The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-04-03
A TEI.RIBLE FIRE.

Lives Lost nv hI"uA"'"i A" AN"'N'
H,,rn,d - scenes OF Terror = Women
Throw Their Children From tho VIM
dows.
BRADFORD, Pa, April 2.-rhat i'll
starred building, the Higgins House,
the scene OF 80 many fires, was de-
stroyed again Saturday morning, caus'
inp the death or terrible injury OF many
persons who were unable to escape or
sought escape by jumping Tho fire
started soon after 4 o'clock from q gas
jotnnder coffee boiler in tho kitchen,
Ei pickrand, the night clerk, first saw
the blaze. Instead Of making an at
tempt to extinguish it he ran up stairs
10 rouse the sieepers. lie hammerett
mnon the doors In the second story and
ran to tho third, whore he repeated the
alarm. ,.-,
Tho house was filled with smoke almost
Instantly and the tinder-like partitions
and ceilings OF the first floor were soon
in mass Of flames. OF the hundred
and moro people who were alseep in
the house but few escaped by the starr
way, A.
Several railroad men who were in the
vicinity of the hotel sent in an alarm.
These men say that in moment alter
the fire started in the kitchen the en-
lin Arst floor WAS enyeloped in flames
and the escape OF those above was cut
off, Many people were seen at the
windows who dare not jump, and these,
doubtless, now lilo buried beneath the
backened hmbers, Many did jump,
but the jump was bad one to risk.
From the upper story it was thirty feet
GA the west side with plank roadway
on which to land. On the east side was
the creek, which made the jump forty
feet. Several persons made tho leap
into the stream and wer0 rescued.
The flames had communicated to the
bridge which led to frame structure
on the opposite side OF the creek, occu.
ued by Grocer Leroy, }. A. Waldo and
others, and tho iremen were ordered
across the bridge by Chief ltopp. The
heat was intense, almost blistering the
flesh OF the hosemen who attempted to
cross. Some who had volunteered their
assistance dropped behind, unable to
face the furnace, but tho department
bows pressed on, crossed tho bridge,
and soon had stream upon tho burn
ing buildings.
While this was going on n woman ap-
peared at one OF the windows OH the
second floor and threw her baby into
the creek below. Instantly an I'M
known man jumped into the water on
tho opposite side, and, daring tho ter.
rifle heat, saved the little ono from
drowning. While tho man was in the
act oil rescuing tho child another babe
was thrown by its terrified mother from
IL window into the water. Tho man
made heroic effort to save this infant
also, but it was impossible, and the lit
tie one disappeared.
Shortly alter 4 o'clock MIR. Higgins
was aroused by an alarm OF fire, to find
himself and wife henmed in by the
flames All avenues OF escape except
one were cut off. Tho only thing for
them to do was to Jump from tho win.
dow. Mr. Higgins jumped first and was
followed by his wife. He escaped with
ont injury, but Mrs. Higgins sustained
n fracture Of the leg and internal in
jurGs. She was taken to the Riddle
house and tenderly cared for.
Jump from the windows" was the
cry to the bowilderod ones after the
alarm. Jump and save yourselves"
Prof. Neumeyer, OF Jamison'a
orchestra, was among those who leaped
from the building and was injured. He
had both legs broken and was injured
internally lie was removed to the city
hospital, where lie is being cared for.
]. W. Osbourne. who also made the
leap, had both legs broken, and was re.
moved to the hospital. Hundreds OF
people crowded the streets and inter-
Tered with the tiremen.
Tho work OF searching among tho
ruins for tho bodice OF the dead was be-
gun Us soou Us the enbers cooled sulIi-
GENTLY. The search was prosecuted
vigorously and thoroughly, and was
facilitated by the completeness OF the
destruction, tho buildings having been
reduced to charred ombers, hardly n
stick OF timber remaining. About o
o'clock tho searchers came upon the
blNCkGned remains OF man who was
burned terribly, but Identification was
possible by means OF a number OF rail-
way passes found in pocketbook that
was in Il fair state OF preservation, hav-
ing been protected by tho body. These
passes bore the name OF Engineer Have
lin, Of the Buffalo, Rochester & Pitts
burCh, who came in from Rochester
yesterday. The second body found is
supposed to DO that oil machinist
named Parks. Shortly after finding the
second body Fireman Rider, who was
working upon tho bank Of creek,
discovered another charred trunk. This
body was burned beyond hope OF reCog-
milton, The three bodies were removed
TO tho morgue.