Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-02-03

her jump. As quickly as possible we threw
some mattresses under the window, but
shortly the hook and ladder appeared
and a ladder was run up and she was brought
down."
How the Deaths Occurred.
DR.. Ruth, ut the solicitation Of friends, Wis
listed the undertaker's establishment and iden-
tilted Miss Tracy. He made hurried
examination and found she had died
from suffocation. Mrs. Tracy was found
to have died from rupture OF blood vessels
Mrs. Wilmerding's Leap.
Mrs. Wilmerding who leaped from the sec
ond-story window sustained slight injuries, a
broken wrist, while her young daughter escaped
with slight confusion of the knees.
A Bystander's Story.
gentleman who saw the fire said never in
his life did he see or hear of such a sight
1t seemed, he said, as though hell had
broken loose and sent its fiery tongue to
earth. The whole building seemed one seeth-
ing mass Of flames, bursting from every point
Scream followed scream, each one more horri-
BILE and blood-curdling than the other, from
the interior of the building. Only few peo-
pie were passing at the time and they seemed
lost and bewildered. The engines soon ar
rived. You know the rest
The Scene of the Disaster.
Hundreds of anxious people were soon at the
scene of the disaster. The President and Sec
Rotary Halford were among the first on the
scene. They went at once to the house of Mr..
Rheem, where tho Secretary and the bodies of
his wife and daughter were taken.
The Secretary's Condition.
The President at once directed that the Sec
rotary be taken to the White House, but it was
thought best not to move him so far and he
was taken around the corner to Judge Ban
croft Davis. At the last accounts there was
more hopes Of his recovery than at first was
thought possible.
The Distinguished InQuirers.
The Vice President, Secretary Noble, Secre-
tary Window, Senator Chandler, Senator Haw-
ley, and many officials from the departments
came pressing their way through the excited
crowd pale and anxious Hundreds Of in
quiries 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.
The Footman's Story.
R. C. Turner is a footman at the Tracy resi-
dence. He was an eye witness of part of the
fire.
He was up and dressed before o'clock and
was prepared to go upstairs to clean the silver
He slept in the basement.
Just as was starting upstairs" said he, ga
colored man rang the bell and told the butler
who answered it, that the house was on fire."
The butler ran upstairs and Immediately
rushed back shouting: my God, the house il
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 demoralized
and both the ladies shortly jumped. Neither
struck on their feet, but fell on their sides"
Caring for the Dead and Dying.
The house of Mr.. E. s. Rheem, No. s2I 18th
street, itself almost captured by the fire,
was thrown open for the reception of the dead
and dying.
Mrs. Tracy, still alive, was brought in by q
couple of firemen and was placed on sofa in
the dining room. Here she fingered for about
an hour, fully conscious and apparently suffer
ing but little.
1t was little after 8 o'clock when she spat
up little blood-hardly enough to be termed
hemorrhage-closedh her eyes, and without a
moan ceased to breathe.
The cook, scorched and blackened until she
had an Ethiopian appearance, but not seri-
ously injured, was the next brought in. She
was provided with an upstairs room.
Secretary Tracy was the third sufferer to be
sheltered under Mr.. Rheem's roof. He was
placed on mattresses in the kitchen, whittier
he was taken through the alley, for it was not
deemed proper to bring him through the room
in which his wife lay dying
Drs. Karr, May sand ex-Surgeon General
Wales attended him and under their ministra-
tons he improved considerably, but did not re.
gain consciousness.
Judge Cox's House.
Judge Cox's house, which adjoins the Secre-
tary's, escaped without much damage, except
ing big flooding and the burning out of the
mansard roof where the fremen held the angry
flames.
The ladies of the house were quite frightened
but none were hurt The mansard roof was
stored with rubbish, which impeded the work
of the firemen.
During the confusion thief entered the
touse and was making away with an armful of
plumber when he was siezed.
Judge Cox came to the house later in the
morning and reviewed the ruin. He will not
hold court today.
A Postman's Visit.
A letter carrier on his usual rounds this
morning passed the house few minutes before
Z O'Clock. He observed nothing unusual in the
appearance Of the exterior.
Continuing up the street some ten minutes
afterward he happened to look back and saw
Secretary Tracy's house enveloped in namea