Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-03-20

the Flame Were Crushed 20 Death
An Awful Holocaust.
IspIANApuLIs, IND, March IL --Thil
AFTERNOON fire from furnace in the basel
ment OF the large book publiahing estabI
ment Of the Bowen. Merrill Oompanyl
reached some paper. and in an instant
the hames were carried by the elevator
shaft to the fourth story. The building
fine stone and iron structure fronting
on Washington street, was stored with
books and stationery of all kinds. This
large stock WAS consumed and the build
ing wrecked.
At $40 O'Clock this loss Of more than
$3.50, GOO on building and stock was fol.
lowed by the falling in of the roof, which
carried down more than 90 persons, in
Guiding those who we're working on the
various floors. The fire at this hour had
been driven to corner between the cell
ing Of the fourth story and the oornice.
Parts of the fire companies were on the
roof working their way down to tho fro.
The roof seemed sound and tho walla
substantial but suddenly tho walls
yielded. A man threw up his arms and
sank into the seething ruins below. An
other man dropped and then the Who'll,
rear roof, with is men on 1t, fell on II
top floor where this fire was raging. Pou
men were on the upper floor under tn
roof. These were crushed beneath tn
grinding timhers and all the men hurled
through the falling floor beneath, wbicI
gave way beneath the weight OF the mass.
Ole of the firemen on The top OF the &C
joining building ran to the front Of the
building and shouted to those below
For Gods sake, throw water in the
upper windows! Twenty men are buried
there"
instantly Hmbulanoes were telsphoned
for, and presently the crcwd below
moaned under the nortentous develop
ments. This scene on the heap of debris
| Immediately after the collapse was pitia-
BILE and dreadful beyond the power OF
| description. The limbs OF men here and
there were seen writhing, while the trunks
to which they belonged were buried from
sight.
A ladder lag scrosH the three men and
war We GIFTED down by tons OF brick and
timber. Another poor fellow, who was
beyond ill pain, iay close teside his
fellows, a shapeless and mapgled mass.
| This ladder lay aoroEs the stomach Of one
man, whp was screaming with agony.
| Another man with a broken arm and
twisted body lay next TO him.
|
away the bricks they were removed, but
the ladder was too firmly held TO yield.
The man with broken arm was dragged
free and carried away. Under him, mute,
but breathing, appeared the upturned
face of poor fellow not seen before.
| The mortar and dust we're cleaned frOD
| his lips, but he was buried so deeply tina
no Immediate help could come to him,
| On all sides blsckened and bleeding
faces, distorted with agony or dreadful
in death, urged the crowd who had scaled
the heap to assist them to redouble their
efforts. The debris had fallen so that it
lay with a salley-shapad surface, and this
made available space for work very small,
Ihare was no place to deposit the ma
terials dug from the bottom of the valley,
except to throw them upon the sides OF
the depression, from which they contin-
uaily rolled down toward the centre
again.
All the work of relief was thus carried
on with great difficulty. One by one the
men nearest the surface were axtrioated,
but as the workers won't down farther,
they discovered new victims, and the
horror steadily grew. The forward part
OF the building still stood high and
burning tiercely, and threatened every
|
resouers, but they gave no heed to the
peril.
On either side the walls lowered and
seemed ready to fall, but tn re was no
time to think Of them. As fast az the
wotkmen became exhausted others stood
ready and anxious to fill the places, so
there WINS not moment Of delay In the
labor Of relief. Every moment was filed
with an awful suspense, for all were
thinking of friends who lay buried be-
meath them. Names which men incurred
after were passed hurrisdly from lip to
lip, and people bent down to scan closely
the blackened and SCARED faces. Per.
sons who had friends among the firemen
or among citizens who were supposed to
have been near the fatal walls, became
frantic as time passed and they could get
no word. As the wounded were carried
out of the ruins they were met with en-
braces and tears OF joy; hut when the
STILL broken forms were borne away,
motionless and limp, then it was when
the full sadness and horror of the
calamity came upon the waiting crowd.
AT this hour l1,30 p. m. 90 men have
been taken from the ruins, nine of whom
were dead, and the rest more or less in
lured. Others are known TO he under
| sNS thhna " aobiini Jul hHfe uOt yet Doel
reached.
lNDIANAPoLI9, IND, March ia great
throng surrounds the ruins of the Brown
Merrill bo K concern this morning. An
army OF workmon 10 busily engaged cart.
ing away the debris to exhume the bodies
of tho dead and injured buried there.
: The Voiccs of several persons in the ruins
can be clearly heard above tho noise Of
the woskmen removing the piieB of brick
! and broken timbeEa.
The list eff dead IS far as known is as
follows: Andrew O. Cherry, superin-
tendent OF the fie nle,m telegraph; Geo.
Faulkner, engineer company /, still pin.
Toned IN tine ruins; Espy Stormer, pipe
man engine company 1, still in ruins;
David Il. Lo@ery, pipemRn engine COM
pany =, still in ruins; Ulysses G. GLACIER,
substitute engine company 3; Henry d.
Woodruff, pipemsn engine company s;
! George W. Glenn, pipeman reel company
] !; ALDER. Hoffman, pipsmsn reel com pan
] lOi Anthony VolE driver hook and lad
! der company q Thomaa A. Black, truck
: man hook and ladder company g.
The injured number 10 The fire origi
mated in the basement from the furnace
but in what manner is unknown. The
furnace was recently rttisted and was
3 supposed to be il good condition New
: hues were supplied by Ohicago Arm ct
the opening of the winter season.
hHtVtelte 'ERken To Jali.
y