The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1890-02-06
4 TERRIBLE CALAMITY.
THE HOME OF SECRETARY TRACY
BURNED IN WASHINGTON.
His Wife and Daughter and Servant
Burned to Death-Three Others Bad
~ Injured, Including the Secretary.


~ Injured, Including the Secretary.
A sad and sorrowful calamity has
befallen Gen. Benz. F, Tracy, Secretary
of the Navy. His residence in Wash
ington City was burned Monday
morning, and his wife and daughter
Miss Mary, and French maid, who oc-
cupied a room in the house, lost their
lives, while the Secretary himself and
a married daughter, Mrs. Wilmerding,
and her daughter, who were stopping
in the house at the time, came near
losing their lives also. From the
Associate Press dispatches, we take
the following
WASHINGTON, February "a terri
BILE calamity visited the household of
Secretary Tracy this morning, where
by three persons lost their lives, and
three others badly injured.
Persons passing the house at J
O'Clock this morning saw smoke is.
suing from the front windows, and at
once gave an alarm of fire. The
premesis were almost concealed by a
dense smoke, which was thickened by
a heavy fog which was just lifting. 1t
was soon discovered that the house
was all ablaze inside, and that the
main stairway was burnt, thus cutting
off communication with the sleeping
apartments on the second and third
floors. A scene of the widest confu.
ison ensued, when it was known that
all of the members of the family were
in the house. The fremen behaved
like heroes in the emergency, and
went through fire and smoke in search
ing for them in the different apart
ments. Mrs. Wilmerding, the Score
tary's daughter, and Miss Wilmerdine
forced their way through the binding
smoke and jumped from a second
story window front. Ladders were
raised for them, but in their excite
ment they failed to see them. Mrs.
Wilmerding broke her left wrist and
was severely bruised. Her daughter
was badly injured about the lower
limbs, but 10 bones broke. While this
SD scene was being enacted in front,
the fremen were engaged in the
sad task of removing the other men,
bers of the family from the rear.
Chief engineer Parrish forced his way
into Mrs: Tracy's bedroom and found
her lying on her bed overcome by suf-
location. He carried her to the
window, and with the assistance of
others carried her almost lfeless body
down the ladder and up an alley to
the house of Mrs. Rhem, on 18th
street. She was then entirely uncon-
scious, and although every effort
known to medical science was used
it was impossible to save her life; she
died within few minutes after her
rescue. She was not burned, but
QleO from Suf1OCatlOn.
Almost at the same time two bodies
were taken from the burning building
one the Secretary's daughter, Miss
Mary, and young French maid, jose
phine. That of the former was found
by Chief Parrish lying on the floor of
the second floor hall at the head of
the stairs. The body was not greatly
disfgured. She had evidently died OF
suffociation. The Chief lifted the
llfeless body in his arms, and although
the stair case was ablaze, he brought
it safely out into the street.
Secretary Tracy himself had most
miraculous escape and is now lying in
a somewhat precarious condition.
Like all the others he was overcome
in his sleep by the smoke which filled
the house and rendered him complete
ly helpless. He was discovered in this
condition, and with considerable diff
Guilty was removed to a place near one
of the windows. Cries for a ladder
was quickly answered, and many will
ing hands were raised to assist him to
the ground. He was at once removed
to a neighbors house and was soon sur
rounded by physicians. He was suf-
fering from asphyxia. The doctors
applied artificial means to induce res
piration, and succeeded after an
hours work in restoring him to semi
consciousness.
The house was completely Quilted by
fire. The walls are standing, but the
interior presents picture of ruin and
desolation. The origin Of the fire is
not known.