St. Landry democrat., 1883-09-15
A HATEFUL FIRE.

Disastrous CONFEDERATION In Cincinnati
-Four Girls Perish in the Flames-Thrilf-
ing Episodes Among. the Firemen-Fatal
Casualties and Miraculous Escapes.
CINCINNATI o., Sept. 3,
AT 2:35 this afternoon fire broke out on
the first floor of the rag department Of
Henry brennan &c Co., No. 232 Walnut
street. In an instant the flames were COM
municated to the rest of the building, and
before the fire department arrived had
communicated itself to the fourth story.
In few minutes the Times Star building
adjoining caught fire, and the flames
spread with great rapidity through tho
upper portion, where the printers were
employed. At three p. m. the fremen
were playing two powerful streams on the
front of the big building, Nos. 232 and 234
Walnut Meanwhile the ladders were at
two windows, wide apart, while four fire.
men were on each ladder handling the hose
to put heavier stream on the upper
stories. Suddenly T. low, then louoer,
| rumbling was heard. It increased like
thunder. The firemen commenced moving
from the building. The fremen fell
and jumped from the ladders. The
crash came and the middle part Of the
building parted and fell in and down.
The ladder on the north side toppled
with the falling brick and stone, with one
fireman hanging by one arm to rung.
The crowd held it's breath, expecting to see
him fall to his death. But he hung and was
safe. Then a tremendous cheer went up as
he swung his hat to the crowd below. Dan
Malone, at the top of the ladder, started to
slide down, and when half way down
,,o1, Ta},. fn of nfr nd Ta1I nY<
Company No. /, throwing him from the lad
der to the ground, about twenty feet. He
was picked up almost insensibie, all cover
ed with mud and bleeding. He uttered one
groan, but never spoke. He is severely cut
about the head and back, and it is feared
internally injured. He was carried to
Lewis store opposite, and the first words
the brave fellow uttered were: Don't tell
my wife, she will soon be mother" Al
most at the same time the entire front wall
bulged and Jack Schaler, who was on the
other ladder, started to come down, when,
with an awful crash, the wall, fell, but
crumbled at the bottom and did not fall out
very far into the street. The moment the
two firemen fell from the ladder groan
went up from thousand threats. Schiller
hung with deathlike grip, and by mira
Gle the ladder caught on the extreme end
of ioist. and Schiller slid to the ground
| amid the cheers of 10, 900 people.
When the fire started Gus Huber, a pack
err, was on the third floor, but the flames
had gained such Roadway that he was almost
cut off from escape. He, however, made
the perilous move down the stairway and
| succeeded in reaching the ground floor
where he fell unconscious, He was burned
horribly about the head and body, his face
being charred almost to a crisp. He was
| taken to Keeshan's and then to the hospital.
| He can not recover. O'Neill, fireman,
| was struck with q falling brick and knocked
| TO the ground, Dora Memken and Stella
Meirs, when the blaze started, were in the
| second floor of the bremen building, and,
seeing that they could not get down the
| stairway. Jumped out of the window. They
| claimed that another girl was in the build
ing who was afraid to lump. and they were
| CRYING and praying for her safety. The
| most frantic spectators of the scene were
| the mothers of Rosa Liddle, Mary Burke
| and Annie LYNCH The three girls were
missing, and were last seen on the third
| floor of the bremen building. Their mothers
| are frantic with grief, and are running ev-
| erywhere in quest of their daughters. Mary
FLYNN. living at 26 McMicken avenue,
| Jumped out of the third floor of Dremen's
| home in the patrol wagon.
Tho third fourth fifth and sixth floors Of
| the Times Star building are completely
Quilted. The news and mailing departments
az are luineo. me press an 80
that from the water Managing Editor
Leonard says the paper will be issued to-
| morrow, but els laboring under great dlftl'
cuitles TO 40 SO; ;dd1a Now
p,1r,e se and AN an,,ia fpnch are still missing.
and it is almost certain that they have per-
| ished in the ruins. Later on it was report
ed that Nellie Kelly was missing. one was
working with the other girls on the 5hll rl
i1oor OF the rag warehouse, ana Is NO doupo
victim OF the ire. About SIX O'Clock, las as
nook ana ladder was returnlns lou oi y
| fire, passing rapidly along Slxtn sGree6, ~
made sudden veer, caused by stf1klng IN
rut, and caught Henry HarretG i between as