Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1890-03-22
AWFUL CALAMITY.
Walls Of Burning Building at In
dianapolis Collapse,
Hurting Firemen From Roof to Cellar
Ten Mangled and Lifeless Bodies
Removed From the Ruins
Eighteen Others Badly
Hurt.

Ten Mangled and Lifeless Bodies
Removed From the Ruins
Eighteen Others Badly
Hurt.
INDIANAPoLIs, March lS.-At four
o'clock yesterday afternoon clerk dis
covered fire in the basement of the
Bowen Merrill wholesale and retail
book establishment, on Washington
street, but there was some delay in send
ing an alarm. After the fire had been
raging for three hours Fire Chief
Daugherty sent a dozen or more firemen
10 the roof to work their way down to
the fire, and they ranged themselves
flong the west side. They had hardly
gotten in position with the hose when
the west wall caved in, and the roof be-
gan to sink. One man was seen to
throw up his arms and disappear; then
another and another was seen to sink
from sight. The remaining firemen
sought to escape to the building east of
the burning structure, but the roof gave
way under their feet, and went down tc
the floor below, catching three men and
crushing the life out Of them on the
floor below. The weight of the roof
caused the upper floor to give way, and
the combined weight carried the next
and also the next till the basement was
reached. Captain McGinnis, Fred Brum.
mer and William Reasner were in the
fourth story when the crash came, but
happened to be nearer the windows than
their companions. McGinnis was hurled
down the stairway, and was seriously in
jured, but Reasner and Drummer dashed
through the falling timbers and debris
and made their escape from the windows,
the former having shoulder dislocated
but the latter escaping unhurt. As soon
as the floors fell in, the immense crowd
broke over the ropes and surrounded the
building, and scene of the widest con.
fusion ensued. The police were power
less to keep back the crowd, and the
firemen were completely unnamed by
the catastrophe. For three minutes not
one stirred, but they were brought into
activity by the cries of man on an ad-
joining roof, who came forward and shout
ed to those below: For God S sake, throw
water into the windows. Twenty
men are buried there.n The scene on
the heap of debris Immediately after
the collapse was pitiable and dreadful
beyond all power Of description. The
limbs of men here and there were seen
writhing, while the trunks to which
they belonged were buried from sight
A ladder lay across three men, and was
weighted down by tons of bricks and
timber. Another poor fellow, who was
beyond all pain, lay close beside his fell
lows, shapeless and mangled mass.
The ladder lay across the stomach of
one man, who was screaming
with agony. Another man with
a broken arm and twisted
body lay next to him. As fast as will
ing hands could hurl away the bricks
the weight was removed, but the ladder
was too firmly held to yield. The man
with the broken arm, was dragged free
and carried away. Under him, mute.
but breathing, appeared the upturned
face of poor fellow not seen before.
The mortar and dust was cleaned from
his lips, but he was buried so deeply
that no immediate help could come to
him. AS the wounded were carried
out of the ruins they were met with en-
braces and tears of JOY, but when the
still, broken forms were borne away
motionless and limp, then was when the
full sadness and horror of the calamity
came upon the waiting crowd. Owing
to the intense hVat in the building, and
the great amount Of debris which cov-
cred the killed and injured, the work of
rescue was carried on very slowly. and
it seemed ages between the recovery of
bodies when really but few moments
had elapsed. The killed and injured so
far as known are as follows: The dead:
Charles jenkins, George Glenn,
George Falkner, Richard Lowery,
Ulysses Glazier, William Hinsley, AL
bert Huffman, Captain Samuel Neal,
Espy Stormer, Tom Black. The injured.
Tom Smith, fatally injured about the
body. Lee Rafert injured internally,
fatally. George Diller, leg broken. AL
Muir, unconscious, and supposed
to be fatally injured William
Reasoner, shoulder dislocated; badly
bruised. VIM. Porter, bruised and fatal
ly injured. Wm, Losey, slightly in
jured. John Litney, leg broken. Eb.
Leach. internally. VIM. McGinnis,
badly injured about head and shoulder.
Webster Robinson, injured internally.
Tom Barrett, skull fractured. Wm.
Jones, back injured Tony Vostz, leg
broken. George Diller, injured about
the head, perhaps fatally. John
Burkhart, skull fractured. Wm.
Hollentyre, body badly bruised.
Henry Woodruff, legs and arms broken.
About midnight Andrew O. Cherry,
superintendent Of the fire alarm, was
taken from the debris, dead. Tom Quinn
and John Buckhart are still under the
debris, and are certainly dead. William
Jones was rescued at o'clock this morn.
tvc~ l..