New-York tribune., 1890-03-29
INCIDENTS OF THE DISASTER
TRAGIC DEATHS, HAIRBREADTH ESCAPES
AND HEROIC RESCUES

WALLS CRASHING IN. AND WHOLE FAMILIES
BURIED IN THE RUINS WITHOUT NO.
MENTs wARNING-pERsoNs CARRIED
MANY FEET BY THE wIND-FIRE
ADDING TO THE HORROR
Louisville, KY, March 2s.-At sixteenth and Maea-
zine sts. three burned to death. They
caught in the falling tmbers of the two-story
grocery and barroom OF "Nck' Pheneman, and
burned to black and charred They were
Bud' Sullivan, william Deemer and Ben Schildt;
the first two laborers and the latter undertaken.
Seven persons the house at the time, and
"Nick' Phcneman. the owner, alone escaped with
his life, being badly burned and bruised. To
reporter he told the following story:
standing In the bar at the back Of the store,
and was talking to the three men who dead.
and to two other men, About O'Clock heard a
terrible roar and tearing sound and then the house
rocked back and forth. Ben schildt had Just said
that he was going h0me but he had scarcely said it
when the door was blown shut, and we were caught1
tried to open 1t, but could not My wife and chill.
drcn screamed, but ran safely out the back way.
They had scarcely gone out when that portion of tho
house blown down. We tried the windows but
just then the floor fell In and Schldt, Sullivan and
Decmer went through to the cellar. l clung to the
side Of the house and escaped through broken win.
dow with two other men,"
terrlDl6
they held in by the roof, and the bu1Tding
rapidly bazed and burned They cried for help, but
could do nothing, and crushed and mangled, they
burned to death before our eyes. They soon
burned to DEATH and their horrible cries for help were
stopped, but it terrible
Ii three hours later before the fire stopped
and the wreck cleared away enough TO get at the
three men; and black and charred were they that
sulvans father and Denemer's brother unable
70 f1am Tla pap xvorQ rnp6 IN a cr~
and could be identified only after a long search 1t
was IL o'clock when the bodies removed, and
they were Immediately carried to their respective
homes. Sullivan employed at the Pullman shops.
A thrilling experience that Of Mrs. Mary
Roemelc, who kept dry goods store at Colgan and
seventeenth SITS. Her house was a new brick one.
At the time of the storm her nephew, Willie Killmir,
was with her. When the walls began to shake. and
threatened to fall both Of them nearly frightened
to DEATH without pausing to look, they rushed TO
the front door Just whrlwind was passing. IL
took both Of them and carried them in the ar
distance of forty feet They both hurled against
a fence, and remained unconscious until they were
found by the neighbors, few minutes later
Dr. Anderson was summoned TO attend them lie
found Mrs. Rocmele badly bruised, and perhaps hurt
internally. Kmir's right arm was broken at the
wrist, his ankle was sprained, and there was deep
cash his throat No vital part was touched though,
and he will recover. The house was destroyed and
not thing will be saved.
The house OF Matthew Zettler, at No. LIZA, stood
apart from the other houses. The of it was
blown away and the bricks scattered all over
the adjoining comrnons but the members Of the
family rushed to the front door and remained there
until the storm subsidized. None Of them were hurt
Major Gait Of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad.
ard his family, who lived in twostory brick house,
were sitting in upstairs room when the building
began rocking. They did not suspect danger and did
not become really alarmed until the walls fell upon
them. Major Gait succeeded IN getting out without
injury to himself and then, noticing that his wife
not with him, lie hurried back into the ruins
to look for her. The unfortunate woman was found
buried in pile OF bricks. BY superlluman EFFORT
her husband succeeded in cXtricatins her. and her un
conscious form carried to neighbcrins dwelling
that had escaped the general Destruction ply scan
% No hy sey hort IO ana The ne 70 her nervous
great however, and she Is now lying dangerously ~
The house is a total wreck. and nearly all Of the
Three lives were lost at Eighteenth and Maple
Ss The killed we're D,d J c E%ft nEo '1 :
limerick kept grocery at that corner, and at the
pretor, his wife. little daughter, and Fitzgerald The
building was frame one, two stories high. AZ no
roof dropped in Mr.. limerick was crushed by ths
falling tibers, and was taken out dead shortly after
ward His wife extricated in an unconscious
dition Later in the night the searcmng- party saw
tiny hand protrudinS from the ruins and the manglei
James Fitzgerald Louisville and Nashville brale.
man. who boarded across the street. missed this
About O'Clock his tlackened and bruised
Emercks building was totally destroyed and the light
wood Of which 1t was built was scattered all over tho
The second story Of wcrncr's saloon, at Eighteenth
st. and Broadway, swept away. but the family
were not injured. Wcmer's barkecpcr, John Thomo,
opened the door when the crash came aud ran out.
In instant the wind seized him. and lifting hun
dashed violently To tho ground. His body - COW
cred with bruises, but he Is not seriously hurt
Eleven men crowded into the little barber
shop OF John Reuter-. at No 1908 broadway. when
story carried away and tho side walls were tumbiing
In when the men broke the windows and doors and
ran into the street. Not was hurt In the least
but the buildig destroyed.
way was demolished, and Mr.. Riel had narrow
escape being buried In the ruins II was two
story brick building The bakery Of q. W. Rcgand,
and his house. Nos; .sl3 and Isis West Broadway
the inmates suffered injury.
The rear portion OF Honender Brcthcrss large brick
business house, ut No. l,34f, was carried
away. and & all & sns ,os, contents Tns ,,I. thai
however, Is not much damaged.
Mrs. Fitzpatrick and her family. who lived at No.
l,436 Scventccnthst., were gathered In upstairs
room II was impossible for them TO get out after
stricken. The house Is large twostory brick one
and the walls fell outward. IL happened that the
hoor upon which they were standing stu held up,
10 get down.
Crushed and blackcned ruins marked the spot whers
only last evening stood the splendid. large Union
Depot At seventh st. and the river When the crash
came, Louisville Southern train had inst came In.
and the Ohio ana Mississippi train was ready 10 null
out but both were caught BY the falling mass, ana
veo cSusheQ Ike cgg ahes. The river. DISTURBED n