The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-02-04

broken loose and sent its fiery tongue to
earth. The whole building seemed one
seethlng mass of flames, bursting from
every point. Scream followed scream. each
one more horrible and blood-curdling than
tne other, from the interior of the building.
Oniy lew people were passing at the time.
ana tney seemed lost and bewildered. The
enslnes soon arrived. You know the rest"
sToRY OF THE FooTMAN.
K. G. Turner is the footman at the Tracv
residence. He was an eyewitness of part
OF the flre. he was up and dressed before
O'Clock, and was prepared to go upstairs
to clean the silver. He slept in the base
ment. Just as was starting UPSTAIRS
SAID he, "a colored man rang the bell and
TOLD the butler, who answered it, that the
house was on fire. The butler ran upstairs
and Immediately rushed back, shouting:
MY God, the house is on fire.. The entire
first floor was in flames Weran out of the
front door. Mrs. Wilmerding and her
daughter We're at front second story
window screaming for help. Both ladies'
jumped. Neither fell on their feet, but on
their side"
DEATH OF MRS. TRACY.
The house of Mr.. Rheem, No. S21 Seven
teenth street, itself almost captured by the
fire, was thrown open for the reception of
the dead and dying. Mrs. Tracy, still alive,
was brought in by couple of firemen, and
was placed on sofa in the dining-room.
Here she fingered for about an hour. fully
CONSCIOUS and apparently suffering but
little. 1t was little after o'clock when
she spat up little blood, hardly enough to
be termed hemorrhage, closed her eyes,
and, without a moan, ceased to breathe.
The cook, scorched aud blackened until she
did not resemble her usual self, but not
seriously injured, was next brought in. She
was provided with an upstairs room.
THE SECRETARY BROUGHT IN.
Secretary Tracy was the third sufferer
to be sheltered under Mr.. Rheem'S roof. He
was placed on mattresses in the kitchen.
whittier he was taken through the alley. for
1t was not deemed proper to bring him
through the room in which his wife lay
dying.
President Harrison walked over from the
white house as soon as he heard Of the trag-
edy. he was weeping as he came out of
the house where the secretary lay uncon-
sclous, and whore Mrs. Tracy was dying.
ORIGIN OF THE FIRE.
1t is believed that the fire originated in
the parlor near the open fireplace. Whether
it originated from the CRATE or heating pipes
Is not known, as no one could be found who
could tell whether there was fire in the
CRATE last night or not. The frame work
adjoining the mantel was where the fire
started, and it no doubt burned some time
before it was discovered. The furnace is in
the basement directly beneath where the fire
started, and the hot air pipes leading to the
upper stories pass in rear of the woodwork.
The firemen generally think the woodwork
was ignited by overheated air pipes.
THE REMAINS IN THE WHITE HOUSE.
The remains of Mrs. Tracy and Miss
Tracy lie tonight in caskets in the center
of the east room of the white house, beneath
crystal chandeliers whose light less than
week ago shone upon
them as they gaily greeted their
numerous friends at the last presidential
reception. The death chamber is now
dimly lighted, and is somber, gloomy, and
quiet, with no one within it save the dead
and one of the doorkeepers, who will keep
watch over the remains. The bodies were
brought to the white house about o'clock
by order of the President, who has taken
charge of whatever arrangements for the
funeral it was necessary to make at pres
eut. The caskets are covered with
black, and the mountings are of silver.
Upon each casket are long-leaved palms.
with sweet peas and lilies. No final arrange
ments for the funeral have been made as
yet, and none will be made until the arrival
of Secretary Tracy's son and Gen. Catlin,
ulS OAOtuSI-Au-ldW, WHO arc eApeCIsu On u
late ain tonight.
THE INJURED IMPROVING.
The injured are improving. The Presi-
dent visited Secretary Tracy again this
evening, and found him regaining his
strength, though still hardly able to realize
the great loss he has sustained. Tomorrow
the President will have the secretary re-
moved to the white house.
Owing to the deplorable calamties which
have befallen the householders of the Secre-
tary of State and the Secretary of the
Navy, a large number of invitations for
receptions, dinners and dancing parties, to
have been given during the present week by
prominent society people, have been re-
called. Among them were those of Sir
Julian and Lady Pauncefote for Wednes-
day evening next.
HARRISON GREATLY AFFECTED.
President Harrison is greatly moved by
the calamlties of his Secretary of the Navy
and his Secre ary Of State. He feels in
sense responsible for them, having made
Secretaries Tracy and Blaine members of
his official family, and the drain upon his
sympathies is very great. He really looked
five years older when he came out from
telling Secretary Tracy the news about his
family this afternoon.