Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1890-02-08
THE HOME OF SECRETARY TRACY
BURNED.
His Wife and Daughter Dead, and the
Secretary Dragged From the Burning
Building i'll an UncOnciOuS Condition.

th
WASHINGTON, Feb. 3.-The house Of
Secretary of the Navy Tracy caught fire
at 6:45 this morning and was almost
destroyed. The bodies Of three women
were taken out of the burning building,
two of whom were soon discovered to be
those of Mrs. and Miss Tracy.
Secretary Tracy was taken from the
house, by means Of ladders, in ar I'M
concious condition.
Mrs. Tracy, wife OF the Secretary, Miss
Tracy, her youngest daughter, and Jose
phine, French maid, as result of the
fire now lie dead. The secretary is still
in a stupor, suffering from the effects of
enhaling smoke. Mrs. Wilmerding, the
eldest daughter of the secretary, is in a
seml-conscious condition, and is suffer
ing from a sprained wrist and soreness.
Miss Aide Wilmerding, Is years of age,
Secretary Tracy's granddaughter, is suf-
fering from nervous prostration and the
shock.
Persons passing the house at o'clock
this morning saw smoke issuing from
the front windows, and at once raised an
alarm of fire. The fire and police depart
ments responded promptly. The prem
Uses were almost concealed by dense
smoke, which was thickened by heavy
fog which was just lifting. 1t was soon
discovered that the house was all ablaze
inside and that the main stairway was
entirely cut off from communication
with the sleeping apartments on the
second and third floors. Several streams
of water were placed on the flames and
every effort was made to check the fire
and rescue the inmates.
A scene OF the widest confusion fol-
lowed when it became known that all
the members of the family were in the
house. The fremen behaved like heroes
in the emergency, and went through fire
and smoke in searching for them in the
different apartments.
Mrs. Wilmerding, the secretary
daughter, and Miss Wilmerding, his
granddaughter, forced tier way through
the binding smoke and jumped from
the second story window front. Ladders
were raised for them, but in their excite
ment they failed to see them. Mrs. vii
mcrding broke her left wrist and was
severely bruised, her daughter was badly
injured in the lower limbs, but broke nc
bones. They both suffered severely
from the shock. They were taken at
once to the residence of DR.. Baxter near
by and restoratives applied.
While this sad scene was being enacted
in front of the house the fremen were
engaged in the back removing other
members OF the family from the rear
Chief Engineer Parish found his way
into Mrs. Tracy's bedroom and found her
lying on her bed, overcome by suffol a
ton. He carried her to Il window and
with the assistance of others carried he1
almost Gfeless body down the ladder and
up an alley to the house of Mrs. Rhiem
on Eighteenth street. She was entirely
unconscious and although every effort
known to medical science was used, il
was impossible to save her life and she
died within few minutes after her
rescue. She was not burned but died
from suffocation.
Almost at the Same time two more
bodies were taken from the burning
building. One was that OF the secre-
tary's daughter, Miss Marie, young
lady about "A years of age, and the other
was one of the servants. Both bodies
we're burned to 4 crisp, and were I'M
recognizable by but few. Miss Tracy's
body was distinguished from the others
only by the superior texture of what re-
manned of her stockings. The charred
| remains were taken to an undertaken
in the vicinity, where they were joined
soon after by the remains OF Mrs. Tracy
Secretary Tracy himself had most
wondrous escape, and is now lying in
somewhat precarious condition at the
residence Of the Hon. J. G. Bancroft
Davis on H street,
The full extent of his terrible affection
is withheld from him for the present
His first inquiries upon recovering con-
seriousness were in regard to the safety
of his family. His friends are very hope
full Of his complete recovery.
Union Pacific Earnings.
III