The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1888-11-24
ROASTED ALIVE.


He Was the Engiaeer and the Awful
Deed Made cerpses or Ferry
Two sf the Employees.
A telegram from Rochester. n. u, dated
November 18th, says: Twenty-one more
bodies were unearthcd ebout 0 o'clock this
morning In the ruins Of last Fridays fire.
These are IN addition 20 the eleven bodies
taken out yesterday. This makes forty-two
lives known 10 have been sacrificed, and IL Is
now believed that this harvest OF death was
caused by one mnn, John Nankorn, the en-
gineer Of the Steam Guage aud Lantern
Works, who has been arrested for setting fire
TO the building. Nankorff Is about - years
old and has "A wife and four children. He has
been resident OF Rochester about eight
years and came here from Syracuse. His pre-
yious residence was I'm Pennsylvania. The
attention OF the Rochester police department
was first called 10 him when he was brake
man on the Buffalo, New Xork & Penn
sylyania railroad. Several loaded freight
cars were burned and he was suspected OF
incendarism. The case was investigated,
but In the absence OF positive proof nothing
was done about all.
Later he worked as stationary engineer
on broadway. and during that time the
building twice caught fire, but the flames
were extinguIshcd with pals and buckets.
The third time the place took fire il burned.
IL was discovered that the pals and buckets
has disappeared. they having been thrown In
10 the canal. Vankorff was suspected OF I'M
cendiarism, but again there was an absence
OF proof. Before tins he had been employed
rs an engineer at Morses sash and blind fac
tory in the Eighth ward. This factory was
IL. ~
There are several other like eases which
look suspicious. Mr.. Gould's grocery on
West avenue took fire. and vankorff was not
only the first man TO discover 1t, but he
showed Mr.. Gould where il started and re-
moved n ball Of cotton waste with which
the lire had been started. This was satu-
rated with oil, and had evidently been taken
from car.
At another time he was taken TO the city
hospital, having fallen in fit and sustained
cut Ina the head. While he was at the hos
pital complaints came TO the police Office OF
the disapI earance OF articles. Chief Hayden
asked II Nankorff was still there. and being
answered in the Affirmative, said: of you
don't look out you will have ire IN the
building" A few d'ys aft9r fire was dis
covered at the hospii in barrel OF rub
bish or old clothing Ia clothes press. Van
korff was then promptly discharged from the
hospital.
Vankorif denies all knowledge OF the cause
OF the last fire and claims his innocence.
The night Waterman has made an affidavit
In which he says Nankorff was In the engine.
room alone fifteen minutes before the lire
started. Ii was first noticed In the room next
10 the engine-room. lie had Just completed
making the rounds OF the building when lie
smeled smoke, and a few moments later
flames burst up through the floor directly
under his feet. Men rushed madly for win
dows and doorways. lie with several others
got down the stairs, but not until all were
badly burned.
The disaster is the worst ever known in
this part OF the country. Day after day
bodies are exhumcd from the ruins and the
search il pushed with energy,
At o o'clock Tuesday morning two congress
CATERS were seen projecting above heap OF
rubbish nc the foot OF the stairway near the
elevator well. After the removal OF the sur
rounding debris IL was found that another
heap OF bodies lay beneath and the work OF
cxhuming them was nc once begun. One OF
the shoes which had attracted attention was
partly consumed, while the other contained a
portion OF boys foot. Tho men had evil
way and were overcome by the smoke or en-
veloped in flames. They seem 10 have sur
fercd more from the effects OF the flames than
the Others.
When the corpscs were at last laid bare
they presented a horrible sight. While some
that had been nc the bottom OF the heap were
In a comparatively good state OF preservation
the limbs OF all were crushed out OF shape,
and two OF the bodies were locked i'm a last
embrace so closely that they could not bc
separated. In AL eighteen bodies were taken
from this quarter OF the ruins making TWEEN
ty-eight cxhumed since 3 o'clock yesterday
afternoon. They were placed In boxes and
taken 10 undertaking rooms.
While searching In the ruins workman
In taking up shoyelful OF mortar saw some
thing cleaning among the debris. IL proved
20 be gold watch with donbc case. Near
by IL were two pieces Of burned flesh, but the
most careful search failed 10 reveal any bones
In the vicinity. As the watch and flesh were
found about four feet below the spot where
the two bodies were recovered IL Is probable
that one OF these l. the body OF Alonzo A.
Stone. who was the owner Of the watch. The
timepiecc was identified by stones father,
brother and cousin. On the inside OF one OF
the eases was found a charred and blackened
piece Of paper, which was once picture OF
stones murdered wife. The watch was
placed In the hands OF stones father by Cor
oner Sharpe. IL u probable that stones
body VIII be recognized because OF pcculi-
arity above the teeth, mark which has here
tofore proved the surcst guide. In the case
OF stone the teeth la the upper jaw are
widely separated and one OF the teeth In the
left side OF the lower jaw has a wire running
through IL.
In August, 1887, stones wife was muir