The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-07-11


OnLD STORAGE BUILDING BEFORE THE FIRE.
Columbian guards are missing, but there
are many vacancies In the different com
panies scattered about the grounds, and
their captains, while refusing to commit
themselves fear that several of their men
have been cremated. The following is a
list of the dead and the missi ng-all of
whom are probably dead;
Dead-Captain James Fitzpatrick, act
ing chief Columbian fire department; John
Mcbride driver; William Denning, truck
man; unknown American, initials on belt
"H. W" or IN. II.
Nissing-Captain Garvey, Captain Page,
Iisutensht Purvis and Lieutenant Free
mau, Phil Brecn, pipeman; John Smith,
pipeman; Paul Schroeder, truckman; John
CAhill truckman Sergeant Donaldson,
Columbian Guard; four Columbian Guards;
ii. S. Strand, fireman. Henry Geduldig,
foreman of painters in Cold Storage build
ing Lieutenant Motion, of truck l6
Fatally injured-W. o. Mahoney, ladder
man, internally injured and legs and feet
fractured.
Death has never done such swift and
CHASTITY work at n fire in Chicago since the
dark days Of October, 1871. The horror OF
&hA spectacle will forever remain as n hid
cons nightmare in the minds of many
thousands of men and women who gazed
upon it. 1t was intensified by the dizzy
height from which the victims were seen
to fall into vast furnace Of blazing tim
bec and other inhammable material.
Deeds of herosm were done by the fire.
men who perished and those who live to
! grieve over their lost comrades The
Columbian Guardsmen were not lacking
IN bravery and devotion to duty in the
hour Of danger and even in the face of
{ death.
The loss of property will probably
amount to over S65O,6UO. buJ nobody cX-
i rept those who have suffered financially is
thinking of the money loss when all
around, at the fire and guard station
? house, the Emergency hospital and the
morgue, on the highways OF the fair.
around the scene OF woe, are evidences of
tho exposition's deadly baptism of fire
The sun was shining its brightest from n
blue sky at 1880 o'clock yesterday after
noon, and the pleasure seeking people
passed under the shadow of the cold stor-
age warehouse. Suddenly boy saw a
tongue of fame escaping from the cupola,
or observatory tower, which formed the
y topmost section of the warehouse. From
the ground to that first flame there were
S50 feet of space. The boy gave the alarm
and in a few minutes the llrcmen came
dRshing along.
The altitude Of the blazing observation
tower and its isolation from the great
main roof made the work of the fremer
I hazardous and slow from the outset Be
fore the tiremen got to work several paint
ers, electric light men and Others employed
In the building assembled by the elevators
TO the main roof and afterwards climbed
mp the spiral staircase which was bull
tl,ae lnot pF Ln
stack Until they reached the balcony I'M
derne.. he burning cupola. They fount
the flames had gone too far to be smotheret
by the chemicals at hand
Captain Harkness, of the guards, ordered
Sergeant Douglass to take eight men III
to the blazing tower and aid the firemen
>nnThe sergeant gave his superior officer on
hook, such rs officers of the Light brignd
lot Balaklava may have given the com
manding general when he gave the orde
10 charge into the mouths of roaring Rus
lsian cannon But the sergeant went, an,
sighr guards followed to do their duty. b
. strange chance all are alive today to tel
the tale and mourn the loss of brave com
- rades
50 with the flremen. They went ou
on the roof and hauled up the hose wit
ropes to the first story of the tower on tn
east and south sides of the warehouse
Others rushed up the spiral stairway t
The landing next to the blazing top an
lowered ropes on three sides TO the me
4 below to attach the hose to. Until thi
time the fire resembled the flaming mout
OF small blast fl rpace, and at a distanc
there seemed TO be no danger menacin
those brave men at work hundreds of fet
In the air.
The experienced eye of Chief Murphy, !
command of the Worlds fair fire depar
pent, failed to suspect any risk to his me
hen he ordered them to 60 up to I'll
ewer below the blaze. But he sent nearl
them to a death, the horror and agon
which no human tongue or pen can d
g1fbes--Those few moments OF realizatio
shat flames Surrounded them above al
belGtv, followed by their last act in lif
must have been 90 an eternity of hell
every soul. A sixteen foot ladder WI
placed from the first section of the tow
TO the landing on which the men were, b'
no one thought Of running a big ladd