The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-12-01
pETRolT's DISASTER.
Shocking Death OF seven Men In q Burning
RufldfnU.


Building.
DETROIT. Mich, Nov. 24-By the
burning of the fve-story iron front
brick building, 1872 to 2O2 jefferson ave-
nue., occupied by Edison. Moore Co,
wholesale dry goods, seven of the en-
ployes lost their lives. a fireman whs
badly injured. and the monetary loss
will reach into the neighborhood of
$500, GOO
The dead are: James Mckay, Il
Park place: Bradley A. Dunning: Ed
Genther, entry clerk, single. % years
old. The missing are: Edward \.
Viot, order clerk. IA Catherine street;
Pat Marley. 81 years old, leaves wife
and three children; Daniel A. Banter.
clerk. 500 Clinton avenue; Henry Rider,
packer, 1906 Theodore street
The fire started between the fourth
and fifth floors at 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 left on the upper
floors Those who were first on the
scene saw a terrible sight The whole
upper floors were mass of flames On
the window sill of the fifth floor stood
Bradley Dunning, and two windows
south of him stood James Mckay.
Don't jump. Wait for tho hook and
ladder
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 peO-
pie watching him had juft time to
throw a bale of jute beneath him, and
it was no sooner in place than Dunning
struck it He bounded up like a rub
Der ball and then fell to the sidewalk,
limp and mangled- He was taken to a
nearby drug store and afterward to
Harper's hospital, where he shortly
after died from his injuries.
The falling of James Mckay followed
in a few minutes The blazing fire
was bursting out of the window when
the terrified man finally gave up all
hopes OF saving himself and slipped
loose. He struck on the easement of
the second W ndow and partly turned
over. This threw him far out from the
window. and part of his body struck on
the electric wires below. This partly
turned him over again and he struck
on the sidewalk within a few feet of
the building. Policemen, firemen and
spectators quickly ran to him and he
was carried TO the ambulance. He was
unconscious when picked up and it was
thought that life was extinct. but he
lived for a couple of hours after being
removed to Emergency hospital.
The awful spectacle of Mckay and
Dunning's 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 in
the dense smoke He reached the sill,
laid one arm upon it and tried to drag
himself to the open air just beyond.
but was too far spent One hand he
clasped over his face, and then sud-
den burst of fame closed around him
The horror-stricken beholders saw his
head drop, his arm drag slowly back
and then he sank from view as the
flames rolled over his body.
Harry l. Pearson says that the fire
was caused by an explosion on the fifth
floor. He heard the conclusion a few
moments before the alarm was sounded