The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1893-11-29
FATAL FLAMES.
Burning Of o Large Wholesale
House at Detroit, Mich.
Three Men Perish and Five Others arc
Missing and Believed to be in tho
Ruins-A Scene OF Horror-Loss
Nearly Million Dollars,

burning of the fve-story front brick
building, Nos. 1914 to sO2 Jefferson ave.
nue., occupied by Edison, Moore &c Co,
wholesale dry goods, yesterday after
noon, seven employees lost their lives,
a fireman was badly injured, and the
monetary loss will reach in the neigh
borhood Of $500, 900.
The dead are:
James Mckay, Il Park place. ~
Bradley A. Dunning
Ed Genther, entry clerk, single, % years old
Missing:
Edward N. viot order clerk
Pat Msrkey, SO years old.
Daniel A. Baker, clerk
Henry Rider, packer.
The fire started between the fourth
and fifth floors ut the rear of the build
ing and spread with frightful rapidity.
The great majority of the employees Of
Edison, Moore & Co. were at lunch
when the alarm was given, but there
were eight or nine Of them left on the
upper floors. Those who were first on
the scene saw q terrible sight The
whole upper floors were a mass Of
flames On the window-sill Of the
fourth window Of The fifth floor 'front.'
ing on Bates street, stood Bradley Dun
ming. Two windows south Of him
stood James Mckay.
Don't jumpl Wait for the hook and
ladder" shrieked the crowd.
But before the ladders could be
raised the flames rolled to the window
ledge where Dunning stood He bowed
his head, grasped the window ledge
with his hands and then dropped. The
people watching him had Just time to
throw bale Of jute beneath him and
II was no sooner In place than Dun
ming struck H. He bounded up like q
rubber ball and then fell TO the side
walk, limp and mangled. He was taken
to nearby drug store and afterwards
to Harper's hospital, where he shortly
afterward died from his injuries.
The falling Of James Mckay followed
in few minutes. When he appeared
at the window he made no sign that he
was staring death In the face. For a
few moments he looked over the peo-
pie who appeared at dizzy distance
below, as though wondering what he
might do to save his life. There were
shouts from below, but he evidently
could not hear what was being said.
The roar OF the flames drowned all
noise that came in from the street.
After this short hesitation he threw
his feet out Of the window and slid
down until he was holding on with
only his hands on the sill.
He hung this way several seconds be-
fore he released his hold. The blazing
fire was bursting out the windows
when the terrified man finally gave up
all hope of saving himself and slipped
loose from his hold. He struck on the
easement OF the second window and
partly turned over. This threw him so
far out from the window that part Of
his body struck on the electric wires
below. This part turned him over
again. He struck on the sidewalk
within few feet OF the building. He
was unconscious when picked up and II
was thought that life was extinct He
lived, however. for couple of hours
after being removed to Emergency hos
pital
The awful spectacle of McKay's and
Dunnings descent was hardly over,
when they saw another man creeping
toward the upper window nearest the
corner. He was evidently on his hands
and knees, blinded and suffocating by
the dense smoke. He reached the sill,
laid one arm upon 1t and tried TO drag
himself TO the open air just beyond.
He was too far spent One hand he
clasped over his face and then q sudden
burst Of fame closed around him. The
horror-strlcken beholders saw his head
drop, his arm drag slowly back and
then he sunk from view as the flames
rolled over his body. Meantime gen.
eral alarm had been turned in and
nearly all the companies in the depart
ment responded.
After the fire had been gotten under
control and the excitement had some
what subsidized rumors Of greater loss
OF life became current The firm i'm
mediately opened register at an adj
jacent store and the rumors became
certainties as employees who registered
told stories Of their narrow escapes.
and spoke positively Of the men they
knew were on the top floor when the
fire broke out
Edward L. Ebert, one Of the freight
receivers, was on the fifth floor of the
building at the time the alarm was
given. When he saw he had TO run for
his life there were still on this floor the
following people that he saw: Patrick
Markey, Edward Genther, Daniel
Baker, Henry Rider and Edward viot
Ebert says that he had hardly reached
the floor below when the roof fell In
and he Is certain that the men coald
not have followed down. o.
The building occupied by Edison,
Moore & Co. was owned by the estate
Of Francis Palms and was valued at
$4,000. There Is $4,000 insurance on
IL Edison, Moore & Co. estimate their
loss at 100000, on which there Is an
insurance H about s495,oOo 'fmfgsa
During the progress OF the FIRE VIII
liam Burgess, pipeman Of engine COM
pany No, I, was severely cut by tin
a.