Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-02-04
AWFUL CALAMITY IN WASHINGTON
Three Human Beings Perish in the Wild
COnAagratiOn.
MRS. TRACY DIES FROM SUPFOCATION
Her Daughter and Servant Girl Burned to
CriSp---Ths Secretary Taken from the
House in an Unconscious COndi-
tion--HerOic Work Of the
Firemen- Gloom Over
the Capital.

WASHINGTON, February IA tetrlDlt
calamity visited the household Of Secre'
tary Tracy this morning, by which thre'
persons Lost their lives and three other:
were badly injured The house is thret
story aud basement brick situated on
street, between Connecticut avenue and
Seventeenth street and has recently under
gone extensive improvements.
Persons passing the house at 7 O'Clock
this morning saw smoke issuing from tht
front windows aud at once raised an alarm
of fire. The fire and police Department.
responded promptly. The premises vert
almost concealed by dense smoke. which
was tbickened by heavy fog which wal
Just lifting. II was soon discovered that
the house was ablsze inside and that th,
main stairway was burnt, thus
CUTTING OFF COMMUNICATION
with the sleeping apartments on the second
and third floors.
Several streams Of water were played on
the imes, and every effort WAS made 10
check the fire and TO rescue the inmates.
A scene of the widest confusion ensued
when 1t was known that all the members
of the family were in the house. The fire.
men behaved like heroes in the emergency
and went through fire and smoke in search.
ing for them in.the different apartments.
Mrs. WilmerdiDg, the Secretary
daughter, and Miss Wilmerding forced
their way through the binding smoke
and Jumped from the second story window
front. Ladders were raised fer them, bat
in their excitement they failed to see
them. Mrs. Wilmerding broke her left
wrist snd was severely bruised. Her
daughter was badly Injured about the
lower limbs, but broke no booes They
both suffered severely from the shock. Df
Baxter nesr By administered restOratives
While this sad scens was being enacted
in the front of the house fi:emen were en-
gagged in the task of removing other mem.
bers of the family from the rear. Chief
Eoginesr Parish
FORCED HIS WAY
Dto Mrs. Traey's bedroom, and found heI
lying on her bed overcome By sni1ocation.
He carried her to the window, and with
the assistance of Others carried her almost
lifeless body down ladder, mp an alley
and to the house of Mrs. Rhiemon, Oh
Eighteenth street.
She was then entirely unconscious, and
although every effort kDo1n to medical
science was used, IL was impossible TO save
her life. She died within a few minutes
after her rescue. She was moi burned, bui
died from suffocatiOn.
Almost at the same time two more
bodies were taken from the burning build
ing 01e was that Of the Secretary
daughter, Miss Maize, young ledy about
IA years of age. and the other was one oI
the servants. Both bodies were
BURNED TO CRISP
and were unrecogniz by their features
Miss Tfacy's body Was distinguished from
the other only by the superior texture Oi
what remained OF her stockings. The
chsTred remains we're taken to an under
takers establishment in the vicinity, " hsrt
they were Joined socn after by the remains
of Mira. Tracy. Secretary Tracy himself
had mcst wOndrOus escape, and il
now lying in e somewhat precArious con-
dition at the residence of John O ]. Ban
croft Davis on II street nesr Thirteenth
street. Like all the others he was over
come in his sleep by the smoke which fill.
ed the house and rendered him completely
helpless. He WAS discovered in this condi-
ton and with considerable difficulty was
removed to place near one Of the win
dows. Cries for a ladder were quickly an
swered and many willing hands were rais'
ed to assist him to the ground. He was at
once removed TO a neighbours house and
WAS soOu surrounded by physicians, in
cludn@ Doctors Wales and Roth. lie was
suffering from aspbyxia. The doctors ap-
piled ariicisl means to induce fespira-
ton and euccesded aftsr en- hours work
in restoring him to semi consciousness
Ii was then thought safe to remove him
to Judge Davis house. He improved
slowly ffom that time on and
SOON RECLAIMED CONSEQUENCES.
recognizing the friends who called TO in
quire in Iegerd 10 his condition. Among
the first cf t-ese were the President, the
Vice President and several members of
the Cabinet The full extent Of lis terri
BILE tfflic.;O1 il withheld fr m him for the
present. His first irquiry upon recover
ing Consciousness was in regard to the
safety of his family.
lie il gradually gaining in strength.
His friends are very ssnguine Of his com.
plete recovery. The bouse wss completely ,
gutted by the fire. The wells are stand
ing, bu. the interior presents picture OF
ruin and desolation.
The residences OF Judge W. S Cox, of
the Supreme COurt, which Adi oins Secre-
tsry Tracy's house, on the left, was also
badly damaged by water.
Chief Harris OF the fire department, told
his story, az follows: 81 paid no attention
70 the fire when heard there were people
in the house. felt my way through the
smeke TO the secoud Il lor and found man
in room. tried to pick him up, bu, he
was almost too heavy. / managed TO dTsg
him into back room, where there was
more air, an then broke the window Gu,
and called TO Love, who was in the alley,
to run up ladder. Then they took the
man out, and il proved TO be the Secretary.
l cJuloh move nlm huJ IutthtT lVI
WAS EXHAUSTED
and full up to the neck with smoke. Then
went back into the smoke and Gre again
and found young lady, Miss
Mary Tracy, they tell, it was,
ard as I caught hold Of her wrists to lift
her up the flesh came OF her burning
hands. She had been barned. got her
ont, but she was desd.
DR.. Ruth, at the solicitation Of friends,
visited the undertsker's establishment,
and identified Miss Tracy. He made a
hurried examination and found she had
died from sufflcation. Mrs. Tracy was
found TO have died from rupture OF blood
vessels. A gentleman who saw the IRE
said. never in his life did he see such a
sight. at seemed" he said, "ss though
he'll had broken loose sDd sent its fiery
tongue to earth. The whole building
seemed one seething mass Of flames burst
ing from every point.
scream followed scream, each one iiole
horrible and blcod-cnrdling than the otnsi'
from the interior Of the building. only
few people were passirg st the time anu