The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-02-04
TOLD BY THE 81 fAToRs.
Aeartrending Scene: 1.-The Flames
Swept Through % House.

WASHINGTON, Februs BE. S. Rheim.
whose house on nth street runs back to the
rear of the Secretary's house, gives a graphic
account of the terrible death of Mrs. Tracy.
81 heard terrible screams" said Mr.. Rheim,
"about 7.25 this morning, 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
screeching, and almost Immediately dropped.
A moment after another woman. who, 1t
seems, was the cook, appeared on TIE ledge
of the Mansard roof. She was waving
blanket and crying out every minute. / ex-
pected to see her jump. AS quickly as pos
Sible we threw some mattresses under the
window, but shortly the hook and ladder APP
peared, and a ladder was run up and she was
brought down."
Senator Hawley and many officials from
the departments came pressing their way
through the excited crowd pale and anx-
ious.
Hundreds of inquiries were made on every
hand, and men stood by pale and trembling
with excitement Everybody in the vast
crowd was almost dumb with horror. When
the bodies were taken out the crowd stood
with bare heads.
N. G. Turner is footman at the Tracy
redidence. He was up and dressed before
O'Clock, and was prepared to go up stairs to
clean the silver. He slept In the basement.
"Just as | was starting up stairs" said he,
"a c0lored man rang the bell and told the
butler who answered it that the house was
on fire. The butler ran up stairs and imme-
diately rushed back shouting, My God! the
house is on fire! The entire first floor was
in flames. We ran out the front door. Mrs
Wilmerding and her daughter were at the
front second story window screaming for
help. The fire department seemed demoral-
ized, and both the ladies shortly jumped
Neither struck on their feet. but both on
their Sides"
A gentleman who saw the fire said never
In his life did he see or hear of such a sight.
sit seemed" said he, 'as though hell had
broken loose and sent its fiery tongue to
earth. The whole building seemed one
seething mass of flames bursting from every
point. Scream followed scream, each one
more horrible aud blood-curling than the
other, from the interior of the building.
Only few people were passing at the time.
and they seemed bewildered. The engines
soon arrived. You know the rest
DIR. Ruth, at the solicitation of friends,
visited the undertaker's establishment and
identified Miss Tracy. He made a hurried
SutfOcation.
Shortly after Mr.. Tracy's ap.
pointment to the cabinet he
bought the former residence
General, No. 1854 / street, occupied by Mr..
Dickinson. 1t was situated south of Farra-
gut square. upon which it had an attractive
outlook. A flight of steps led up to the hall
on the south side of it, and through it one
entered the front drawing room. The back
drawing room was made beautiful by an i'm
mense bay window on the east and fire.
place in the centre A finelyUroportioned
dining room was in the -Sreag- OF Il ese apart
ments. The woodwork was Of back walnut
The house consisted of two stories, with a
bay window running from the basement to
the French mansard. The Secretary gave
his architect orders to extend thefront draw
ing room ON the east side some 13 feet,which
greatly incre ased it capacity and furnished
two more available bedrooms above