Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1890-02-05

mouse was all abIaze, inside and U0ti that
the main stairway VA burned, thus cutting
OF communication With the sleeping apart.
msnts on thA second and third floors,
Several dreams Of water were thrown ON
The flames, and every effort Was made to
check the fire. A scene Of the widest
conf1sion ensued when it was known that
al the msnhers Of the family were in the
house. The firemen behaved like heroes
in tho emergency and went through fire and
saaoke searching them in different apart.
ments. Mrs. Wiimerdeing, the secretary's
daughter, and Miss Wilmerdeing forced
their way through the binding smoke
and jumped from the second story
front window, Ladders were placed for
them, but ia their excitement they failed
to see them, Mrs. Wilmerde,ng broke her
wrist and was severely injured. Her
daughter vas badly injured about the
lower limbs, but broke no bones. Both
suffered severely from tho shock. They
were at onse taken to the residence of DIR.
Baxter hear by and restoiatises applied.
While this scene was beihg enacted in
front Of the house the firemen we're en-
gagged in removing other members of the
family from tho rear. Chief Engineer
Parish found his way into Mrs. Tracy's
bed room, where he found her lying
on the bed overcome by smoke.
With the assistance of others he
carried her almost lifeless body down q
ladder and to the house Of Mrs. Rhiem.
She Was then entirely unconscious and al
though every known effort was used it was
impossible to save 1her life, she died q
few minutes after her rescue. Her body
was not burned, death resulting from
suHocation. Almost at the same
time two more bodies were taken from the
burning building. One was that Of the
secretary's daughter, Miss Marie, aged
about IA, and ths other was cns of tho
servants. The bodies were burned to .
crisp, and were unrecoenizable. Miss
Trscy's Ibody was distinguishable from
the other only by the superior
texture Of what remained of her
stockings. The charred remains were
taken to an undertaking establishment in
the vicinity. where they we're joined soon
after by the remains Of Mrs. Tracy. Sec
retary Tracy himself had most wonderful
escape. Like the others, he was over
cone inl his, sleep by the lsmoke, which
filed the house and rendered him
unconscious. He was discovered in this
condition and with considerable difficulty
was removed to one of the windows.
Cries for ladder were quickly answered
and many willing hands we're raised to
assist him to the ground. He WAS at once
removed to q neighbor's house and was
soon surrounded BY physicians. Doc
tors applied artificial means to induce res
piration and succeeded, after an hours
work, in restoring him to semi-conscious-
ness. It Was then thought safe to move
him to Judge Davis house. He improved
slowly from that time on and
soon regained consciousness, recognizing
friends who called to inquire in regard to
his condition. Among the first Of these
we're the president, vice president and sew
eral members Of the cabinet. The full
extent Of his terrible affection was withheld
from him for the time. His first in
quiry upon recovering consciousness was
In regard to his family.