The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-06-23
DlAB0LICAL REVENGE.
RESULTING IN THE CREMATION OF A
DOZEN WORKMEN

And the Destruction of Four Acres OF
Buildings-Piteous Scenes at the Con-
fiagration-Heroic but Unavaiiing
Work of the Firemen-Search for ths
Bodies Names OF Those Identified.
BoSToN, June ga discharged en-
ploye's crowniug act of revenge against the
Met ropolitan Horse Railroad company was
the firing Of the great New England Insti
tute building on Huntington avenue Mon
day afternoon. There followed the fiercest
fire that has occurred in this part of the
country for many years The flames
spread through the great building with such |
appalling speed that several workmeu on
the second floor, unable TO escape, were |
burned TO death. The building covered "a
larger area than any other structure in
New England
When the New England Manufacturers |
Mechanics institute, failed about year |
ago, the Metropolitan railroad bought the |
property for SjOO,000. Is has been used |
since for repairing works and storage. Just |
after : O'Clock a workman saw burst OF |
sHlOkc anu iloiA th uiiONSult'u iptiil
next the paint shop, near the southwestern
corner of the building He cried Fire
but the sound of his voice was scarcely in
advance of the flames in their
electric leaps TO all corners
of the vast structure There was
tire-alarm box on the building, but the fire
was bursting through the roof before any
one could reach it Then it was necessary
to break the iron door with stone, for the
hook where the key hung was in the midst
Of the flames Three alarms were sent out
as fast as the signal system could record
them.
The first fireman who arrived encountered
an awful situation The great building was
atame from end to end \ Mortified crowd at
the rear was helplessly watching the dying
agonies of poor fellow who was roasting
to death at second story window others
bad aleady persisted 1t was too late TO
render any assistance i'll the heartrending
tragedy in the rear. The dying man was
William Taylor, "a carpenter, 20 years old
He was driven to the window ty the sudden
onslaught of the flames He kicked
through the sash threw one leg
over the sill, and was about
to leap to the ground when portion Of the
roof or other missile fell and pinned him
fast No ladder company had arrived, and
the crowd of 100 or more outside were
powerIess to render assistance. The flames
followed almost instantly, and the impris
oned man was roasted in agony before the
eyes of his friends below. Two of his iel
low workmen, John McNulty and J. F,
Fallen, We're terribly burned trying to scale
! the wall to reach their dying comrads. His
suiferings were mercifully short The
awful furnace of flame soon wrapped him
about in fire and smoke, and his last
moments were shielded from the sight of the
spectators.
Not long after the wall itself gave away,
and nothing more was seen. Soon after the
alarm was sent out three workmen were i'm
| prisoned by the flames upon stair-landing
| behind a barred window, only ten feet
from the ground The flames were already
actually licking their flesh, as they tors
| frantlcally at the bars which they could not
move. A few men outside were poweTless
to aid them without tools and ladders.
Standing on the ground they could reach
| the window sill could almost touch the
tortured creatures as they roasted in the
| flames, but could give them no help The
| fire was in complete possession of the entire
great building, and was pouring even from
the windows at which the sufferers were
shrlekinE for help.
| When truck No. As men leaped from
their team a rescue at such a stage of the
ire seemed impossible. Never were ladders
snatched from their places and flung against
a wall so quickly. Four men with axes
two un each side the window-sprang up
INTO the flames and smoke. They dashed TO
pieces i'll an instant the window and sash
They attacked the iron bars with tremen-
dous blows. They worked like tigers. Two
of them fell 10 the ground overcome by
| ,nose and flame Two more took their
places The roasting men begged God TO
give them strength The bars began to
give away, but both rescuers and prisoners
were atiuost hidden by the increasing smoke
and flame. An opening was made Two
bleeding, biistered men, spore dead than
alive were dragged out Yhey reached for
the third. Suddenly there came the cry
the wall the wall Jump Jump" The
ladders began to move and fell Tho four
firemen leaped TO the ground, and just in
time.
Before dark the unrecognized remains of
SIN men NtlS tuktti lTuui lDt IulUS
of the bodies were found in the ashes of a
stairway in about the middle of the build
ing The skeleton of one man was found
with the arms and legs encirciing an iron
post
AT about II O'Clock Monday night nearly
half of the fire department took its depart
ure from the fire Capt Sawyer and a
force of fifteen men were doing heroic work
.l,.
trace of the missing bodies Shortly after
II clock, Fireman Fitzgerald, of hook and
ladder No II, while at work searching for
the missing bodies, fell into hols near the
main entrance and sustained compound
fracture of the right leg, and was
otherwise injured internally. He was TAX
en- to his home. At a. In. the search for
further bodies was unsuccessful At that
hour Captain Sawyer ceased his efforts for
a brief respite, but resumed the work at
day light. The firemeu were almost com
pletely worn out by the Lard night work,
but worked with a will until ordered to
quit.
Mr.. Richards, president of the Metropoli-
tan railroad, saws that there were policies
amounting TO $4,000 Oh the COM
pany's car-shops building, and on the
tools, engines, boilers, machinery, etc,
amounting to Sl5,0oa, making total of
$40, 900 This, with the insurance on the
cars -$li, ,300-will make the entire insurance
So, ,0J1.
The destruction Of the building is COM
plete Just one car of 100 in the building
was saved. The building cost over $780,
001, and was of brick and iron, two and
one half stories, with wooden roof 1t was
l40 feet long and 3S4 feet wide, covering
more than four acres The loss on build
ing and stock will be in the vicinity Of
81 ., 20, and the insurance is heavy. This
is the third building of the Metropolitan
company which has Teen fred by an incen-
diary within six months.
The rames of the dead, SO far as they are
identified, are; William Taylor, aged 20
years: Oliver Frost, 81 years; carpenter,
living on Terrace street leaves a family !;
Patrick Lyons, 50 years, wood,s' orker,
residence Chadwick street; Alexander
10