Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-03-18
A Number of Firemen Buried by the
Walls of a Falling Building,

~ Nuhioer Oh rlremen Buried by the
Walls of a Falling Building.
INDIANAPOLIS, March I7th.-what at first
seemed an Insignificant fire in the Merrill boos
store building, on Washington street. this after
noon, resulted in catastrophe in which at
least ten men were killed and several wounded,
some of whom will die. The fire started shortly
alter o'clock near the furnace in the sub. BE- Sc
ment, and was stubborn.
About $50 there was a terrible crash, and the
entire building, except the front wall. fell in
ward. At the time number of fremen vari-
ously estimated at from eight to twenty, were
on the roof OF the BUILDING, and were buried in
the debris, which piled forty feet high
Immediately the work of rescuing the living
and extricating the dead was begun by at least
500 volunteers in addition TO the uniI ured fire.
men and police force.
Up to 10 O'Clock tonight the following have
been taken out dead:
George Faulkner, Ulysses GlaZer Al UoH-
man, + otormer, Richard lowrie. Charles Jen-
kins, Thomas A. Black, George Glenn, Andrew
Cherry and John Burkhart.
The wounded taken out are: Anthony Volk
Lew Rafert, Thomas Barrett, A. C. Mercer, Webb
Robinson. William Partee, Henry Woodruff.
EbenZer LEIGH, William Long and William
live
Bowen, Merrill & Co. carried a stock valued
at 1000, on which there is an insurance of
$4,000. The building was valued at $780, 0)
loss OF $4,000. Several smaller stocks were
badly damaged
DIGGING FOR THE DEAD.
Workmen are digging in a mass of brick iron
and mortar trying to eNtricate d man whose
face is bloody and bruised, which appears Just
above the debris. He is supposed to be Daniel
Jones, pipeman. his feet are cauIht by a huge
iron girder, and he is being literally piled with
stimulants 10 keep him alive.
Underneath him is another man supposed to
be dead. The scenes at the fire headquarters
have been only exceeded in pathetic interest by
those at the homes of the dead firemen
Old men, fathers of the young men who lost
their lives, wives, mothers and children of the
dead and living, crowded into the room seeking
information of their loved ones, and getting
none, have rushed TO the scene of the fire and
by their frantic appeals made doubly arduous
he work of those erdeavoring to get at The men
imprisoned beneath the ruins
The first ambulance TO leave the scene of the
fire carried the remains of the first four men
taken from beneath the fallen floors They
were followed by an impromptu procession of
carriages. wagons and pedestrians and pro-
ceeded first to the undertaking establishments
and then to the homes of the deceased. where.
IN two instances their coming gave the first init
nation of sorrow that had fallen on the home
The cause of the disaster is as yet not quite
apparent. During the two hours and half
that the fire was burning there had beeu
scarcely fame visible to the spectators in the
streets and alleys, though there was s volume
OF smoke SO dense as 10 ute .ly obstruct the
vision.
About O'Clock the first entrance to the build
ing was made by the fiIemen, who were preyi-
ously held back by smoke.
Suddenly there came crash and the whole
building, except the Washington street side fell
in. Firemen were on earh of the three floors
and the roof and they were, of course, carried
down in the collapse.
1t would seem that the building was INSULT
GENTLY tied to those either side of it, and the
flames ate hole in the center letting the
whole cave in. 1t i. feared there may be MANY
other bodies in the debris.
ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS.
LATRR.-At midnight the rescuers have par
tally released the mar supposed to be Edward
Jones II will take an hour or two more hard
work TO get him out.
He is alive but delIrious. 1t is reported that
three little newsboys were seen standing near
the rear wall Just before the collapse watching
the lire. II .hEis Sc there is little hope for til cir
lives.
One of the firemen who managed to make his
escape from the cellar is practically unhurt. He
says he thinks there are two or three men down
there yet completely covered by mass OF
burned Iimbers.
Several of the injured fremen who are able to
ia TX Were seen by a reporter tonight, but could
add no information to what is given above. All
they k ew was that SIS they were working,
without even a preliminary crack the collapse
came, aud they were precipitated into the pit
below.
All but two or three of the dead aud injured
tiremen had homes end families and the scenes
at those places to night were heartbreaking