Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1890-02-07
General 11epS.
MATTERS AT WASHINGTON.

The decrease in the public debt during
the month of January was about S12,-
100000.
The Republicans, for the first time
during the session of this Congress, had
quorum present Monday, and the re-
suit was the seating of Mr.. Smith, the
Republican contestant from West Nir-
ginia.
Mrs. Alice 5. Coppinger, eldest daugh-
ter of Secretary Blaine, whose death &C.
cured at Washington on Sunday morn
ing, was born at the old StanwOod home
on Greene street, Augusta, Me-, in April,
1851. Her young life was passed with
her parents in Washington and Augusta,
and she was married to Col. John |. Cop
I'pnger at her fathers home in the for
mer city in the winter of 1888. The
cause of her death was Il relapse from
the grip
Secretary Tracy's house was partly
burned at Washington Monday morning
and his wife and daughter Mary. and Il
French maid named Josephine Morell ,
his married daughter. Mrs. Wilmerding,
and her daughter Alice, had narrow es-
capes and are quite seriously injured.
The house, a three-story and basement
brick structure, stands on | street, be-
tween Connecticut avenue and Seven
teenth street and had recently undergone
extensive repairs. Smoke was seen issu-
ing from the front windows of the house
at Z o'clock and an alarm was at once
raised. y scene of the widest cOnfu-
sion ensued when it was known that all
the members of the family were in the
house. The firemen behaved like heroes
in the emergency and went through fire
and smoke in searching for them in the
different apartments. Mrs. Wilmerding
the secretary's widowed daughter. and
Miss Alice Wilmerding forced their way
through the binding smoke and Jumped
from the second-stoIy window. Ladders
were raised for them, but in their excite
ment they failed to see them. Mrs. Will
merding broke her left wrist and was Sc
verely bruised. Her daughter was badly
injured about the legs, but broke nc
bones. Mrs. Tracy endeavored to escape
the raging element by dropping herself
from her bedroom window, and in hel
effort to decrease the distance to the
ground she grasped the narrow stone
WindOw-sill and lowered herself as far IA.
she was able. Those who saw her in hel
perilous position shouted to her to hole
Oll. Dul tllIItl slIc ulu llOl IlcdI VI lltl
strength failed her, for, after thus hang
ing moment between life and death
she fell forty feet into an area-way be
fore anything could be done toward res
cuing her or relieving her fall. She dice
within an hour after being picked up
Miss Mary Tracy, who occupied third
story front room, was seen at the win
dow il the binding smoke and flames
clad in a white robe, her hands in the at
titude of prayer and her face uplifted
The flames gradually hemmed her in anC
she disappeared a little later her body
was found by Chief Engineer Paris ly
ing on the floor in the second-floor hal
at the head of the stairs. The body wa
not greatly distigured by the fire; sh'
had evidently died from suilocation. Tn,
chief lifted the lifeess body in his arm
and, although the staircase was ablaze
he brought it safely out into the street
The body of the French maid WAS foun,
burned beyond recognition, in her room
on the top floor of the house Secretar,
Tracy himself had most wondrous es
cape. Like all the others, he was over
come in his sleep by the smoke, whicl
rendered him helpless. He was rescue
by fireman and is recovering. Tn
bodies of the dead and Secretary Trac
were removed to the White House
whence the funerals were held.