The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-02-04
Mrs. Tracy Killed by Falling From a
High Window,
Her Daughter Suffocatsd in the Blind.
ing Smoke and Flames,
Aad a Maid Burned to Death in Her
Bed Room.
The Secretary Told Of The Loss Of
Wife and Daughter.

WASHINGTON, February 3, - Secretary
Tracy's house, three-story-apd- basement
structure. stands on / street. between Con-
necticut avenue and 18th street. 1t has re-
Gently undergone extensive repairs. AT about
7 a. m. flames and smoke were seen issuing
from the windows and roof of the building.
An alarm was at once given. The depart
ment responded promptly, but the flames had
gained great headway. Several servants es-
capped from the front door of the house. Mrs.
Tracy endeavored to escape by dropping her
self from her bedroom window. In her
effort 70 decrease the distance to the ground,
she grasped narrow stone window sill and
lowered herself as far as she was able.
Those who saw her in her perilous position,
shouted to he1 to hold on. Either she did
not hear or her strength failed, for after thus
hanging moment. she fell forty feet into
the area way before anything could be done
towards rescuing her or relieving her fall.
She was Immediately taken to the house of
Deighbor, DR.. Rheim, and placed upon a
lounge in the sitting reom. She was per-
fectly conscious and did not seem to suffer
pain. Occasionally she complained of op-
preston in the neighborhood of the heart,
and she found difficulty in breathing. She
talked a little, coughed slightly, and then
became SILENT The physicians pronounced
her dead. Tho immediate cause of death is
supposed to be from injuries to the heart,
sustained in the fall from the window, which
flooded the lungs with blood. 1t is said had
she delayed her movements a couple of min
utes, ladders, mattresses, and other means
of safe escape would have been at hand.
A ladder was raised to the window from
which Mrs. Tracy had fallen, and the fire.
men entered. The unconscious form of Sec
retary Tracy was taken out and carried
down to the sidewalk. He was supposed to
be dead. but showed slight signs of life, and
was carried into Judge Bancroft Davis's
house. Miss Mary Tracy, who occupied the
third story front room. was seen at the win
dow in the binding smoke and flame, clad
in white robe, her hands in an attitude of
prayer and her face uplifted. The flames
gradually hemmed her in, and she disap-
peared. A little later her body was found
by Chief Engineer Paris, lying on the floor
in the second story hall, at the head of the
stairs. The body was not greatly disfgured
by fire. She evidently died from suffoca-
tion. The Chief lifted the body in his arms,
and although the staircase was ablaze
brought it safely into the street.
The body of the French maid. Josephine,
was found burned beyond recognition in her
room on the top floor of the House. Mrs.
WilmerdiDg, the Secretary's eldest daughter
story front room on the same floor with Sec
retary and Mrs. Tracy. Both she and her
daughter jumped from the window to the
grass terrace below, and the shock to both
was severe, but neither received any serious
injuries. Mrs. Wilmerdlng had her right
arm badly sprained.
The first attempt at rescue was made by
Officer Cathell. When he entered the house
the stair case was ablaze. He ran through
the flames and reached the second story. In
the first room ne entered he saw man lying
on the floor, and woman evidently trying
to get him to the window. The room was
full of smoke and the officer was almost ov-
ercome. He dragged the man, who was
Secretary Tracy, into an adjoining room to
window. The officers strength was rapidly
failing, but he cried for ladder and help
He lost sight of the woman who was In the
room but 1t was evidently Mrs. Tracy. The
officer lifted the Secretary's head to the win
dow sill. At that moment, the chief of the
and came to his assistance.
President Harrison and Vice President
Morton, on hearing the sad news, at once
repaired to the house to which Secretary
Tracy was taken, followed later by the mem
bers of the cabinet, and many other callers,
who wished to do everything in their power
for the sufferer. Secretary Tracy regained
consciousness after over an hours work by
the physicians. The remains of Mrs. Tracy
and Miss Tracy lie tonight in caskets in the
centre east room of the White House. The
bodies were brought to the White House at
about six o'clock by order of the President,
who has taken charge OF whatever arrange
ments for the funeral 1t Is necessary to make
at present. The caskets are covered with
black velvet, with m0untings of silver. Upon
each casket are long leaved palms with
sweet peas and lilies. No final ARRANGEMENTS
for the funeral have been made as yet and
Secretary's SON and Gen. Catlin, his brother
in-law, expected on a late train tonight. The
injured are improving. The President Wis
tied Secretary Tracy again this evening and
found him regaining strength, though still
sustained. Tomorrow the President will
have the Secretary removed to the White
House.
The bedroom occupied by Secretary and
Mrs. Tracy was the rear room on the second
floor. Two single brass bedsteads stand
there side by side and ON these Mr.. and Mrs.
Tracy slept last night. The brass is tar.
nished, and everything around black and
soaked with water. The pictures. are
charred and smoke stained and the mirror
cracked. The silver backed hair brushes
and hundred and one little toilet acces-
sories are ruined completely. The French
CLOCK on the mantle stopped at 800. Dirt
and dirty water ruined everything not i'm
pervious to heat and moisture. The two
front rooms on the second floor, occupied by
Mrs. Wilmerding and her daughter Alice,
are wrecks On the third floor, in the CEN
trail front, was the room occupied by Miss
Tracy. The ruin Is most thorough. The
apartment is charred in every corner, the
ceiling gone, doors burned out and cinders
ankle deep. What the flames spared was
destroyed by water. The servants rooms in
the rear are filled with debris from the fallen
roof. The balustrades are gone and the
frame work Of the stairway is covered with
fragments of burned timber and an immense
amount of fallen plaster. The parlors were
completely burned out and bronZes there
were melted. Not chair or picture is left.
Back Of these rooms Is the large reception
room, where comparatively little damage
was done. stu further. back is the dining
room, where the main damage was done by
water and smoke. The basement floor was
not damaged in the slightest.
IL is believed the tire started In the parl0r
near the open fireplace, Whether it origi-
mated from CRATE or heating pipes is un-
known. Firemen generally think the wood
work caught fire from the heated pipes of the
furnace. The commissioners nf the District
of Columbia held board session today and
directed Inspector Entwistle to make thor
ough investigation into the cause of the fire
ard report. Owing to the deplorable calami-
1 ties, which have befalen the households of
the Secretary of State and Secretary of the
Navy, a large number of invitations for re-
ceptions, dinners and dancing parties to have
beenIgiven during the present week by promi-
| nent society people, have been recalled.
THE PRESIDENTS SAD DUTY.