The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-07-18
THE LINKS IN A CHAIN OF DISASTER
sulcide,i Fire land Ruin, Death and
Deadly injury.
Tho MIsfoItunes Which overtook
One Family All In a Day.
Four Persons Died, Three were Hurt
and a house Burned.

PTTTsBURG. July ia chain OF fatalities
and casualties began Wednesday night at
Keatiug Station, a suburb Of Braddoek.
from which he fed was in flames from the
explosion Of lamp and two chlldred were
burned to death. Three men were then
overwhelmed by falling bricks at the fire,
and seriously injured. One Of them has
since died. The physician who attended the
injured men was thrown from his horse on
his way home, and Is thought to have suf-
fered serious Internal Injuries. The list of
the dead and injured is as follows: David
Bell, aged 20, suicide; Robert McGratton,
aged 9. burned to death; Joseph McGratton,
aged 5. burned TO death Harry Rowe OF So
no, aged 40, killed by falling chimney; Peter
McNeaI, aged 45. skull fractured, will prOba-
bly, die; David Grant, bruised by falling
chimney; DR.. Cope OF Rankin, Injured by
being thrown from his horse.
The central scene OF these tragedies Is the
house OF Charles McGrattoD, two-storied
frame structure. situated on the long stretch
Braddock wire mill. The suicide OF David
Bell by drowning marked the beginning OF
the fatalities. He was addicted to drink,
ana was bOarder at McGrattOn's He had
acted strangely Wednesday, land In the early
OSNJ WAC AOhha III buO uOuou-
gahela river.
About 10 o'clock Mrs. McGra.ton gave her
two oldest little boys each cake and good
night kiss and sent them up stairs TO bed.
The two youngest children, James, aged 3
years, and Barnett, aged Is months, had fall
len asleep In rear room on the floor. Fifteen
minutes after lamp sitting up on the ktch-
en- mantelpiece, exploded With a scream
Mrs. McGratton rushed to the dining room,
where she was met by several neighbOrs.
H9r aWQknuRd tha hoar0arQ hn
jumped from the second-story windows In
their night clothes. None Of them was hurt
In the leap. and when MeNeal reached the
ground he ran around to the FROM of the
house. Hearing the screams Of the children,
who by this time were awakened. he rushed
Into the house. Mrs. McGratton was stand
ing In the dining room, tearing her hair and
calling for aid. She did not know which
way to move.
McNeal told her to save the two bablies
who were still slumbering In an adjoining
room and that he would rescue the other
children. Mrs. MeGratton reached her ba-
bles' bedside, and grasping an infant under
each arm, fought her way through the
smoke aud the flames to a place Of safety on
the outside. When the little ones were safe
In the arms OF nelghbOrs, she started back 10
search for the elder boys, but was prevented
from entering the house on account OF the
danger TO her own life.
In the meantime McNeal had reached the
staircase and was forcing his way to the
ehildren's bedroom. Just as he reached the
room where they were an angry fame shot
up through the toor and made a barrier be-
tween him and the children. He was forced
back, but not until the floor beneath began
TO fall. His grief was terrible. In another
instant the roof Of the house caved In aud
the cries Of the children ceased. From the
time the lamp exploded until the building
was In ruins, only twenty minutes elapsed.
In the morning McNeal and Rowe went
into the ruins Of the house to look for some
money. when the chimney fell Rowe was
fatally injured and died soon after and Me-
Neal was badly hurt.
DIR. Rankin was called to attend them.
On his return his horse was frightened at a
train, and he was thrown to the ground. He
was picked up unconscious and taken to his
home.