Telegram-herald., 1890-02-09
CAPITAL GLEANINGS
TIE Calamity thai Befel Secretary
Tracy's Household.
IS II The W0RE OF THE EEROSEyE7
some Eaets Bearing Ga the Origiu 81 the
FtE~-sPssksr Essd's Fositlon ,as-
tAiasd 81 His PaFtg- -insallF
P0palaritFs

Csrresponasaee o tas TElsa "a HEaaL5.
WAsHIsaroS, 10. G.. FEB. s.--A0t since
the time when the assassin. Guteau,
hred a pistol. the echoes 0t which re-
sounded throughout the entire civilized
w0rid. and for Is second time 20 Ameri-
can history made the President the VIC
tm 0f a murder, not since that fatal
"a If July, nine years agO-I say-has
there been such a scene of excitement
witnessed in this city As took place last
Monday morning, when the news
quickly spread that the residence Of
the Secretary OF the Navy had been
destroyed by IRE, causing the death OF
the secreta-y's wife and daughter and
one Of the servants. The suddenuess
ofthe calamity and rs appalling nature
excited the sympathy Of ali, and ap-
pealed to al hearts.
The telegraph has already so fully
told the dire tragedy, that I shall not
weary your readers with a repetition OF
It's sickening details. I have spoken
with many people who IN their time
have been eyewItnesses Of great TRACE
dies, who have seen railroad accidents,
steamboat horrors and disasters OF all
kinds, but they tell me that never did
they see anything quite 50 frightfUl as
the spectacle presented by Mrs. Tracy
dropping from that window, while her
daughter was slowly burning 70 death
on the floor above. Had there been
any means of reaching the young lady,
she could have been saved, as there
were plenty Of brave and determined
men present willing 10 make any sacri-
fee 20 save human life. But ladders
we're wanting and they were powerless
10 do aught but stand idly by while the
house burned.
There are any number of causes
assigned 20 account for the fire, but
none OF them IS regarded as generally
satisfactory. My own opinion Is that
the fire was not due 20 q defective fiue
or from the woodwork becoming over
heated. | am firmly of the opinion
that coal OIL through some means or
other was the cause OF the fire. One
theory is that a large lamp IN the
pariOr exploded, and IN less time II
takes TO tell the room was IN flames
Another suppOsitlOn is that a servant
IN starting the tire IN the
back parlOr grew so impatient be-
cause the combustion was so slow
and 20 hasten matters resOrted TO the
movement and handy kerosene can.
explosion, and a fire so sudden and IN
st1ntaneOus. that before anything could
bee done the house was filled with blind
ing smoke, and IN less time than il
takes 10 tell. the place was huge fiery
furnace. This il the only way / can
account for the holocaust. The fire was
too sudden, and burned with too much
intensity, 10 DE due 20 natural causes,
that IS from the place being over
heated. Something like coal oil or
some other outside agency / should re-
gard a the immediate cause.
Opinions differ as TO whether the fire
department FespOned 10 the alarm as
promptly As It should have. People on
occasions ike these naturally become
excited and ratified and minutes
seem Ike hours. Ii the stories told by
some OF the eye witnesses are correct It
took the department st least twenty
minutes, and according % some people
double that time before the first engine
appeared The nearest engine house Is
only couple of blocks away. aud the
hoOS aud ladder company should have
responded under ordinary cIrcum-
stances n not more than three nin-
utes. tuc matter will bc rigdIv IN
vlst,gatcI hy tEe Senate District Com
nI-ttc. q resolution t0 that eapct hav-
ing aIv ally been introduced by Senator
Haw.ey.
This terrible calamity in the house OF
tie Secretary of tnc Navy. and the re-
cert sudden tcathsIn secretary Bla'ne's
family. have east 2 gloom over the en-
tlrt Administration. q gloom not ikelv
e. he dlss oatcd during tifc rest of tae
wuFgr. What but q bricf time ago
So ued would De- one Of tac gayest VIII I
tcls Washington has ever known. Will /
now ~ a >el-ol 0f ri0urn,n- and socj- /
CIV W'i .e r.rt quet m consequence.
II IS l1o e1flT rs we 20 >7v whether the
c1tas rphe VIII have cnv effect ON
Secretary lraCv's further ofi d life.
hrt great Wa9y persons th nk that bis /
r.S -lHt.ua wiil s4afl fr ntutfd t1 tic I
Pr ,tieut. sn ADDITION t1 fhe tr.nsu- f
oous mental shoes fo wu 81. le t1. t,ar /
subjected. e ls feared tna- hls p slta
permanently njurcj Fc srd only re- +
c'rtiv rec0vert1 from % etere attack 4
of bronchitis. aHi ta oee whico hc 4
lnhairt may har' nerullu rn-lv weak f
ened hls lungs IGen aIl tl.a as-ocia- /
tons Of N1sn'r gfun must 0lnavs h (
stsstefu 81 h0'. Mrs. Win ling. I