The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1890-02-12
GENERAL TRACY1LOSS.
HIS WIFE AND DAUGHrIs PERISH
In A FIRE.


Jurod by the Smoke - Wellington In
Mourning.
A Washington dispatch oftbe 4th inst.
says: The residence of Seeetary of the
Navy Tracy was destroyed y fire Mon
day morning, and during IT, excitement
that followed the breakin out of the
blaze Mrs. Tracy. her daghter Mary.
and French maid. Josenine Morrell,
lost their lives, the Secretary himself
was almost overcome by smke, aud sew
eral others had narrow scapes from
death.
The residence OF the Seretary was a
| fine three-story structure 81 brick and
stone and stood on stree, near Seven
tenth. A letter carrier q his custom
airy rounds passed the houS IN the morn
ing few m nutes before 20 clock. He
| left a package, and observing nothing
unusual continued up tkelueet. Hap
| pening To glance back tenminutes later
| he noticed that the house Fas enveloped
| I'm flames. Within five mhutes the fire.
men were there. Before ladders could
be raised TO the front, twolHlies appear
ed in the second-story widows and in
spite of the warnings not to jump they
| leaped to the grass. The ladies' proved
to be Mrs Wilmerding the married
daughter of the Secretary, and her
daughter, Miss Wilmerdhg. Mrs VIII
merding broke one of hervrists and was
bruised. Her daughter was burned quite
severely, but not otherwise injured.
| At tae rear OF the house woman,
presumably one OF the servants, had
| climbed out upon the masard roof from
a third story window. She waved a
blanket to keep the smoke and flames
away from her, and behaved with great
GOODNESS. She was brought down a
| ladder
In the meantime Fire Chief Paris ar.
rived, and learning that there were
| people still in the house be left the fire
extiHguishing apparatus to his subor-
dinates and dashed into the house, fol-
lowed by Howard Wright, who drives
the chiefs wagon. The chief told the
story TO your CORES pondent as follows:
Il paid no attention TO the fire when
heard there were people in the house.
/ felt my way through the smoke TO the
| second floor and found aman in bed in
a ROOM tried to pickhim up, but he
| was almost TO heavy. l managed to
drag him into back room where there
a
dow out and called to fireman in the
alley TO run up a ladder.
''Then we took the man out and IL
proved to be the Secretary. couldn't
move him any further, for / was ex-
hausted and full up TO the neck with
smoke. Then l went back into the
smoke again and found young lady
Miss Mary Tracy they tell me it was
and as / caught hold Of her wrists to lift
her up the flesh came off her burned
hands. got her out, but she was dead.
That exhausted me. | could do no
more
+. s. Rheem, whose house on Seven
teenth street runs back to the rear Of the
Secretary's house, gives graphic ac-
count of the terrible death Of Mrs.
Tracy.
Il heard terrible screams," said Mr..
Rheem. 'about 1915 o'clock this morn
ing. and jumped from bed and ran to the
window. Mrs. Tracy was hanging by
her hands from the sill of window on
the second floor. She was screaming, and
almost Immediately dropped TO the
ground"
Mrs. Tracy, still alive, was brought in
by two fremen, and was placed on a sofa
I'm neighbours house. Here she fingered
for about an hour, fully conscious, and
apparently suffering but little. 1t was a
little after o'clock when she spit up a
little blood, hardly Enough to be termed
hemorrhage, CLOSED her eyes, and,
without moan ceased TO breathe.
The unconscious Secretary, while these
sad scenes were occurring, was borne 70
the residence o. Judge Bancroft Davis,
i'm an adjacent block. EX-Surgeon-Gen-
eral Wales and Drs. Karr and May at
tended him. Under their ministrations
he regained consciousness, and in fee
BILE voice said: low is my wife?" IL
don't know" replied DIR. Karr. 81
haven't seen her.1
'Then, for God1 sake, don't think OF
me, he murmuredd and elapsed into un'
consciousness.
The doctors thitkthat he is not fatally
injured. Mrs. Wtlmerding, who leaped
froJ. the second-story window, sustained
sli,ht injuries: ord Of her wrists wa:
broken, while he'd Young daughter es
capped with slidht confusion OF the
knee.
The cause OF the fire is unknown, but
IL probably originated in the furnace
room, and il is thought il smoldered {
long time and thoroughly filled every
room in the house with smoke and gas.
Secretary Trays house, which was
newly and magnifcently furnished, was
totally destroyed. The loss is estimated
at $500
Soon after noon the President brok'
the news to Secretary Tracy OF thu
death of his wife and daughter. Al
Though the greatest caution was oh
served the effect OF the blow wa
terrible and the Secretary almost sue
cumbed. He rallied, however, and sool
composed himself. Ho expressed tn
wish that he might also die.
Secretary Tracy Is now reported TO b
improving and his physicians believ
him TO be out OF all danger He continue
drowsy, with frequent waking me
ments. When he converses with thos
around him he controls himself excel
lently. but tears Of anguish over the los
of his wife and daughter cannot b
restrained.
There has been nothing here sine
Garfcd's assassination that has cause
so much sorrow as this calamity. A
society dofngs for the week, includin
the Presidents state dinner, have bee
postponed. The trip OF the Presiden
and cabinet to New York TO attend tn
centenary OF the organization OF Oh
Snnrou.a conrt of the limited States la