The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1890-02-08
FriRhtful Calamity.

34AAAAOA04 O04044AVye
The Salt Lake Tribune of Feb
ruary 4th contains q telegraphic
account from Washington of most
heartrendiqg calamity which has
overtaken the family of Secretary
Tracy, which cannot fail to cast a
gloom over the whole country. The
house of Secretary Tracy, on First
street, between Connecticut avenue
and Seventeenth street, caught fire
about half-past six o'clock on the
morning of February Sd and was
completely demolished, causing the
death of Mrs. Tracy and Miss Tracy.
Mrs. Tracy endeavored to escape
the raging element by dropping her
self from her bedroom window and
in an effort to decrease the distance
to the ground grasped the narrow
stone window sill and lowered her.
self as far as able. After thus hang
ing a moment between life and death,
she fell forty feet into the area way,
before anything could be done to-
wards rescuing or relieving her fall.
She was Immediately taken to the
house of neighbor, DR.. Rheem, and
placed upon lounge in the sitting
room. She was perfectly conscious
and did not seem to suffer pain.
Occasionally she complained of OPP
preston in the neighborhood of her
heart and found difficulty in breath
ing. She talked while, coughed
slightly and then became silent. The
physicians looked at each other
significantly. Mrs. Tracy was dead.
The immediate cause of her death
was supposed to be from injuries to
her heart, sustained in the fall from
the window, which flooded her lungs
with blood. It is said that had she
delayed her movements couple of
minutes ladder and mattresses and
other means of safe escape would
have been at hand.
Almost at the moment that Mrs.
Tracy died two bodies were taken
from the burning building. One
was that of Miss Mary Tracy, and
the other was that of her maid,
Josephine. Miss Tracy was lying
on the floor at the head of the stairs
and had evidently died from suffo-
cation. Mrs. Wilmerding, the Sec
retary's married daughter, and her
13-year-old daughter were also in
the house and escaped by jumping
from the second-story front window
down onto the grassy terrace. They
were both more or less injured by
the shock, and Mrs. Wilmerding
broke her wrist, but their injuries
are not considered serious. The
Secretary himself narrowly escaped
death from inhaling smoke, but was
rescued by the fremen and recus-
citated, and at last accounts he was
thought to be in very dangerous
condition. The family were all
asleep until reused by James WEIGH,
the Secretary's butler, who gave the
following account of the first alarm
I sleep in the basement and this morn
ing got up about 6: 80. There was nc
smell Of fire and no appearance of any.
thing wrong. About O'Clock l started
to clean my dining room, when there was
ring at the bell, and when I answert
it colored man said: "Your house is on
fire." At once l rushed up stairs to arouse
the family and although the smoke was
very thick, I succeeded in knocking al
every door, and from each one in the
rooms l secured response. Then
started to 90 down stairs and was nearly
choked with smoke. / fell three times
but finally got to the front door.
The butler rendered good service
by getting a ladder and assisting
the firemen in rescuing Secretary
Tracy, and in trying to help Mrs,
Tracy.
The fire originated in the parlol
near an open fireplace. Whether i,
originated from the CRATE or heat
ing pipe is not known.