Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-07-13

Fom the Sight--Ehe DEAD, injured ana
|issing.
|lncAeo, ILL.,, July 10.-Eighteen, and
kibly more, dead and 10 injured is the
brd of fire in q flimsily-constructed
Uding erected by the Hercules Iron
bpauy of Chicago, used as q cold stor-
Warehouse and skating rink and stu.
n near the Sixty-fourth street entrance
be Exposition grounds.
burned TO the ground in little over
|lhour this afternoon. The full extent
be death wrought may never be known.
He building collapsed totally in so
vi time after the fire started that many
|rle, who entered the building hoping TO
|8er aid before the peril under which
|Nwere placing themselves was realized,
Nj caught like rats in trap and went
|4nnounced TO their doom.
Z js said that but four Column bian guards
|missing, but there are many vacancies
Me different companies scattered about
Egrounds, and their captains, while re-
|ing to commit themselves, fear that
HI men have been cremated.
|he loss of property will probably
|annt to over $650, 900, but nobody ex-
|}those who have suffered financially is
hiking of the money loss when all
|4hd--at the tire and guard station
Hae, the Emergency Hospital and the
NIUE, on the highways of the Fair--are
|&fnces of the Exposition's deadly bap-
|o Of fire.
|te sun was shining its brightest from a
EHsky at 1.30 o'clock this afternoon, and
kpleasure-seeking people passed under
E<hadow of the coldstorage warehouse,
[51enly a boy-William Sheppard, son
I'd kas lal
Name escaping from the cupola or OBJ
|3ption tower, which formed the top
E section of the warehouse. From the
Isnd to that first fame there was 800
11pf space.
M DISCOVERED BY BOY.
|4e boy gave the alarm, and in few
bites the unhinching heroes from the
Nations at the Casino and the Terminal
Ept came dashing along with hose cart,
|f'ne and book and ladder-many, alas
FL to return alive. The altitude of the
E&ng observation tower and its isolation
"a the great main roof made the work
be iiremen hazardous and slow from
Il butset.
Hfore the firemen got to work several
Hters, electric light men and others en-
Ned Ia the building assembled by the
ltors to the main roof, and afterward
! bed up the spiral staircase which was
u around the great death-trap of a
@kestack, until they reached the bal
~ underneath the burning cupola.
fbey found the flames had gone too far
|1o smothered by the chemicals at hand.
|ty waited for the firemen to Join them,
Aking they could be of assistance.
II ORDERED 10 FACE DEATH.
|*aptain Hardness, ofthe guards, ordered
Egsant Douglass to take eight men up to
n Etower and aid the firemen. The SER
Dat gave his superior officer one look,
Eh one as the officers of the Light
|jeade at Balaklava may have given the
&imanding general when he gave the
Her TO charge into the mouths of the
sian cannon. But the sergeant went,
ID eight guards followed to do their
IN. BY strange chance all are alive to
Hat TO tell the tale and mourn the loss
Brave comrades.
OF so with the firemen. They went out
The roof and hauled up the hose with
|3es to the first story of the tower on the
~ and south sides oft the warehouse. Others
bed up the spiral stairway to the land
f<next the blazing top and lowered ropes
Exbree sides for the men below to attach
|4hose to. Until this time the fire resem-
a
|fSlhce, and at a distance there seemed 10
III danger menacing those brave men at
tff hundreds of feet in the air.
|Hithout thought of the fate which
EH soon to overtake them, the 80 odd
|alI outside the tower were at work on
h thst and south sides. All this time the
fHes were burning through the larger
tt}0n of the tower beneath them. The
|At 1ntimation of the danger came to the
|sl<ns when smoke appeared under them,
"A As the wind blew IL into their faces
|ey ketreated in an orderly body beyond
|t |Anding to the north side of the tower
It'll Me exception of one man, "a painter,
|AQ tlid down the hose which had been
fouEbt up TO the south side Of the tower.
SCENES OF HORROR.
|DcAlh quickly came to put an end to
|sranse and agony. The flames had been
fNQufing five teet of framework which
|frpunded the cast-iron shaft that pierced
n lower below the men. Quick as a
|zo. like a band of molten gold, flames
|l7et through the square tower, Just
s5Efneath the imprisoned men, on all
~ The gold letters, Hercules Ice
Ezt5ng Rink and Cold Storage Ware
|{t15e" were in the centre of the tower,
|,{1 around them the flames circulated
Ia faised to mock and torture the poor
|f<trhes to whom the eyes OF thousands
|eIt turned. In a few seconds the I'M
ti11ned ones felt the scorching fire COM
land with one impulse of elI-preserva.
En Me men moved quickly to where the
boz: were attached ut the northwest
They could not LOOK down and see the
Ealcs because of the projecting cornices
u they knew where tine ropes were
IeFe they stood huddled together, soml
|z$0Qnt their coats, others hatless, and al
E4raring TO save themselves ii they could
|za man nearest the rope grasped it and
&3cnded. But for only dozen feet. Th,
4Iu4s had no mercy, tine rope was burned
|zfko and With feet downward the lirsj
EzI{1n shot through the air to the main
<z| He turned partly over before Ii,
NNk and bounded up before lying as il
ANGUISH OF THE SPECTATORS.
A Efeat cry of anguish and fear cam,
IL rom thousands on the ground and a
Hhef points where the firstof those awfu
|8Hd and falls could be seen. Strong mer
7|>k and became hysterical. Some criet
|E<Q<i for God to save those poor soul
ned between flames. They got on theil
5e and prayed to God that all NIGH
&erish.
omen could be seen everywhere faint
1pd wringing their hands, bllrying o.
l3pg away their faces and crying hys
<lly at the sickening scene. An intra
H tram facing the fiery spectacle haC
stopped because some of the womeI
toard tainted and became hysterical
Worse was to follow worse. Nosoone
4ne man struck the roof than anoLhe
1H from the tower before the horrihet
of the spectators. His body KEEP
ht down until near the rool, wheI
lrned somersault, and secont
horror came from thousands O.
|ts.
~ TWO ropes on the north side of th
8|& where the doomed men were hud
le4Qt the edge, were almost useless TO
y 64ying of ME, yet for the first posses
~ of the one corner at least 10 fought a
zxfFe beasts.
fIlAy only prolonged their consciousness
5|[e, for all were doomed to die, ye
struggled TO catch anything whicl