The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-09-03
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SEVEN FIREMEN KILLED.
ALL SLOWLY ROASTED TO DEATH
IN A HEAP OF DEBRIS.

in a HEAP OF DEBRIS.
| Superhuman Efforts to Save the Groan-
ing Men Made in Vain by Their Com
rades in the Baltimore Departm
The Financial Loss by the Blaze Fully
S1,5OO,Ooo.
BALTIMORE, Md, Sept. AIT 23 o'clock
this morning fire broke out in the toy ware
| house Of E. A. Prior 81 Co., No. l07 South
Sharp street Before the firemen could get
to work an explosion of fireworks wrecked
the building and caused the flames to spread
with alarming rapidity to the drug house of
j. II. Winkelman &c Co., on the north, and
the hat house of M. s. Levy & Co., on the
SOUTH
FIREMRN IN A TRAP OF FIRE
Scarcely had the fremen entered the
edifice occupied by the drug house when the
| inside of the building seemed to suddenly
drop IN, verrific explosion followed, and
the immense building collapsed. The entire
fire department had by this time reached
the scene, and as the attention Of the men
was concentrated on the building under
which their comrades were buried, tho
flames had a chance TO spread, and spread
they did with frightful rapidity
A sEETHING MASS OF FLAME.
In an incredibly short space Of time, the
entire block running from Lombard TO
Pratt streets, was a seething mass af fame.
At the drug house the fremen worked
bravely. Holes were cut through the pave
ment, and every effort made TO reach the
imprisoned men, but they were buried under
a great mass of brick and iron, and fierce
flames were roaring around the spot. Awful
groans came from the pile, which served to
make the working firemen put forth super
human efforts
SLOWLY ROASTED TO DEATH.
After more than an hours work it be-
came evident that some of the men were
alive and that they were being roasted 30
death. John Kelley, of Truck No. 3, man.
aged to crawl out from the rubbish, aud of
the men who entered the building he was
the only one TO escape with his life. He
was horribly cut and bruised. but his In
jurles are not serious.
The names of the men known to have
been buried In the ruins are: George Bow
ers, Thomas Wagner. John A. Combs and
Perry Ryan Of No. Q hook and ladder COM
pany, and Harry Walker, George Kerins
and Hiram McAfee of No. engine oom-
pany. It is certain that these men have
lost their iives and it may be that others
were with them when the crash came
THE FIRMS BURNED OUT.
The firms that were completely burned
out are:
wylis. Bruster & Co., wholesale shoe
dealers.
J. ii. Winkleman Sc Co., drugs
Tabb Bro. g. Dominick, hardware.
Prior s& Co., toys.
M. S. Levy s. Sons, hats.
H. s. King a. Sons. hardware.
Dobler, Nudge & Co., paper.
Hirschberg, Holland & Co., paint and
glass.
Among the buildings partially burned
was the Maternite. on Lombard street, and
its inmates were removed only with great
difficulty.
The loss will probably reach 81, SOC, 900,
and it is pretty well covered by insurance,
most of which is in small policies in out Of
town companies.
DRIVEN BACK By THE HEAT.
The intense heat several times drove the
firemen from the building where the bodies
of their unfortunate comrades were lying
under tons of brick and iron, but they per-
sisted in the search, and shortly after noon
the first body, that of Wagner, was brought
to light.
Near the spot was the body of Harry
Walker, standing erect, as IL packed In.
Near him was found what was left Of
| George Bowers. but no other bodies vera
found until nearly 8 o'clock, when that Of
George Kerins was uncovered.
HORRIBLY DrsFIoURED.
The bodies were terribly disfgured, the
flesh being burned off in many places.
The search is being continued tonight
with the aid of electric lights
Fremen who were more or less injured
by the falling walls are: George w. Hor-
ton, Wilmer West, John GIL and Louis B.
Scheeve. None of their wounds are seri-
Gus, however.
In the hardware store OF Tabb Bros. Sc
Dimmock there were stored large quantities
Of cartridges, and as they exploded several
men were slightly injured by flying bullets.
THE LOSSES AND INSURANCE.
The loss and insurance on properties that
were totally destroyed as far as can be
ascertained are as follows: