The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-20
THE DISASTER AT KANKAKEE.
Remains of Five More Victims Recovered
The Testimony Before the Coroner's Jury.

KANKAKEE, ILL.,, Jan. 19--The bodies of the
five remaining victims of the fire were rescued
to-day, as follows: Alfred Runyard, of Winnie
bago, aged fifty; G. M Tyler, of Sheldon, aged
forty-fve Orlando Ellis of Portea, aged forty
two; c. Stahlz, of Chicago, aged sixty five; John
Nathan, of Chicago, aged forty two.
The latter, who came to the infirmary last
July, was a general favorite among the pa
TENTS and attendants. When his widow came
for the remains. this afternoon, she found them
preserved in the form of perfect skeleton,
which, being touched, crumbled to ashes.
The remains of Runyard and Stalz would
each about fill colar-box The remains of
Belden, who was Knight Templar, were taken
by Colonel H. Z. Clarke, Grand Commander of
the Knights in Illinois, and sent by him to Bel
den's friends.
Inmates Oscar Anderson and Isaac White,
and attendants Reed, Labarge and Brown, are
still suffering from injuries received at the fire.
Men have been placed at each of the twenty
furnaces of the hospital, day and night, to pre-
vent recurrence of the accident.
Hospital Architect Willet, of Chicago testi-
fed before the coroners jury, to-day, as follows:
He was here once week, on an average, to SUI
perintend the placing of the furnaces;
the construction of the furnaces was
in accordance with his instructions.
The buildings were all built before the furnaces
were put in. The wood joist vary from six to
ten inches from the top of the brick work
Two courses of brick are laid over the iron grid
ers above the furnaces; the brick was all laid in
mortar with sheet-iron between; the iron pipes
in the furnace are twenty-five inches below
top of similar furnace to-day, and found it
just nicely warm. l noticed the wooden chord;
it was perfectly cool; it barely touches the brick
the size of the fiue averages sixteen inches wide
and sixteen deep. No wood is about the hot-air
fue; it is plastered on brick, and there is no fire
ring about it. 1 should be surprised to
find the floor above that furnace hot
to the hand. There were no clothes closets in
the house when built. l would not think any
heat from furnace could make the rooms above
dangerously hot l should have gone and ex-
amined it if / had been complained to that the
floors were hot but | was never notified
of it. [ tested the rooms in a sim
liar building, and could not tell by
feeling the floor, where the furnace was. l have
no ideas as to the origin of the fire. My superin-
tendent or foreman only had general supervision
of those furnaces. The spaces above the bricks
and below the woodwork were closed up by the
furnace men, 1t was a mooted question as to
whether it would be best to have the space above
the furnaces open or closed. The furnaces
were the Ruttan patent, and were placed in posi-
ton by Diedrlch and Hayes, of Chicago. It was
impossible tor the heat to escape through the
brick layers so as to char the wood above. Hot
air would not ignite wood. do not think it pos
slble for that furnace to set fire to the building,
in the half hour between the visits of the night
watch. don't think any part of the furnaces
insecure In view of the accident, and seeing
the public excitement, might recommend the
placing of another layer of brick above the
furnace, but do notdeem it at all
necessary. I do not know that
there are pine beams extending over the tops Of
similar furnaces at the hospital to the one reach
ing along the rear of the one in the burned
building. | tested the furnaces when they
were placed in position. They were all right
then. have seen them frequently since.