The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1888-09-05
Seven Firemen Killed During a Bal
timora Conffa1raticr.


BalriMoRE. Sept. The most disastrous
fire. both TO life aud property, that has e
cured in this city for many years, broke OF
nj h~alf-past 1 O'Clock this morning at No.
lo9sSafh sharp sfnsf. an5sprekiing with
ercat rapidly on slfber 80. soof aestregot
several aIic fourasry ron and brick ffsnt
baiidings os shagp streei AZ the hlsk beila-
iass of nsany tis whOlen NV q houses q
Pratt street befween Sharp and Hanover.
The north wall Of building No leo Sharp
street. collapsed about $50 a m, and buried
nine of the firemen. Two of them-A l..
Eek and John keily-were taken out alive.
but very badly injured, Seven were killed.
There franses are 6eorge Bowers, Thomas
Wagner. Perry Pyan and John Acomb, OF
y o.2Truck Company, and Hairy Walker,
James Melee and George Kerins, of No. Z
Engine Company. The losses will aggregate
about 8. 000,O00, upon which there is AZ esti-
mated insurance of $4,000. Tie heaviest
losses fall upon John King, President Of the
Erie Railway Company; Edward A. Prior &
Co, j. II. winkelman & Co, NJ. ). Levy &
Son, Dobbler, Mudge& Co. Tabb Bros, Dim
mock. Prior & Co, and Henry s, King
Sons.
The fire continued until about II O'Clock,
when 1t was gotten under control. The en-
| gines are still throwing stream. on the
shoulder ng heaps of ruins.
CLEAN SWEEP.
The buildings on Sharp street from Nos.
los to liz were swept clean, nothing being
left standing except the fronts. The rear
building of the M~aternite. on Lombard street
was torn down TO prevent the fire spreading
further. The inmates Of the institution were
all removed quietly. The firms of Tabb
Bros. and Dimmock, Prior & Co, had large
supplies ofgun and revolver cartridges in
stock. About $50 A.. N. they began to ex-
picde, and for a quarter Of an hour kept up a
fusilade, the bullets going through the win
dows on all sides, but fortunately nobody
was shot, with the exception Of one man
who was slightly wounded near the left eye.
Shortly before 6 O'Clock the members of
No. : Engine Company and No. , truck en-
tered Tabb Bros building, intending 10 cut
holes through 20 100. Those in the street
saw that the side wal Of 100 was beginning
to sway, and called to the men TO come out.
All Of them were Fastening out when the
treacherous wall fell over, and, crashing
through the floors OF No. I07, buried the I'M
fortunate firemsn under its great weight
Then all efforts were concentrated upon the
pile Of ruins under which nine human be-
ings were writing in torture. The groans
Of the men could be heard from within this
living, volcanic tomb. for it had now taken
fire and was beIehing forth jets Offiame.
Half a dozen strong streams were turned on
the pile aud the flames within were in a
sbort time subdued. In a few minutes JOIN
Kelly was rescued. His left eye was burned
out OF its socket and his head badly mashed,
but the surgeons say he viii recover. Then
\. L. Elk was dragged from the ruins. His
right arm was broken and his side badly in
jured. The Others. however, were beyond
hope, and their dead bodies were taken out
one by one, ali. mangled, torn and burned.
the last one being recovered late tonight.
All of the seven dead firemen leave families
to mourn their untimely end, except Harry
Walker, who was a single man.