Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-02-07

his house, dl!u Uie L I0SDGeHU tOitl Hill UlltI-
ly about it's condition, comforting him af-
terward, as we'll as he could, out OF the
Word of God.
At2 O'Clock the Secretary fell into deep
sleep, and the physicians said they feared
nothing save the bronchitis OF pneumonia,
which would naturally follow such expo
sure.
Then President Harrison left and went
to Secretary's Blaine's house to perform
again the sad office of the comforter, return
ing later in the afternoon with a tender
message of sympathy from the bereaved
Secretary of State to the broken-hearted
Secretary of the Navy, and leaving to go to
the White House to receive the remains OF
Mrs. and Miss Tracy.
THE RUINED MANSION.
To those who were admitted to view the
destruction of property, the bedroom which
had been occupied by Secretary and Mrs.
Tracy, was the principal point of interest. 1t
is a rear room on the second floor, and must
have been a beautiful apartment With the
heads towards the west two single bedsteads
stand side by side, and on these Mi. and
Tracy slept last night. The brass is tarnish-
ed, and everything around is black and
soaked with water. The room is q huge
cinder. Pictures are charred and smoke
stained, mirrors cracked, silyer-backed hair
brushes and the hundred and one little toilet
accessories are ruined completely. The
French clock on the mantel was silent, its
pendulum having ceased to swing at $50.
Dirt and dirty water had ruined everything
that was not impervious to heat and CONT
nuous moisture.
APET DOG'S FATE.
In the adjoining bathroom was Miss
Tracy s pet poodle, with his usually snow
white wool begrimed. He was dead. A
fireman found him near the window OF the
Secretary S room, and believing him to be
still alive had put him near the bathroom
window in order that he might have a
chance to revive. The dog had probably
floor above, and, like her, had given away
to the suffocating smoke.
The two front rooms on the second floor
were occupied by Mrs. Wilmerding and her
daughter, Miss Alice. These apartments
are wrecks. From the windows, which face
on 1 street, these two ladies dropped to the
grass below.
On the third floor, in the central front
was the room occupied last night by Miss
Tracy. This was ruin of the most thor
ough description-charred in every corner,
the ceiling gone, the doors burned out
Cinders, ankle deep, covered the floor, and
by water.
THE DAUGHTER S ARTISTIC ROOM.
Adjoining this room on the east was the
apartment which was to be Miss Tracy 5
permanent room, and there was scattered
all around evidence of preparation. On a
couple of chairs were artists materials,
decorative art. On one side of the room
was wooden bedstead-the only one in the
house-and on its headboard the skilIful
fingers of the pretty girl, now dead, had
shaped feStoons OF popples and morning
glories pendant from true lovers knots.
The fire had been more kind here than else
where, and there was still to be traced the
floral forms now a dirty white ON the
smoked ground. The brushes and palette
were just where they had been dropped by
the artist
STARTED IN THE PARLOR.
The fire is believed to have originated in
the parlor near the open fireplace. Wheth-
Ell it originated from the CRATE or heating
pipes is not known, The frame work adj
joining the mantel was where the fire star
ted, and it no doubt burned some time be-
fore it was discovered. The furnace is in the
basement directly beneath where the fire
started, and the pipes leading to the upper
OUOl1C0 potoo LII UllSs lC6tI VI 4uC HOOuWOlh.
The firemen generally think that the wood
work caught fire from the heated pipes.
MRS. TRACY AND HER DAUGHTERS.
Mrs. Tracy was 60 years old, and was
very popular, both in Brooklyn and Wash
ington, where she was a society leader. She
was the sister of General Isaac S. Catlin, a
prominent Brooklyn Republican politician.
She was a woman Of fine appearance, and
very pleasing in her manners. She dressed
with great taste. Recently Mrs. Tracy had
been somewhat Of an invalid, being suf-
ferer from rheumatism.
Miss Mary Tracy, the daughter, was the
Secretary's youngest child, the others being
Mrs Wilmerding and Frank B. Tracy, d
promising young lawyer, who carries on his
father S practice in Brooklyn. Miss Tracy
was q years old, and, like her mother, was
very popular in society. She was of a de
cidedly artistic temperament, and very
skillful with her brush.
Mrs. Wilmerding is a widow, and bel
daughter, who was somewhat hurt is l.
years old. Mrs. Wilmerding is somewhat
celebrated for the beauty and elegance OF
her dresses, and has assisted her mother il
her social duties at Washington.
THE BODIES LYING IN STATE.
The remains of Mrs. Tracy and Miss
Tracy lie tonight in caskets i'll the centre
of the East Room Of the White House
beneath the crystal chandeliers whose light
less than a week ago shOne upon them as
they gayly greeted their numerous friends
at the last Presidential reception. The
death chamber is now dimly lighted and is
sombre, gloomy and quiet, with no one
within it save the dead and one of the door
keepers, who will keep watch over the
remains. The bodies were brought to the
White House about O'Clock by order OF
the President, who has taken charge OF
whatever arrangements for the funeral il
was necessary to make at present.
The Baskets are covered with black vel
vet, and the mountings are of silver. Or
Miss Tracy,s coffin is bunch OF Gala
lilies, placed there by Mrs. Harrison, and
on that of Mrs. Tracy is bunch OF Parma
violets, placed there by Mrs. Morton. The
last time that any one, not a member OF
the Presidents family lay in state i'll the
East Room was in February, 1914, when
the remains of Secretary of War Gilme1
and other victims of the explosion on board
the PRESIDENT were brought there.
CONDoLENCE.
Secretary Tracy was Tuesday afternoon
taken to the White House, where he will
remain for the present. He has received
a great many messages of coincidence from
intimate and foreign friends. Among
these are messages from Queen Victoria,
through the British Minister, and from
the Lord Mayor Of London, the Common
Council Of Brooklyn, the Virginia legisla
ture, the City Council of Richmond and
many other bodies.
THE FUNERAL.
The funeral of Mrs. Tracy and her daugh
ter took place on Wednesday from the
! White House. All the foreign ministers
were present, and the cabinet, except MI.
Blaine whose daughter was buried the day
before. The services were conducted i'll
the East room. Rev. Dr.. Douglas read the
Episcopal burial service, and a surpliced
choir of sixteen boys sung the hymns, clos
ing with ''Abide with me, fast falls the