Wichita eagle., 1890-02-04
AWFUL DISASTER.
Continued from First Page.)

| told his story Of the IRE He said: ssI
| sleep in the basement and this morning I
| got up about $50. There was no smell of
| fire and no appearance OF anything wrong
| At about z D. m. started to clean my
dining room, when there was ring at the
bell and when l answered it a colored man
said, your house is on fire. ! at once
rushed up stairs to arouse the family and
although the smoke was very thick sue
ceeded in knocking at every door and from
each one l received a response. Then
started to go down stairs and nearly
choked with the smoke / fell three times
| but finally got to the door in front.
went around to the rear Of the house and
| tried to get ladder, so as to reach the sec
| retary's bedroom. Mrs. Tracy was then
| at the window and while the few of us
who were there appealed to her to keep
on the sill and lowered herself until she
| hung by her hands on the narrow stone
projection. Everybody who saw her yelled
| to her to hold on for a moment and we
| looked around for something on which to
catch her, SO as to break the fall which
had to come. Mrs. Tracy may have heard
our cries, but it is not certain she did.
The cook, who was on the roof, was
screaming SO that we could not hear any
thing distinctly. How long did Mrs.
Tracy hang there? Not more than few
seconds. She told me afterwards she
slipped. She fell into the area way, al
most touching me in the swift descent.
| was on ground level, and she struck on
her left side. No sound save little inco-
herent murmur came from her lips. l
picked her up and carried her into Mr..
Rheims house. 1t was the most awful
occurrence in my life
THE INTERIOR OF THE HOUSE.
The parlors are completely ruined, but
the fire did not damage the dining room to
any extent.
To those who were admitted to view the
destruction of property the bed room
which had been occupied by secretary and
Mrs. Tracy was the principal point of in
terest. 1t is rear one Oh the second floor
and must have been a beautiful apart
ment. With heads toward the west two
single brass steads stand side by side and
on these Mr.. and Mrs. Tracy slept last
night. The brass is tarnished and every
thing around is black and soaked with
water The room is a huge cinder. Pic
lures are charred and smoke stained;
mirrors are cracked. The French clock on
the mantel was silent. its pendulum hay
ing ceased to swing at $40.
The two front rooms on the second floor
were occupied by Mrs. Wilmerding and
her daughter, Miss Alice. These apart
ments are wrecks. On the third floor in
uHS C6uDrdl WAS tUe TOOH occupied
last night by Miss Tracy. This was a
ruin of the most thorough description,
charred in every corner, the ceiling gone,
the doors burned out. Cinders ankle deep
covered the floor, and what the flames had
spared was destroyed by water.
Adjoining the room on the east was the
apartment which was to be Miss Tracy's
permanent room and there was scattered
all around evidence of preparations. On
a couple of chairs were artists materials. |
On one side of the room was wooden |
bedstead-the only one in the house-and |
on it's headboard the skilled fingers |
- the beautiful girl had painted |
festoons of poppies and morning glories |
pendent from lovers true knots. |
The fire had been more kind there than
elsewhere and there was still to be traced |
the floral form. now a dirty white on the |
smoked ground. The brushes and palette |
were just where they had been dropped by |
Miss Tracy.
ORIGIN OF THE FIRE.
The fire originated in the parlor, near
the open fireplace. Whether it originated |
from the CRATE or heating pipes is not |
known, as no one could be found who |
could tell whether there was fire in the |
CRATE last night or not. The frame work |
the mantel is where the fire |
started and it no doubt burned some time
before it was discovered. The furnace is |
in the basement, directly beneath where |
the fire started. and the pipes led to the |
upper stories passing in the rear of the |
woodwork. The firemen generally think |
the wood work caught fire from the heated
pipes.
The commissioners of the District of
Columbia held board session today and
directed Inspector Entwisle to make a
thorough investigation into the cause of
the fire and report.
The president received a large number
of kilograms of coincidence this morning.
One from Governor Ladd, of Rhode Island,
said: Accept the sympathy of our people
in this sad bereavement which comes to
you and your cabinet" Another read:
1.-The Brooklyn and Long Island Preach
ers' association of the Methodist Episcopal
church, in session learn with the deepest
sorrow of the calamity that has befallen a
citizen of Brooklyn, one of
your cabinet members, and tender you
our most heartfelt sympathy"
THE REMAINS AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
The remains of Mrs. and Miss Tracy
lie tonight in caskets in the center of the
east room of the white house, beneath the
crystal chandeliers whose lights less than
a week ago shone upon them as they gayly
greeted their numerous friends at the last
presidential reception. The death cham
ber is now dimly lighted and is quiet,
the dead and two watchers who Will keep
guard.
The bodies were brought to the white
house about o'clock by order of the presi-
lent. who has taken charge of whatever
arrangements for the funeral it was nee
,essary to make at present. Mr.. Gwader,
5he undertaken. had the corpses taken in
5wo hearses from Attorney General Miller's
house to the white house and placed upon
,wo black stands in the east room. The
,askets are covered with black velvet and
he mountings are silver. Upon each
,asket are long-leayed palms with sweet
)eas and lilacs.
NO FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS.
No final arrangements for the funeral
lave been made as yet and none will be
made till the arrival of Secretary Tracy's
on and General Catlin, his brother-in-
aw, who are expected On late train TO-
hight
The injured are improving. The presi-
lent visited Secretary Tracy again this
vening and found him IeCaining his
trength though still hardly able to
ealiZe the great loss he has sustained
etary removed to the White house.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT or THE FIRE.
4 special account of the fire given to the
Associated Press says:
Secretary and Mrs. Tracy occupied the
,ack room on the second story. Mrs.
Tracy 1t is thought was first awakened by
he suffocating smoke. Secretary Tracy |
vas at the time unconscious and Mrs. |
Tracy with heroic devotion attempted Co |
lraw the inanimate body Of the secretary