St. Landry democrat., 1890-02-15
FEARFUL CALAMITY.
Burning Of the Residence of Secretary
of the Navy Tracy.

MRS Tracy KILLED BY JUMPING FROM A
wTNDow-MIss MARY TRACY AND A
FRENCH MAID BURNED TO DEATH.
terrible calamity visited the house,
hold of Secretary Tracy on the morning OF
| the Sd inst, whereby three persons lost
their lives and three others were badly in
iured. It is impossible at this writing to
state the exact details. The house is
| three-story and basement brick, situated
ON e street, between Connecticut avenue
and Seventeenth street, and had recently
undergone extensive Improvements. FER
sons passing the house at z o'clock in the
morning saw smoke issuing from the front
| windows, and at once raised an alarm OF
Ere. The fire and police departments re-
sponded promptly. The premises were
almost concealed by dense smoke, which
| was thickened by heavy fog, which was
just lifting. 1t was soon discovered that
the house was all ablaze inside, and the
main stairway was burnt, thus cutting off
communication with the sleeping apart
ments on the second and third floors. Sew
ersl streams of water were played on the
the fire and rescue the inmates.
A scene of the widest confusion ensued
when it was known that all Of the men,
bers of the family were in the house. The
/ fremen behaved like heroes in the emer-
| gency, and went through fire and smoke
In searching for them in the different
apartments. Mrs. Wilmerdihg, the Sec
retary's daughter, and Miss Wilmerding
forced their way through the binding
smoke and jumped from the second story
window front. Ladders were raised for
them, but in their excitement they failed
to see them. Mrs. Wilmerding broke her
left wrist aud was severely bruised. Her
daughter was badly injured about the
lower limbs, but broke no bones. They
both suffered severely. from the shock.
| They were taken to the residence of DR..
Baxter, near by, and restoratives were
applied.
Mrs. Tracy endeavored to escape the
raging element by dropping herself from
her bedroom window, and in her effort to
decrease the distance to the ground she
prasped the narrow stone window sill and
lowered herself as far as possible. Those
4 who saw her in her perilous position
shouted to her to hold on, but either she
did not hear or her strength failed her, for
! after hanging but moment she fell forty
feet below before anything could be done
to rescue her. She was Immediately taken
to the house of neighbor, DR.. Rheem,
and placed upon lounge in the sitting
| room. She was conscious, and did not
seem to suffer pain. Occasionally she
complained of an impression in the neigh
borhood of her heart, and found difficulty
in breathing. She talked while, coughed
/ slightly, and then became silent. The
physicians looked at each other signid-
cantly. Mrs. Tracy was dead.
The immediate cause of her death was
supposed to be from injuries of her heart,
sustained in her fall from the window,
| which flooded her lungs with blood. It is
said that had she delayed her movements
| a couple Of minutes ladders and mattresses
| and other means of escape would have
been at hand.
Her body was soon removed to the resi-
dence of Attorney General Miller, on Mas
sachussetts avenue.
Almost at the same time two bodies
were taken from the burning building.
One was the Secretary's daughter, Miss
Mary, young lady, and the other is that
of the French maid, Josephine. That of
| the former was found by Chief Parish,
| lying on the floor in the second floor hall.
at the head of the stairs. The body was
not greatly disfgured by the fire. She
| had evidently died from suffocation.
The chief lifted the lifeless body in his
arms, snd although the staircase was
ablaze, he brought it safely out into the
| street, 1t is said that Miss Tracy could
have saved herself if her strength had
held out a few minutes longer. She fell
1 AZ L. q ho cfn w
| few wards from the bath room, which, If
| she had reached and closed the door would
/ have insured her against fire and smoke
until assistance could have reached her.
OF the French maid, little is known save
| that her dead body was found on the top
floor of the house burned beyond recog-
milton.
Both the bodies of Miss Tracy and her
maid were taken to an undertaker's estab-
/ lishment in the vicinity. Secretary Tracy
| himself had most wondrous escape and
| is now lying in somewhat precarious
| condition at the residence Of Hon. j. c.
/ Bancroft Davis, on FL street, near 18th
street. Like the others, he was overcome
| III his sleep with the smoke which filed
| the house and rendered him completely
/ HELPLESS. He was discovered in this con-
/ dition and with considerable difficulty was
removed to place near one of the win
/ dows. Cries for a ladder were quickly
answered and many willing hands were
raised to assist him to the ground. He
was at once removed to y neighbor's
| house and was soon surrounded by physi-
clans. including Drs Waller and Ruth
He was suffering from asphyxia.
The doctors applied artificial means to
| induce respiration, and succeeded, after an
| hours work, In restoring him to semi
consciousness. It was then thought safe
1 to remove him to Judge Davis house.
He improved slowly from that time on,
/ and soon regained consciousness, recsgniz-
/ ing friends who called to inquire in regard
| to his condition. Among the first Of these
were the President, Vics President and
4 several members of the Cabinet.
DR.. Wales, who is one of the hysicians
| in attendance upon Secretary Tracy,
| said this afternoon that the Secretary was
getting along very well, and that the only
| danger now to be feared is that the smoke
| In his lungs will cause bronchitis. The
Secretary, he said, was bearing up bravely
| in his great affection. His greatest anx
| iety was in regard to his wife, and the
FIRST words uttered by him on regaining
consciousness was to urge them TO save
her life. Save her :. Save her !" he cried
piteously, and then relapsed into state of
| insensibility. 1t lasted q short time only,
| however, and he again called out to the
doctor to leave him and save her. He sub
sequently inquired for his daughter, and
told the doctors that she, too, must be
| saved. Finally it was concluded that the
best course would be to tell him the truth
1 ais the terrible suspense he was suffering
might retard his own recovery.
The President was with him at the time
| and It was from his lips that he learned
the sad news that his wife and daughter
| were dead.