St. Landry democrat., 1885-01-03
cREMATED IN AN ELEVATOR.

Two Lives Lost IN q burning Elevator at
Dallas, Tex.-A BoyNIissing and Supposed
to Have Also Perished-Loss on Building
and Grain $4,000.
DALLAS, TEX, December27.
About eleven O'Clock yesterday morn
ing the cry of fire was heard on Lamar
street, and volumes of smoke were seen
to roll heavily from the elevator of Rain
water & Starns. The vicinity was soon
packed with humanity and the fire depart
ment. It was found that the elevator
was ON fire to an extent which from the
outside precluded the idea of suppressing
the flames. Freight cars of the Central
Railroad within few steps OF the
building seriously interfered with
the handling of the hose. 1t
was soon noised about that two men
were in the building, and scarcely had
this started before hat was thrown
from window in the top story. This
was conclusive proof that there was q
man in the house and that he asked
for assistance, and the excitement be-
came intense. Mr.. Dave RainWater,
who was confined at his home with
rheumatism, was quickly on the
ground in spite of his condition,
and offered $4,000 reward for the
rescue of each of the men supposed to
be in the building. He said he knew
they were in the building because John
Keller, one of them, had lived with him
for years and would be at the fire if he
ho6 10 1ni
in which the elevator was built, and said
if the fire cut off egress by the stairs
there was no way of escape. The
windows were fourteen feet from the
floor and could not be reached without
ladder from the inside.
NO HOPE.
A ladder was run up to the window
from which the hat came, but the man
who went to the window was driven away
by the flames and smoke. The ladders
were lowered and work commenced to-
wards the suppression of the fire. 1t
soon enveloped the whole inside of the
building, and all efforts towards suppress
sion were unayailing. 1t roared through
the lower apartments on the wheat, corn
and oats, burning away the supports of
bulk of grain, which poured out the
door.
When the fall came and the grain COM
menced pouring through the doors, the
charred form of a man came with it. 1t
was quickly taken up, placed on blanket
and taken to the Morgue. Soon another
body came through the same door, but it
was quickly covered by the grain, and
hn str 70
removal. The body recovered was
charred beyond all recognition. The feet
to the knees and the hands to the elbows
were burned off, and there was not
vestige of skin to tell whether the man
was white or black.
WHO THEY WERE.
The two men in the elevator were
John Keller and Joe Evans. Keller was
an unmarried white man twenty-five
years of age and had been in the employ
of the elevator for years. He was with
it when the elevator formerly burned
down. He was an industrious and ex-
emplary young man, and lived in Mr..
RainWater's family. The family are
much affected over his death. Keller was
also member of the Dallas Rife Com
pany, and will be buried with military
hOnOrs.
Joe Evans was colored man thirty
years of age, and had also been with Mr..
Rainwater. for years. He was Industrious
and faithful, and well liked by all who
knew him. He was married man and
had one child.
This evening boy, about twelve years
of age, named Dean, is missing, and is
believed to have been also burned up, as
he was generally about the elevator, and
was in the building shortly before it
caught fire.
The insurance and losses are not en-
tirely made up. The grain loss is esti-
mated at about $4,000; the stock was
insured for $4,000. The elevator build
ing was worth about $50, 1000; insured for
$4,000.