The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-07-11
from the main roof to the tower, so as to

Wit hout a thought of the fate which
was soon to overtake them, tho thirty odd
men outside the tower were at work on the
east and south sides. All this time the
flames were burning through the larger
section of the tower beneath them. Tho
first intimation of danger came to the
victims when smoke appeared under them,
and as the wind blew 1t into their faces
they retrented in an orderly body beyond
the landing to the north side of the tower
with the exception of one man, painter,
who slid down the hose which had been
brought up to the south side Of the tower.
1t may be that more would have taken
this apparently sure and safe means of es-
cape had It not been for the smoke which
seemed to envclop them. 1t seemed as il
tho victims changed position because they
feared flames would soon follow the smoke
which they saw.
Death quickly came to put an end to
suspense and agony. The flames had
been devouring five feet of frame work
which surrounded the cast iron shaft that
pierced the tower below the men. Quick
as a flash the fire burst through the square
tower just underneath the imprisoned
men on Nil sides. The gold letters Her
cules Ice Skating Rink and Cold Storage
Warehouse" We're in the center OF the
tower and around them the flames Cir
culated
In few seconds the imprisoned ones felt
the scorching fire coming, and with one
impulse Of self preservation the men
moved quickly to where the ropes We're
attached at the northwest corner Tho
man nearest the rope grasped 1t and de-
sccnded, but for only n few feet. The rope
was burned in two, and with feet down
ward the first victim shot through the air
to the main roaf He turned partly over
before he struck, and bounded up before
lying MS il dead.
A great cry of anguish and fear came up
from thousands on the ground and at
other points where the first of those awful
leaps and falls could be seen. Strong men
wept and became hysterical. Some cried
aloud for God to save the poor souls penned
between flames They got on their knees
and prayed to God that all might not per-
ish Woman could be seen everywhere
fainting aud wringing their hands, bury
ing or turning away their faces and crying
Historically at the sickening scene An
intramural train, facing the fiery specta-
Gle, had to be stopped because some of the
women on board tainted and became hys-
tcrical
But worse was to follow worse. No
sooner had one man struck the roof than
another ledped from the tower before the
Mortified gaze of the spectators. His body
kept straight down until near the roof
when he turned somersault, and Sec
ond cry of horror came from thousands
of throats. The two ropes on the north
side OF the tower, where the doomed men
were huddled at the edge, were almost use
less for the saving of life, yet for the first
possession Of the one corner at least ten
fought as savage beasts.
They only prolonged their consciousness
of life, for all were doomed to die yet they
struggled to catch at anything which
seemed to hold out a chance to leap and
live. One by one they dropped from the
tower, some cliuging to burning rope as
far us it afforded them any hold and then
shooting through a solid sheet of flame to
the roof The sight was too much for even
the military men and the old firemen on
the ground to bear without shudder and
turning away of faces Human forms
lcaping through flames a hundred feet or
more down. down TO sure death, presented
a sight the stoniest heart could not wit
ness unmoved.
The last man on that tower died the
hero's death among all those heroes who
| faced the furnace below them. lie had
waited without apparent fear until there
was only himself left, like Casabianca,
| who stood on the burning deck. He was
a fireman, and he grasped the remnant of
burning rope just as Inc whole tower struc-
ture parted diagoually and fell towards
p, the north, right over the PROSTATE bodies
of the poor fellows who had leaped to es-
cape tho pitiless flames. The last man
who went down to death with the tower
kept feet down 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 passage within sight OF all,
and the blazing tower fell over his form,
making funeral pyre and ending his
agony, IL he was not dead before striking
the roof
One victim remained on the tower until
the flames from below had burned his legs
so that the flesh peeled from the bone.
When the tower topplcd over there was no
hope Of saving those who had not been
taken of the roof,
The most sublime deed of heroism in
that tragic lfour was performed by three
flrcmen in ample time to save the life OF
their superior officer, Captain James Fitz.
patrick, the assistant fire chief at the fair.
lie was on the roof when the tower fell
over without warning, and his leg was
broken besides being crushed by falling
timbers. The captain crawled towards
the edge of the roof already on fire, and
held out hand in u mute appeal for help
The hand which is now stilled in death
was seen by Captain Kennedy, of HOOK
and Ladder No s. He and two OF his mel
climbed up the ladder, fighting their way
through the flames, while three streams
of water were turned on the brave men IL
keep their clothing from catching fire ant
their skin from pecling of. Captain Ken
nedy climbed into what seemed a sea OF
flames, but he reappeared in few sec
onds dragging the body of Captain Fitz
patrick. A rope was fastened about TIL
.. . unconscious and dying captain body, ant
with difficulty he was lowered to tn
ground enveloped in flames hurled bacl
by streams of water.
= The noble rescue, although 1t only re
suited in saving the captains body iron
further mutilation by fire, was watched b.
: thousands of people in breathless suspens
and rewarded by mighty cheer when tn
e body reached the ground to be tenderi
' laid ON stretcher and borne to the ho:
pital in the ambulance. But the captai
. never recovered consciousness, and died a
Do'clock.
!, In the cold storage vaults were a stoc
= = of vegetables, fruits, wines, liquors, frui
!, and dairy products, valued at $4,000, a
= of which Is destroyed.
At 10 o'clock last night six bodies ha
. been recovered, when work was tempo
~ rarily suspended. Only one body, that c
II William Dennina, was recognizable.
20 Two hours after the fire 81, 400 had bee
!. subscribed for the families of the dea
y firemen, and today many dollars are bein
u placed in the boxes placed at the dlffereu
u entrances for the relief of the stricken.
b - ILL.,.