Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1890-02-08
HOLOCAUST.
The Secretary of the Navy and His
Family the Victims.

The Secretary of the Navy and His
Family the Victims.
WASHINGTON, D. c., February 5.-The
house of Secretary Tracy was discovered on
FIRE, during dense fog in the morning, so
heavy as to make the smoke hardly distin-
guishable from the fog. This may have
delayed the discovery of the fire.
Chief Parish, of the fire department, told
his story as follows: II paid no attention
to the fire when l heard there we're people
in the house. felt my way through the
smoke to the second floor and found 6 man
In bed in q room. l tried to pick him up,
but he was almost too heavy. l managed
to drag him into a back room where there
was more air, and then l broke the window
out and called to Lowe, who was IN the
alley, to run up ladder; then they took
the man, and it proved to be the secretary.
] could not move him any further for l was
exhausted and full up to the neck with
smoke.
''Then l went back into the smoke and
fire again and found a young lady, Miss
Mary Tracy, they tell me 1t was, and as
caught hold of her wrists to lift her up the
flesh came Oft her burning hands. She had
been burned. / got her out but she was
dead
Secretary ard Mrs. Tracy occupied the
back room IN the second story. Mrs. Tracy,
it is thought. Was first awakened by the
suffocating smoke. Secretary Tracy was
at the time unconscious, and Mrs Tracy,
with heroic dey otion, attempted to draw
the inanimRte body of the secretary to the
window. In this she partially succeeded.
Half dazed and blinded by the smoke she
opened the window, and Just as the tremen
were putting up a ladder to rescue her, she
leaped to the sidewalk. Her body was
picked up with several internal injuries and
a broken leg. She was taken to & neigh
NI-~.,N
scl)asness died within an hour.
The ladder which would have saved Mrs.
Tracy's life had she waited but brief mo-
ment before lesping to the sidewalk was
soon placed under q wlndoT and strong
hands lifted the BODY of Secretary Tracy
through it and carried him to the sidewalk.
The secretary was at first thought to be dead,
but it was discovered that a small spark of
life J ct renamed. He was removed to the
residence of Bancroft Davis near by.
Miss Tracy, the secretary's unmarried
daughter. occupied the third story front
room and met q terrible fate. The young
lady could be seen at the window In the
hight that fickered in between the binding
smoke and flames, clR1 in q white robe, her
hands IN the attitude of prayer and her face
uplifted to heaven. The flames gradually
hemmed her IN and she finally sank to the
floor. only to be recognized again by her
chRrred remains.
a French maid, Josephine, met similar
late n an adjoining room, where her charred
and blaekene1 remains were found.
Mrs Wilmerding. Secretary Tracy's mar
Eled daughter. and her daughter, Miss
Alice, occupied the second story front room
on the same floor with Secretary and Mrs.
Tracy. fo.h she and her daughter jumped
from the windows to the gravelled terrace
below, and while the shock to both was
severe neither rece we'd. 50 far as now appsr-
eut, any serious injuries; Mrs Wilmerdin0
had her right wrist badly sprained. She is
lying hysterical and In halt dazed condl-
ton, but is rapidly improving under treat
ment Miss Alice is suffering from the
shock. The bodies of Mrs. Tracy and Miss
Tracy have been removed to the residence
OF Attorney General Miller. Mrs. and Mss
Wilmerding are at DR.. Bakers, hut will
be taken 60 the residences OF Senator Hale.
With Ms. Tracy and Miss Tracy and Mrs.
Ccppinger, Secretary Blaine's daughter. all
lying dead, Secretary Tracy seriously i'll
and his health permanently impaired. gov
eminent circles are enshrouded in sadness
and gloom.
The bodies OF Mrs. and Miss Tracy are at
the White House, and the secretary has been
taken there.
There are several stories as to the cause
of the FIRE, but the most plausible one ap-
pears to be that it was the result of defee-
tive hce.
About Il o'clockMr. Tracy recovered con-
scsousneSS. and asked President Harrison
where Mrs Tracy was. The president did
not answer the question Mr.. Tracy evi-
IDENTIFY feeling that her escape was at most
impossible. asked: 'sIs she dead!o Still
zoe president could not answer the question
OF bis friend. and Mr.. Tracy, apparently
4eatiz1ng the truth from the presidents