The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1890-02-14
DEATH In A FIRE.
Secretary Traey's Washington
Residence Destroyed
s. Tracy Kflied-Hcr Daugh. .or .nti
french Maid Lose their Lives
Tho Secretary Injured.

Mrs. Tracy KiIIed-Hcr Daugh.e. .nt
french Maid Lose their Lives
Tho Secretary Injured.
Ihe residence of Hon. Benjamin F. Tracy
secretary Of the United States Navy, was de
stroyed by fire at quarter before seven O'Clock
In the morning. Mrs. belinda e. Trady, wife
OF the Secretary. Miss Mary Tracy. their
daughter, and Josephine Morel, a French
) maid, lost their lives. Secretary Tracy was
seriously eff cted by inhaling smoke, and
MS widowed daughter, Mrs. Ferdinand Suy-
dam Wilmerding, and granddaughter, Alice
Wlmerding, were bruised in jumping from
window; Toe heresysmsntiatAe-se-.ias..l ~
r.oaut ~ oiuocr, iouowiny SO sooa after The
recent deaths ts thsr{6Gna ths sympathy m @ for shs
aaniois.ration a,ia and practically ends the gay
cues OF the social season in official circles 1t
was announced that the S .cretary might be
considered out OF danger If no change for the
worst occurred.
Ine house is three story and basement.
prlck, situated on street, between Conuec.
tlcus avenue and Seventeenth street, Per.
eohs passing at seven O'Clock SAW smoke is
sung from ths front windows, and at ence
raised an alarm Of fire. The tirs AMI police
aspsrtmer Is responded promptly. The prem.
@ ises were almost concealed by dense smoke,
winch was thickened by ,avy fog which
was just hitting. 1t was soon discovered that
|
nam stairway was burnt, thus cutting or
| communication with the sleeping apartments
| on the second and third floors Several
streams OF water we're pl iyed on the build
ing, anu every effort was IN 1de to check the
IL 'mes and rescue tn inmates A scsne of
tue widest confusion eusuei when ft was
known that oil the members OF the family
were III ne house. The fir rsmen behaved like
~ fo,s ia the emergency, and went through
nrc and smoke in searching for TN, m ir the
o'uerent mp rtments.
a.S.s, Mrs, nma nal l. WiImsrding, the sseretary's
R'anu laughter, forced their way through
th' biinding smoke and jumpe from tho
second story windows trout. La ltlcrs wer.
fa,ssa f ior them, hut in their exc. tement III y
tai ed 10 see them. Mrs. WilmerIm, brok.
IsT ieiL wrist. and Massey rely pru,seI. Her
uai shter was badly injured about the low,r
ilhps' out broke no Lones They 10th suf.
severely from III, shock. They we.e
taken at once to the rs s.uence of Dr. BAKER
near by, aud restora: VS. applied Will. TINS
SAD scene was being enacted In tho front or
tue mouse hrsmen were enga red in the sal
va, ;nsk Oh removing oher members of the fam.
lly from tho roar
Mrs Tracy endeavored to escape the ray-
ing element by dropping herself from her !
peorooin window, and in her effort to de- |
crease lhe distn &c to the ground she grasped |
the narrow stone window-sill and iowereI |
nerseif as Tor as sh was able. Those wnosaw |
ner IN her perilous position shoutei ! TO her To |
noiu on, but either she did lot hear or her
s'rengtn iailed her, for, after thus hanging
a moment between life aud death sh. fefi
lorty leet into an area way before aDytbing
cIuid he done towards rescuing her or reIiev
ing her fall. She was Immediately taken To
.ue mousse OF neighhor, Mr. Rneem, and
sairss sSss A. ssssssesa & d.
She talked awhile, cough,d d slightly. then be- /
came silent. Tue physicians looked at each
O, her significantly. Mrs. tt acy vas dead. Inc
immediat, cause Of her death was supposed
to be from injuries 10 her heart sustained in
her fail from the window. which flooded her
lungs with bio ID. 1t is said that bad she
delayed her movements couple OF minu,es
ladders and mattresses and other means or
safe escape would have been at hand. her
body was soon removed to the residence OF
Attorney-General Miller, on Massachusetts
avenue.
Almost at the s1me time two bodies were
taken from the burning building-one WIS
tue Seer etary 5 daughter, Miss Mary, n young
ludy, aud the other was that of the French
mali JOS .ph he Morel. That OF the former |
was found py Chief Paris lying on the floor
in the :, cond floor hall, at the head or th9 |
stairs. The body was not greatly disfigured :
by the fire; she had evidently DIED from SUI
location. The chief liz ted tho lifeless body
in his arms, aud although the staircase was
ablaze, he brought it safely out into the
street. IL is said that Miss Tracy could have
saved herself il h,r strength had he'd out
few minutes longer. Sae fell in the hallway
o; the second story. few yards fron tn,
k-.~sta co
closed the door, would have insured her
a2ai9st The fire and smoke Until tus ssSEisteenssSS
,maid little is known save tn IT her dead body
was found in her room on the top moor OF
the house burned beyond recognition bo1a
thei q les OF Mss Tracy and h:Isnali were
taken % an under takers estaol'ssdfeh' In the
vicinity. mo-,
Secretary Tracy hims IF had O mos! won.
der, us escape He was taken to tho real renee
or Hon j. O. Is ,ncro.t Davis, on II. street,
near ghteer tn. Like oil thu others ne was
overcome in his sleep by the smoke wh'cn
filled the house, and rendered completely
helpless. He was discovered in this condl-
ton, and with considerable difficulty was re-
moved to place near one OF the WIDOWS;
Cries for ladder was quickly answered, ana
mony willing hands were raised to ass So
him to the ground. He was at once remoVeu
to neighbours houso and was soon sur
rounded by physicians, including DIS. WaieS
aud Ruth. lie was suffering from aspny "a'
The doctors applied artificial means 10 ia-
! ducs respiration and succeeded, after an
| hours work, in restoring him to semi con-
scousness. 1t was then thought sale 10 re-
move him to Judge Davis's houso. ne ln,,
proved slowly from that time on and soon
| rcgained consciousness, recognizing iriehus
who calel to inquire in regard TO ms cohu'.
tion. Among the first OF these were Tue
President, the ice-Pres'deht anu se'ei"
| members OF the cabinet.
DR.. Wales, who is one of the physicians IN
attendance upon the Secretary, siid the oec
r.tary was getting along very well, anu Una, eh,
the only danger now TO be feared Is that c!l'
smoke In his lungs will cLus, bronchitis
The Secretary, he said, was b?aring VI
bravely in his great affection. His greates
anxiety was III regard 10 his wite anu III
first words uttered by him on reSaining con
seriousness was to urge them to stve her IKE
save her Save her |" he cried piteousiy en'
then reapsed into state OF insenSiplity
1t lasted short time only, however, and u
again called out To the doctors to leave MI
and save her. He subsequently inquired
his daughter, aud told the doctors that Sh'
: TOO, must be saved. Finally 1T was conciut
Ell Cnat the best course would be TO tell MI
D the truth, as the terrible suspense he was su
I fering might retard his own recovery. II
President was with him at the time, ana
> was from his lips that he learned the s.
= news that his wife aud daughter were oea
j The blow was q terrible one, but ne stoou
i with fortitule, ami soon after ioli IL %
n --,-,stles, sleep. Dr. Wales said that the .
3. Dut--, h-aa th was still saturated WIN y
, tnSsteady Improvement in ms general sym