Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1890-02-13
GENERAL TRACY'S LOSS.
HIS WIFE AND DAUGHTER PERISH
IN A FIRE.


Home-The Secretary Himself Badly In
Jured by the Smoke - Washington I'm
Mourning.
A Washington dispatch Of the 4th inst.
says: The residence of Secretary of the
Navy Tracy was destroyed by fra Mon
day morning, and during the excitement
that followed the breaking out of the
blaze Mrs. Tracy. her daughter Mary,
and a French maid, Josephine Morrell,
lost their lives, the Secretary himself
was almost overcome by smoke, and sew
eral others had narrow escapes from
death.
Tho residence of the Secretary was
fine three-story structure of brick and
stone and stood on / street, near Seven
teenth. A letter carrier on his. custom
airy rounds passed the house in the morn
ing few m nutes before z clock. He
left package, and observing nothing
unusual continued up the street. Hap
pening to glance back ten minutes later
he noticed that the house was enveloped
In flames. Within five minutes the fire.
men were there. Before ladders could
be raised to the front, two ladies appear
ed in the second-story windows and in
spite of the warnings not to jump they
leaped to the grass. The ladies proved
to be Mrs. Wlmerding, the married
daughter of the Secretary, and her
daughter, Miss Wilmerdlng. Mrs. Will
merding broke one OF her wrists and was
bruised. Her daughter was burned quite
severely, but not otherwise injured.
At the rear OF the house a woman,
presumably one of the servants, had
climbed out upon the mansard roof from
third story window. She waved
blanket to keep the smoke and flames
away from her, and behaved with great
eoolness. She was brought down a
ladder.
In the meantime Fire Chief Paris ar
rived, and learning that there were
people still in the house he left the fire
extinguishing apparatus to his subor-
dinatcs and dashed into the house, fol-
lowed by Howard Wright, who drives
the chiefs wagon. The chief told the
story to your correspondent as follows:
II paid no attention to the fire when
heard there were people in the house.
/ felt my way through the smoke to the
second floor and found man in bed In
q room. tried to pick him up, but he
was almost to heavy. l managed to
drag him into back room where there
was moro air, and then broke the win
dow out and called to fireman in the
alley TO run up ladder.
"Then we took the man out and it
proved to be the Secretary. / couldn't
move him any further, for / was ex-
hausted and full up to the neck with
smoke. Then / went back into the
smoke g. again a, and N & f2aRd Is lift
hn ffacI of hop ht,r oil
hands. got her out, but she was dead
That exhausted me. / could do no
more
+. S. Rheem, whose house on Seven
teenth street runs back to the rear of the
Secretary's house, gives graphic ac-
count OF the terrible death of Mrs.
Tracy.
81 heard terrible screams" said Mr..
Rheem, ''about 7:l5 o'clock this morn
ing, and jumped from bed and ran to the
window Mrs. Tracy was hanging by
her hands from the sill of window on
the second floor. She was screaming, and
almost Immediately dropped to the
ground"
Mrs. Tracy, still alive, was brought in
by two firemen, and was placed on sofa
in neighbor's house. Here she fingered
for about an hour, fully conscious, and
apparently suffering but little. 1t was
little after 8 o'clock when she spit up
little blood, hardly enough to be termed
a hemorrhage, closed her eyes, and,
without moan ceased to breathe.
sad Scenes were oce1frnS, was Borne fo
the residence o. Judge Bancroft Davis,
in an adjacent block. Ex-Surgeon-G Gen
eral Wales and Drs. Karr and May at
tended him. Under their ministrations
he regained consciousness and i'm fee
bic voice said: 'How is my wife?" II
don't know" replied DIR. Karr. 81
haven't seen her."
"Then, for Gods sake, don't think of
me, he murmured, and elapsed into un-
consciousness.
The doctors think that he is not fatally
injured. Mrs. Wilmerding, who leaped
from the second-stOry window, sustained
slight injuries; one of her wrists was
broken, while her young daughter es-
capped with slight confusion Of the
knee.
The cause of the fire is unknown, but
IL probably originated in the furnace
room. and it is thought IL smOldered
long time and thoroughly filled every
room in the house with smoke and gas.
Secretary Tracy's house, which was
newly and magnifeently furnished, was
totally destroyed. The loss Is estimated
at $35, 900.
Soon after noon the President broke
the news to Secretary Tracy of the
death of his wife and daughter. Al
though the greatest caution was OBJ
served the effect of the blow was
| terrible and the Secretary almost sue
cumbed lie rallied, however, and soon
composed himself. He expressed the
wish that he might also die.
Secretary Tracy is now reported to be
improving and his physicians believe
him to be out of all danger. He continues
| drowsy, with frequent waking mo-
ments. When he converses with those
around him he controls himself excel
lently, but tears of anguish over the loss
| of his wife and daughter cannot be
restrained.
There has been nothing here since
| Garfeld's assassination that has caused
| so much sorrow as this calamity. All
society doings for the week, including
the Presidents state dinner, have been
postponed. The trip OF the President
| and cabinet to New York TO attend the
centenary OF the organization OF the
| Supreme court Of the United States has
| been abandoned.