Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-02-04
FIERCE FLAMES.
Secretary Traey's Wife and Daughter
LOSa Their LIVES.
PERmoUS LEAPS FROM WINDOWS.
The Secretary Dragged From His
Bed While Unconscious
Graphic Description

lsFEaA5 DIssAEcEEs TO TEE HE0oED-UFIOS.i
WAsHrEeToy. February 3d.-The resi-
dence Of Secre;sry Of the Navy Tracy was
burned At o'clock this morning.
Mrs. Tracy Jumped from the second-story
window. She died Of her injuries within
an hour.
An unknown lady was burned to death.
The Secretary himself YVES rescued from
the second story in an unconscious condi-
ton by three iremen. He is said to be
dying.
PARTICULARS OF THE FIRE.
WASHINGTON, February 3d.-The partic-
ulars about the IRE are very conflicting. As
near as can be low ascertsined Mrs. Tracy
Jumped from the seeond-story window and
sustained fatal injuries.
a gentleman VINO saw the fire said never
in bis life did be see or hear such sight.
It seemed. he said as though hell had
broken loose and seEt its fiery tongue to
earth. The whole building seemed one
seething mass OF flames bursting from
every point. Scream followed scream,
each one more horrible and Dlood-curdling
than the other, from the interior OF the
building. Only few people were passing
al the time, and they seemed lost and be-
Wildered.
The engines soon arrived, and before
Foreman Boss could get ladders up to the
front of the windows two females appeared
in the second. story windows in front, and
il spite of a warning not to jump, they
leaped out on sns grass. They proved TO be
Mrs, Wilmerding, the married daughter OF
the Secretary, ard her daughter, Miss VIII
t.,,. rFi hrDEp ut
her wrists and was bruised, her daughter
was burned quite severely, but not other
wise injured
Truck "B' arrived very soon after the
alarm, although to the watching spectators
the minutes seemed hours. Assistant
Chief Lowe Of once went TO the rear, where
a woman. presumably one of the servants,
was waving q Blanket 10 keep the smoke
and flames awsv from her. She was up
under the manssrd roof, aud behaved with
q good deal OF GOODNESS. She was requested
not TO Jump, and did not. She came down
the ladder.
CHIEF HARRIS STORY.
By this time Chief Harris arrived, and
learning there were people still in the
house he lei. the fire extinguishing ar
engagements 10 his subordinates and dashed
INTO the burning house, followed closely
By Howard Wright. who drives the Chief s
wagon. The Chief told his story as fol-
lows: ~ psid no attention to the fire
when l heard there were people in the
house. ! felt nv way through the smoke
to the second floor, and found man in
bed in the room. tried to pick him up,
bat he was almost too heavy. l managed
to drag him into the back room where
there was more air, and then l broke a
window out and called to Lowe, who was
in the alley, 20 run up ladder. Then
they took the man cut, and it proved to be
the Secretary. I couldn't move any
further. for I 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
ii was-and as caught hold Of her wrists
to lift her up the flesh came off her burn
ing hands, she was so burned. l got her
out, but she was dead. That exhausted
me-; | could dono more
STORY OF MRS TRAcY's DEATH.
E S. Rheim, whose house or Seven
teenh street rms back 10 the rear of the
Secretary's house, gives a graphic account
of the terrible death of Mrs. Tracy "a
heard terrible screams said Rheim
about 7:I5 O'Clock this morning, and
lmped from oed ana ran to the window
MS. 1ldlE WG- 4aA4AluE ny Lei 4GA4Go ~
he sill of the window of the second floor
She was screaming and almost immedi.
ately dropped. 4 moment afterward an
other woman, who. it seems, was the cook
appeared on he ledge of the mausard roof
She was waving 2 blanket and crying out
Every minute l expected to see her jump
AS quickly as possible we threw some
mattresses uuGeT the window, but shortly
a hook ana ladder appeared, AID the ladder
was run up ana she was brought down
a MYSTERY.
The ori-in Of the fire, although reported
as irom defective huts. seems great mys-
terry and especially as 1t spread so rapidly
a letter carrier on his usual rounds this
morning psss5l tho house q few minutes
before o'clock. He observed nothing ur-
usual in the appearance OF the exterior
Continuing Cp the street, some ten minute:
afterward he happened 10 look back and
saw Tracy house enveioped in flames.
THE BUILDING BURNED.
Shortly after Tracy's appointment TO the
Cabinet he purchased the former residence
of Don NJ Dickinson. late Postmaster Gen,
eral, 1854 I street occupied By Mr.. Dckin
son. 1t was situated south Of FarTagu
Square, upon which il had an attractive
outlook a flight of steps led up to the
hall on the south side of it, and through i
one entered the front drawing-room. The
back of the GraTing-room was made beau
Iiful by an immense bay window on tbs
east end and fireplace in the center.
finely propOllioned dining room was in
the rear of these apartments. The wood
work was Of black walnut The house
consisted Of TWO stories. with bay window
running from the basement to the French
mansard. The Secretary gave az architec
orders to extend the front dra8ing-room on
the east side some thirteen feet, which
greatly increased the capacity, and fur
nished two available bedrooms above, anC
the improvement vas to extend back somE
distance. Ms. Tracy being an invalid, the
duties of hostess devolved upon her two &C
compiished daughters. Mrs. Wilmerdine
and Miss Mary F2rrinslon Tracy.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT
EAsHiNeToN. February 3d.-A most hor
rible catssro. be occurred here at about
o'clock this morning, resulting IN the destf
of Mrs. Secrs. airy rrecy, Miss Mary Tracy
aud a servant. while injuriDg the Secre
tary. his dsGabter, Mrs Welmerding, anC
her little dausste~. At about o'clock s
pedestrian passing Secretary Trscy's hand
some residence. facing on FarTagut Square
discovered smoke pouring from all Tbs
front WINDOWS The alarm was turned II
and the department responded ct once
Just as the firsmen arrived Mrs. WilmerG
ing appeared at the second-story window
With child IN her arms and despite pro
tests from the fgemen she jumped 10 tht
ground, traciuring her wrist and sustain
ing slight injuries
The child received slight injuries. Chic
Engineer Parish rushed into The house anl
found the unc uscious body of the Secre
tary in bed. He bore il to the window
where fireman from outside raised lad
der ard took he body down. The CHIEF
returning into the house, stumbled over
body in the hal, which proved to be Mis-
Mary Tracy, who was dead. and badl.
burned. and be brought her out. The re