The Forrest City times., 1893-07-14

T rounded the cast-iron shaft that pierced ! the tow r below the men. Quick as flash, like band of molten gold, flames burst through the square. The gold ! letters. Hercules Ice, Skating Rink and Cold Storage Warehouse" were in | the center of the tower, and around | them the flames circulated and raised | to mock and torture the poor wretches | to whom the eyes of thousands were | turned In few seconds the impris- oned ones felt the fire coming, and with one impulse of self-preservation. the men moved quickly to where the ropes | were attached at the northwest cor ner.
 They could not look down and see the flames because of the projecting cornices. but they knew where the ropes were. There they stood, hud- dled together. some without their coats, others hatless, and all preparing to save themselves if they could. The man nearest the rope grasped it and descended. Bu. for only dozen feet. The flames had no mercy. Tre rope was burned in two. and. with feet downward, the first victim shot through the air to the main roof. He turned partly over before he struck and bounded up.
 A great cry of anguish and fear came up from thousands on the ground where the first of those awful leaps could be seen. Strong men wept and became hysterical.
 But worse was to follow. No sooner had one man struck the roof than an- other leaped from the tower before the mortified gaze of the spectators. His body kept straight feet-down until near the roof when he turned a somer- sault. and second cry of horror came from thousands of throats. The two ropes on the north side of the tower where the doomed men were huddled were almost useless for the saving of life, yet for the first possession of the corner at least ten men fought as savage beasts. They only prolonged their conscious ness of life. for all were doomed to die; thing which seemed to hold chance to live. One by one they dropped from the burning tower, some clinging to the burning rope as far as it afforded them any hold, and then shooting through solid sheet of flame to the roof.
 The sight was too much for the mili- tary men who beheld the scene from the ground to bear without shudder nf forms leaping through flames 100 feet or more, down. down to sure death, l presented a sight the stoniest heart could not witness unmoved.
 The last man on the tower died the | hero's death among all those heroes who faced the furnace below. He had waited without apparent fear until 1 there was only himself left, like Casa blanca, who stood on the burning deck. | He was a fireman and he grasped the remnant of burning rope just as the whole tower structure parted diago- 1 nally and fell towards the north, right l over the pro strate bodies of the poor fellows who had leaped to escape the pitiless flames. The last man who went down to death with the tower keep feet downward as far as the rope went and then the rush of flames and air was so great that his body was turned round and round in the pas. sage within sight of all and the blaz- ing tower fell over his form making a funeral pyre and ending his agony if he was not dead before striking the roof
 When the tower toppled over there was TO hope of saving any who had not been taken off the roof The bodies on striking had become i'm 1 bedded nearly three feet in the gravel and tar between the wooden joists. and only 8 few could be taken to place ot safety before the great central tower crashed over
 The most sublime deed of heroism was performed by three fremen in ar attempt to save the life of their su. perior officer whom :ley loved, Capt.
 Jan Fitzpatrick, the assistant fire chief at the fair. He was on the roof when 1 the tower fell over without warning and his leg was broken, being crushed by falling timbers. Being on the east side of the roof, he thought he was in no immediate danger as a truck ladder
 was close to the edge ready for any emergency. The captain crawled to the edge of the roof already on fire and held out his hands in mute ap- l peal for help. The hand which is now stilled n death was seen by Capt. Ken rcdy, of hook and ladder No. ,. He and two Of his men climbed up the lacder, fighting their way through the fumes which burst through the