Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-09-03
Caught in the Crash.
Seven Firemen Go Where
= Death Awaits Them.
BURIED IN THE BURNING DEBRIS

One Mans Eye Torn Out-A Loss of ST.
900. O0O-Frightful Fate of Three Men
in an Oil Fire-Death in Blazing Wis
consin HoteI-A Terrible Scene of Panic
Peril on Board a Burning Ship-The
Arkansas Cloud Burst.
BALTIMORE, Sept 3-One of the most
disastrous fires, both to life and property,
that has occurred in this city for many years
broke out at 4:S0 yesterday morning at 100
South Sharp street, and spreading rapidly
on either side destroyed seven fine four
story iron and brick front buildings on Sharp
street, and the back buildings of nearly the
whole row of houses on Pratt street between
Sharp and Hanover
The north wall of building 100 Sharp street
collapsed about $50 a m, and buried nine
fremen. Two of them-Al Eek and John
Kelly-were taken out alive, but very badly
injured. Seven were killed Their names
are: George Bowers, Thomas Wagner,
Perry Ryan and John Acomb, of No. 2
Truck company, and Harry Walker, James
McFee, and George kerins, of No. z Engine
company.
| The losses will aggregate about 1000, 600
upon which there is an estimated insurance
| Of SS00, 600 The heaviest losses fall upon
John King, president of the Erie Railway
company; Edward A Prior & Co, j. H
Winkelman & Co, NJ. S. Levy & Son, Dobbs,
Nudge 4 Co, Tabb Bros. & Dimmock, Hen
| ry s. King & Sons.
| The fire continued until about II o'clock,
when it was gotten under control The build
| ings on Sharp street from los to III were
| swept clean, nothing being left standing ex-
cept the fronts. The rear building of the
"Maternite," on Lombard street, was torn
down TO prevent the fire from spreading fur
Their. The inmates of the institution were
all removed quietly
The firms of Tabb Bros. & Dimmock and
Prior 4 Co. had large supplies of gun and
revolver cartridges in stock About $50 a.
IN. they began to explode, and for quarter
of an hour kept up fusillade, the bullets go
ing through the windows on all S DIES, but
fortunately nobody was shot, with the ex-
ception of one man, who was slightly
wounded near the left eye
| Shortly before a. In. the members Of No.
engine company and No. . truck entered
Tabb Bros building. intending to cut holes
through TO No. l0y. Those in the street saw
that the side wall of No. 90 was beginning
TO sway and called to them to come out All
of them were Fastening out, when the
treachous wall fell over and crashing through
the floors of No. l07, buried the unfortunate
| firemen under its great weight. Then all
efforts were concentrated upon the pile of
ruins under which nine human be-
ings were writhing in torture. The
groans of the men could be heard from
within this living volcanic tomb for it had
now taken fire and was belching forth jets
of fame Half dozen strong streams were
turned on the pile, and the flames within
were in short time subdued. In few
minutes John Kelly was rescued His left
eve was burnt out of its socket, and his head
badly mashed, but the surgeons say he will
recover. Then Al Eek was dragged from
the ruins. His right arm was broken and
his side badly injured. The others, how
ever, were beyond hope, and their dead
bodies were taken out one by one, all man.
gled torn and burnt the last one being recoy-
cred late last night All of the seven dead
firemen, whose names are given above, leave
families to mourn their untimely end, except
| Harry Walker, who was single man.