Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1890-02-07
A Terrible Calamity.
Secretary Tracy's Wife and Daughter
Meet an Awful Death.

One Of the most distressing calaml-
ties that ever happened in Washing
ton occurred about o'clock last Mon
day morning The residence OF Gen.
b. +. Tracy, Secretary OF the Navy,
was destroyed by fire, and before all
the inmates could be rescued, death
overlook Mrs. Tracy and her unmar-
ried daughter, Marie, and the French
maid, Josephine. Mrs. Tracy fell to
the areaway while endeavoring to
make her escape, and died soon after.
Miss Tracy was suffocated, and the
poor maid was caught in the flames
and burnt to death. Secretary Tracy
was rescued in time. He was uncon-
scious when taken out, but subse-
quently recovered. Mrs. WilmerdinS,
the married daughter of Secretary
Tracy, and Miss Wilmerding, her
daughter, saved their lives by leap
ing from the windows to the grass be-
low. Their injuries are not so serl-
Gus. President Harrison broke the
sad news to the Secretary when the
latter regained consciousness.
THE STORY OF THE DISASTER.
1t was about seven o'clock when a
postman engaged in collecting the
mails from the boxes walked down
street. between Seventeenth and Eigh-
teenth. He stopped on the corner
and emptied the letter-box there, and
then continued his way. He had gone
but few steps, however, when he
reached the residence Of Secretary
Tracy. Smoke was stealing from the
bay window of the house, and he
stopped. Then two other pedestri-
ans came along and stopped for an in
slant to watch tiny tongue Of flame
creep out of the window.
The men scattered. but unfortunate
lv none of them ran into the house to
awaken the sleeping people there.
One ran to the station, while another
went to look for policeman, but in
the meantime the flames made better
time than they, and by the time the
engines arrived the front of the build
ing was in flames, at least that por-
ton of it where the long bay window
ran up.
The premises were then almost con-
cealed by a dense smoke, which was
thickened by heavy fog which was
Just lifting. 1t was soon discovered
that the house was all ablaze inside
and that the main stairway was
burned, thus cutting off communica-
ton with the sleeping apartments on
the second and third floors. Several
streams of water were played on the
building, and every effort was made
to check the flames and rescue the in
mates. A scene Of the widest confu-
sion ensued when it was known that
all the members of the family were in
the house.
A large crowd had collected in the
meantime and suddenly woman APP
peared at the second-story window.
1t was Mrs. Wilmerding. She was
clad only in her night dress and her
face was blanched with horror as she
threw up the sash. Beside her was
her pretty little daughter, who was
crying and shrieking with terror.
Mrs. Wilmerding turned to her child
and spoke few hurried words and
then she again turned to the crowd
with beseeching eyes. Not once did
she shout for help or cry aloud. She
knew that the crowd below could Of
fer no help just then and she knew
that to remain in that room meant
certain death. Again turning she
kissed her little one and then lifted
one foot over the sill
Her evident intention was to hang
by her hands and drop to the ground,
bnt the flames had already burst
through the parlor window and were
licking the side of the house. With
out moments hesitation Mrs. Will
merding leaped to the windowsill,
and, with a despairing cry, jumped
out into the air. a second later she
struck on the sloping grass-plot in
front of the house. She was uncon-
scious when she was picked up.
All eyes were again turned to the
window, and there, standing on the
sill, with her white robe fiuttering in
the morning air, was the delicate
looking child preparing to follow her
mother The spectators shouted
for her to wait moment, but it was
no use. She jumped before anybody
could attempt to catch her The lit
tie one landed on the soft, wet grass
on her hands and knees, and beyond
a few scratches and bruises she was
unframed. The mother and daugh-
ter were taken around to the resi-
dence of Mr.. Rheems, on Seventeenth
street, where they were clothed and
put to bed.
SECRETARY TRACY's ESCAPE.
In the meantime an awful tragedy
was being enacted in the rear of the
house When Officer Cottrell dashed
through the flames on the stairway
he made his way to the rear room.
The smoke almost blinded him and
he tried to make his way TO one of
the rear windows for air. While
cropping along he stumbled over the
body of Secretary Tracy, which was
lying in the centre of the room.
Although almost overcome himself,
Cottrell reached down and tried to
carry the Secretary to a window. He
is not strong man, and Mr.. Tracy