The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-07-11
FATAL FIRE AT THE FAIR
EIGHTEEN LIVES LOSTIN THE COL
LAPSE or THE BUILDING
Used for Cold Storage, Which Catches
Ahrc aud Suddenly Gives Way,
Eurylng People Beneath 1t.

Company. Of Chicago, used as cold
storage warehouse and ice skating rink,
and situated near the Sixty-fourth street
entrance 20 the Exposition Grounds,
burned to the ground in little over an
hour this afternoon. sending 10 death,
as far as is known at midnight. at least
| eighteen men and injurng nineteen
! others. The full extent Of the death
! wrought may never be known, as the
! building collapsed totally in 50 short a
time after the fire started that many
| people who entered the building hoping
10 render aid before the peril under which
| they were placing themselves was rea-
lized, were caught like rats in a trap.
| 1t is said that but four Columbian
| guards are missing, but there are many
| vacancies in tthe different companies
scattered about the grounds, and their
captains. while refusing TO commit them
selves, fear that their men have been
cremated The following Is "A list OF
those who met death. the missing and
| the injured
Dead-Captain James Fitzpatrick, act
ing chief Columbian fire department.
John Mcbride. driver Company no. s.
| William Denning, truckman, Company
| No. s.
4
| I'll. w" or M. H."
Missing-Captaln Garvey Fire Com
| pany No :.
Captain Page. Fire Company No. ..
Lieutenant Purvs. Fire Company No {.
PHI. Breen. pipeman, Company No. S.
Lieutenant Freeman, Company No >.
John Smith, pipeman, Company No. ..
i. Schroeder, truckman. Company No S
JOHN Cahill. truckman, Company No. S.
-Four Columbian guards.
II. 5. Strand, Company No. 4. Column
bian guard.
Henry Geduldig. foreman OF painters
in cold storage building.
Lieutenant Motion Truck 1G
Fatally Injured-W. o. Mahoney lad
derman, Company No. G. internally in
jured and legs and feet fractured.
Injured-Captain William Barry. Fire
Company No. s, right hand amputated.
Frank Bielenberg, fireman. hands badly
burned
Sig. Nordum fireman. leg burned and
badly bruised.
T. w. Frank fireman, burned about the
face and body
NJ Murray, guard. asphyxiated, but re-
covering.
John Davis. guard. hands burned.
w. G. Fisher guard, face and head
burned. !
William Lynch scalp wounds.
T. Donahan, hands burned.
G. S. Haman, badly scalded and hands |
crushed.
c. B. French, right leg injured
Fred. GOetz. right hip injured.
Frank Faulkner, fireman. sprained |
ankles.
Captain Kennedy. Company No. ,. |
hands and face burned
Mrs. B. d. Moore, burned face and /
hands.
II. Breckenridge. Columbian guard. |
Company So lived at Fincasle. Va |
slipped down line Of hose. blistering |
both hands.
James Kenyon. marshal Twelfth bat /
talon, leg cut by electric light globes.
which fell when wires were burned off: !
not serious.
Martin Kmban Columbian guard.
Company (, lived at ST. Paul. both hands
burned and left leg sprained.
William Lenehan. driver Of Engine 40.
g. fell from ladder and split his scalp.
Edward Murry. Columbian guard. as
phyXiated; recovered after treatment at
the hospital
George Harris, fireman. Encine Com
pany No 6. hands and arms blistcred.
Four other fremen. hands badly burned
treated at Emergency Hospital and taken
away by their friends before their names
were ascertained
Dennng died soon after being brought
10 the hospital from his burns and other
injuries The foreign commissioners and
United States army officers acted prompt
ly in regard TO furnishing men for duty
in the height OF the excitement, which
almost reached a panic when II was
feared the blazing wreck Of the wooden
shell would explode on account Of the
ammonia stored there. and the boilers
But the word was soon passed around
that the ammonia was In solid form All
the men OF the Third Infantry. United
States Army, on duty in the Exposition
camp. the French Marine Corps the
Spanish Military Guard and buffalo
Bnrs" cowboys reinforced the 500 guards
and uniformed guides, the ambulance and
hospital corps which worked i'm order
and effectively until the infiammable
towering mass had become a smoking |
black ruin Later i'm the day the most
effective Gordon around the ruins was
formed by immense posts OF water from
the pipes and hose. The loss TO prop
erty will probably reach $4,000.
Before the iremen got TO work several
painters electric light men and others
employed In The building ascended by the
elevators 10 the main roof and after /
wards climbed up the spiral staircase,
which was built around the great death
trap Of n smokestack until they reached
the balcony underneath the burning |
cupola They found the flames had gone
too far TO be smothered by the chemicals |
at hand. They waited for the firemen TO
Join them, thinking they could be Of as
sistance.
About thirty men were upon the tower.
and were cut off by the flames one
man, painter, slid down a line of hose
that had been carried by the fremen.
Others waited. and were burned 10 death
or killed or injured by the leap 10 the
oof below Many Of those who jumped
were embedded fast I'm the roof compost
ton. A rope hung from the upper bal
,ony, and a number OF Gagged men We're
seen to struggle for possession Of the
rope. but il soon burned off. one by one
hey dropped from the tower some cling
ng 10 the burning rope as far as IL af
orded them any hold. and then shooting
through a solid sheet Of flame TO the
oOf. The sight was too much for even
he military men and old iiremen on the
,round 10 bear without a shudder and ;
turning away Of faces. Human forms
Gaping through flames a hundred feet or
more down, down to sure death. present
a a sight the stoniest heart could not :
witness unmoyed.
The last man on that tower died the
ero. and death among all those heroes
hO faced the furnace below him. He
ad waited without apparent fear until ;