The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1890-02-06
A TERRIBLE CALAMITY.

SECRETARY TRACY's HOUSE BURNED
HIS WIFE AND DAUGHTER LOST IN THE
FLAMEs-FoUR DEATHS RESULTED
A dispatch from Washington, dated
the 3rd, gives the following account of
the destruction of Secretary of the Ma
Wy Tracy's house, the loss of his wife and
daughter, and others:
A terrible calamity visited the house
hold of Secretary Tracy this morning
whereby four persons lost their lives and
three Others were badly injured The
house-a three story and basement
bricks situated on~I street, between
! Connecticut avenue and Seventeenth
street. Persons passing the house at 7
o'clock this morning saw smoke issuing
1 from the front windows and at once
raised an alarm of fire When the fire
and police departments responded it was
discovered that the house was all abaze
inside and that the main stairway was
burnt, thus cutting off communication
with the sleeping apartments on the Sc
cond and third floors. Several streams
of water were played on the flames and
| every effort was made to check the fire
and to rescue the inmates The whole
building seemed to be one seething mass
of flames. bursting from every point.
/ Scream followed scream, each one more
| horrible and blood curdling than the
other, from the interior of the building.
A scene of the widest confusion ensued
when it was known that all the members
of the family We're in the house. Mrs.
Wihmerding, the Secretary's daughter,
and Miss Wiimerding 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. Wilderding broke her left wrist and
was severely bruised Her daughter was
badly injured about the lower limbs but
had no bones broken They both suf-
fered severely from the shock They
were at once taken to the residence of
DIR. Baxter near by and restoratives APP
piled. While this scene was being enac
ted in the front of the house, firemen
were engaged in the sad task of remov-
ing other members of the family from
the rear. Chief Engineer Parrish forced
his way into Mrs. Tracy's room and
found her lying on her bed overcome by
suffocation. He carried her to the win
dow and with the assistance Of others
bore her almost lifeless body down a lad
der and up an alley to the house of Mrs.
Rheem on 18th street. She was then
unconscious and although every effort
was impossible to save her life. She died
within a few minutes after her rescue
She was not burned, but died from suffo-
cation. Her body was removed to the
residence of Acknowledgement Miller |
Almost at the same time three more
bodies We're taken from the burning
building. One was that of the Secre-
tary's daughter, Miss Mary, and the
others were those Of female servants !
hrIt.r, TO,
We're unrecognizabie by their features.
Miss Tracy's body was distinguished
from the others only by the superior /
texture of what remained of her stock
lngs. The charred remains were taken |
to an undertaker's establishment in the |
vicinity.
Secretary Tracy himself had a most /
miraculous escape and is lying in a some /
what precarious condition at the resi-
dence of Hon. j. G. Bancroft Davis I
Like all the others he was overcome in
his sleep by the smoke which filled the /
house and rendered completely helpless.
He was discovered in this condition and /
with considerable difficulty was removed !
to a place near one of the windows A /
ladder was quickly raised to assist him
to the ground and he was at once re
moved to a neighbours house and was
soon surrounded by physicians. He was
succeeded after an hours work in re-
storing him to semi consciousness and he
was then removed to Judge Davis's
house, where he soon regained conscious
ness, recognizing the friends who called
to inquire in regard to his condition
Among the first of these were the Presi-
dent, the Vice President and several
members of the cabinet. ,rhe fun eX-
tent Of his terrible allliction is withheld
hi f.,yT t.,,,
curry upon recovering consciousness was
in regard to the safety of his family He
Is gradually gaining in strength and his
friends are very sanguine OF his com
plete recovery. The house was com
pletely Quilted by the fire. The walls
are standing but the interior presents
picture of ruin and desolation. The
residence of Judge w. S. Cox, of the
District Supreme Court, which adjoins
it ON the left, was also badly damaged
by water.
DR.. Ruth visited the undertaker's es-
tablishment this morning and identified
the body of Miss Tracy. He made
hurried examination and found she had
died from suffocation Mrs Tracy was
found to have died from rupture of blood
yeasela.
AS soon as the attending physician had
pronounced Secretary Tracy out of dan
ger and he had fully regained conscious
ne.s. he was told of the awful calamity
that had befallen him. The grief of the
stricken man was most ptiful. He soon.
however, fell into a deep sleep. AS soon
as possible after he awakes he will be ia
ken to the Executive mansion.
Chief Parrish, of the fire departments
told his story, as follows; u felt my way
through the smoke to the second floor
and found a man in bed. | managed
to drag him to a window and called for a
ladder. Then they took the man out
and it proved to be Secretary Tracy
| went back into the smoke and fire
again and found young lady-Miss
Mary Tracy they tell me it was-and as
l caught hold of her wrists to lift her
up the flesh came Off the burning hands
! got her out but she was dead"
The Tracy house was completely gut
ted and the furniture is a total loss. The
building was magnificently furnished, all
the appointments being new. Mrs. Tracy
being an invalid the duties of hostess
devolved upon her two daughters Mrs
Wilmerding and Miss Mary Harrington
Tracy The origin of the fire is I'M
known, but it probably started from the
furnace. 1t had been smouldering a
long time, as it. blazed up and spread
with draa 1ful aniditv