The DeSmet leader. (DeSmet, Kingsbury Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-02-08
DEATH In FLAME.
The Wife and Daughter of Sec
rcJary Tracy Perish in Their
burning House.
The Secretary Barely Escapes
with His Life and Others
Suffer Severely.

speciaI telegram from Washington,
dated Monday morning, February 3, says
Mrs. Tracy, wife OF Secretary Tracy
Mics Tracy, his youngest daughter, and
Josephene, the French maid as result oi
the fire in Secretary Tracy's house Sunday
morning, now lie dead. Secretary Tracy
is in a stupor, suffering from the effects oI
inhaling smoke. Mrs. Wilmerding, eldest
daughter Of Secretary Tracy, Is in a semi
conscious condition. suffering from sprain.
Ell wrist and soreness. Miss Alice Wilmer
ding, thirteen years Of age, Secretary Ira
cy's grand daughter is suffering from ner.
vOus prostration and shock.
1t was about 7 o'clock Sunday morning,
when the flames were seen issuing from the
tind0ws and roof Oi Secretary Tracy q
handsome residence No. 1854 / street
northwest. The fire gained head way
rapidly aud although the fire department
responded promptly, the residence was
enveloped in flames when they arrived.
Sever al streams OF W ater were layed on the
flames and every effort was made to cheek
the fire and to rescue the inmates. A
scene 81 the widest confusion ensued,
when ii was known that all members OF
the family were in the house. The
EIREMEN BEHAVED LIKE HEROES
in the emergency and went through fire
and smoke in searching for them IN tn, ir
different appointments. Mrs. WiImerdlna
the secretary's daughter, and Miss VII.
merdinG, forced their way through the
binding smoke and jumped from a second
story window in the front and were badly
injured by the fall. Ladders were raised
Tor them but in their excitement they fail
ed TO see them.
While thiG sad scene was being enacted
in front OF the house tiremen were engaged
in the task OF rescuing other mer. bers Of
the family from the rear. Chief Engineer
Parish found his way into Mrs. Tracy's
bedroom and found her lying in her bed
overcome by suifOcatiOn. He carried her
to window and with the assistauCe OF
others carried her almost lireless body
down n ladder, up an alley and to the
house OF Mrs. Rheim on 18TH street. She
was then entirely unconscious, and o.!
though every effort known to medical sci
enCe was used, it was impossible to
save her life She died within a
few minutes alter her rescue. She
was not burned, but died from sui.
fcatiOn. Almost at the same time two
more bodies were taken from the burning
building. One was that OF the secretary's
daughter, Miss Merle, and the other was
one OF the servants. Both ladies were
burned TO a crisp and were unrecogniz liable
by their features. Miss Tracy's body was
distinguished from the other only by the
superior texture OF what remaipe1 OF her
stockings. The charred remains were taken
to an undertaker's establishment ia the
vicinity wnere they were Joined soon after
by the remains OF Mrs. Tracy.
Secretary Tracy himself had
MOST wUNDHous EsCATE,
and is now lying in n somewhat preCarious
condition at the reaidencs OF Hon. j. G.
Bancroft Davis. on II street near Eish.
teenth street. He WAS suffering from az
phyXia. Doctors applied artificial means
to induce respiTa ton and succeeded after
an hours work in restoring him to semi
consciousness. 1t was then thought sale
TO remove him to Judge Davis's house
He improved slowly from that time on
and soon regainad consciousness, recog.
niEing friends Who called to inquire
in regard to his condition. among
the first Il these were the president,
the vice. president and several members Of
the cabinet. The full xtent OF his terrible
affiiCtion was withheld from him Tor time.
HE frat inquiry upon covering conscious.
ness was IN regard t. the saity OF his
family. His greatest anxiety was IN re.
gard to his vile, and the first words utter
ed by hIm on recovering consciousness WAS
to urge them to save ner lie. Save her,
save her, he cried piteously, and then re
lapsed into state OF insensibility. II
lasted d short time only, however, and he
again called out 20 the doctors to leave
him aid save her. He subsequently in
quired for his daughter and told the doc.
tors that she, too, mus be saved. Finally
il was concluded the best course would
be to tell him the truth as the terrible sus.
pense he waa suffering might retard his
own recovery. The president was with him
at the time. and 1t was from his lips be learn
cd the sad news that his wife and daughter
were dead. The blow was terrible one,
but he stood it with fortitude. and soon
after fell into restless sleep. DR.. Wales
said the secretary'C breath was still sstur
ated with the smoke he had inhaled, but
there vas a slow and steady Improvement
in mis- general symptoms. The president
ana Mr.. Haliord remained at the house
until late in the afternoon.
Miss Tracy died from suffocation, Mrs.
Tracy was found TO have died from rup.
ture Oi blood vessels. Their bodies we're
taken TO Attorney General MiIIsr's house
IN the afternoon.