly agony, roasted. His hands
were burned OF, his eyes ana ears were con.
sumed but he still lived for twenty minutes
All around the grounds, and even far up the
streets lay the dead and wounded Three men
who were standing together on third street,
nearly block away, were instantly killed by
| flying pieces OF stone. Their brains were
dashed out upon the pavement. Into this same
street the dead and dying were carried and
laid out side by side on the pavement The
little thoroughfare became Tor the time hos.
piial. Dispatches and messenger boys were
sent for every physician IN town, and Drs.
Storrs, Perkins, Mott, Delaney, Miliner, Fer.
wood, Ulrich. Weston and Jciierics were soon
on the ground To give what relief was possible.
One by one the bodies Of the dead were moved,
and finally the wounded were taken to their
homes, but the street looked like the shaubes
throughout the day. Great masses of cotted
blood gathered in the cutters, AT which the
rustic villagers looked with awful fascination
| The smoking ruins were avoided by every
body. The long lines of hose remained where
they had been LAID covered in many places
with masses of rock and rubbish Shattered
windows were seen in all directions. A deem
gloom settled down over tho town ruhrnt nn
/ by any activity ia traIu. Tao Cd.dIliIi, 10 uGu
whose horrors Will endure through many scn.
eratlons of the Chester folk