Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-06-08
DEATH ON BEDS OF FIRE.
EIGHT LIVES LOST IN TWO
HOUSE les AT CHICAGO.


sufTocation While AsIeep Followed by
Cremation of the Corpses-JOhn
Raleigh Heroically SaVes His Family
Tho New Grand Theatre and AdjOin-
ing Property Destroyed at Louisville.
CHICAGO, June T. Eight persons were
smoteered and burned to death in the
frame houses Nos, 731 and 1913 South
Canal street at O'Clock this morning.
The names of the dead are Michael MUIR
ply aged 40, employed by the South Divi-
sion Railway Company; Mrs. Michael
Murphy aged 30, Annie Murphy aged 3,
Nellie Murphy aged II, Mrs. Mary Dur
kin aged 80. Patsy Levin aged 4, son OF
Mrs, Mary Durkin by former marriage;
John Durkin three weeks old, and
William Hand aged SO, butcher. The
fire broke out in the cellar of No. 1873
Canal street. The flames shot upward
and quickly burned through the first floor,
/ which is on level with the ground. Still
shooting upward they soon con-
sumed the next floor. The fire sprea d
through the wooden walls of the base
ment and No, 1873 was soon wrapped in
flames which envelOped the adjoining
/ number.
Persisted IN THEIR SLEEP.
| Both houses were filled with smoke be-
fore any of the occupants were aroused.
Many of the sleepers were, doubtless,
smoIhered in their beds. twill probably
never be known who awOke and tried in
vain to escape from the sitting smoke
and scorchlng flames. The flames follow
| ing rapidly after the smoke burned the
bodies until they were unacceptable
masses OF black and charred bones and
flesh.
The lower floor OF No. 1888 was occupied
| by John Raleigh, Jr. His wife was ava
kened by a sense of suffocation. She
aroused her husband, who hastily donned
few articles of clothing. He threw up
the window. Raging flames scorched his
face, singing his hair and moustache. He
caught his wife in his arms, and with
terrible effort threw her bodily through
the flames out OF the window. Her night
dress caughtHfire.
REsCUING THE CHILDREN.
With great presence of mind she extin-
guished the flames with her hands and
lent assistance to her husband in saving
the lives of their two small children. The
fire had gained additional headway and
he was unable to put the children out of,
] the same window. He then kicked on the.
wall to arouse the people on the second
| floor. Catching the babies in his arms he
ran up stairs and jumped with them from
Tue bcNOuu-bbOi1 MluuOWs nc bCbOhO
floor OF No. 1888 was occupied by the Dur
kin and Murphy families. No member Of
either of these families escaped. The fire.
men in searching the ruins OF she
| houses came upon the most narrowing
| scenes. Some of the cOrpses were lying
in half-burned beds. Others, who were
awakened before death came upon them,
were clutchng each other in groups on
the floor. All the victims had evidently
been overcome by the smoke before any
! effort could be made to escape.
The fire was undOu btedly Of incendiary
origin. Two previous attempts to burn
these buildings were frustrated. A tub
! filled with clothing. saturated with kero-
sene and partially burned from the top
was found in the cellar after the fire was
extinguished.
BLAZING IN A THEATRE.
LOUISVILLE, June AT $3.50 O'Clock
this morning fire was discovered behind
the stage of the New Grand Theatre. The
canvas and oil of the scenery and the
stage settings burned tiercelv, and in five
minutes after the discovery Of the flames
the entire stage was blazing iuriously.
An alarm was sent in, but the engines
that responded were unable to do any
thing towards eXtlnguishing the cOnfa-
grafton, which by this time covered all of
the middle of the block between Third
and Fourth and jefferson and Green
streets. A second alarm was turned in
but the entire theatre was then on fire
and resisted the greatest efforts of the
1iremen. The blaze spread to the rear of
the saloons fronting on Green and Jetfer-
son streets, and at daybreak the entire
centre of the square was glowing mass
OF red-hOt metal and blazing wood.
Enough engines were by tins time on the
spot, and the.tiremen directed their efforts
to stopping the spread of the flames.
THE OCCUPANTS.
The block was occupied by Jos. Ca
mozzi, Hoke & Hughes, Brinkforth's res
taurant, j. r. GObeps lottery office and
the Kentucky School of Medicine. The
theatre was in the rear of these. All of
the interior of the Grand Theatre, the
rear of the building occupied by the Ken
lucky School of Medicine, a restaurant on
Green street, the rear Of Denunzio's fruit
store and a barber shop on Jefferson
street were burned out, and serious dam
age was done to other stores on both
Green and jefferson streets. The theatre
was leased to the Whalleu Bros. about
tour years ago. and was one of the finest
in the West or South. The block was
valued at 100000 and is a complete
loss, the Green street front, which was
occupied by the medical college, being all
that remains standing.
At 3 O'Clock flames broke out With re-
neWed vigOr in the medical college build
ing and at the Jefferson street side OF the
theatre. The roofs OF all the burned struc-
with destruction.
The tire was confined to the Davis block.
} The theatre had just closed for the season.