Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-11

he was among the dead, az published this morn
ing. His comrades. the guards and the hosoi-
tai doctors, knew thot the body Of Smith Was
beyond Identification even, but they had not
the heart to tell the women the worst he Was
missing; that was all
II the women had asked Harvey ID. Williams,
q pipeman from Engine Company No. 2, they
could have been told the sickening story OF
poor Smiths fate. Williams was the last man
to leave the roof alive, and the falling tower OF
flaming wood alone forced him from his work
OF pulling the fallen and burned men from the
holes which they had made in the Light wosd,
tar and gravel roof on striking.
HEROIC EFFORT.
Williams recognized the body Of Smith when
it dropped in front Of him and he rushed TO tx
tricate it from the four-foot hole made In the
roof. He took hold Of both arms and pulled
him out toward the edge Of the roof, and a. be
did SO the flesh peeled Of both
arms, the brave fremsn's head fsll
back and his eyes were fixed Williams thinks
his comrade was dead then. but he dragged the
body through fire and falling embefs 70 tho
edge OF the roof. only to discover that the rope
had been burned away from the extension lad
der. and, with q last look at the burned
features, Williams released his hold, giving
back to the flames their prey. and rushed for
the ladder Just in time to escape going down
into the flaming pit with the Others who lay
dead aud half cremated under the fallen town.
Williams could only say this morning that he
pulled out half q dozen men from the holes
they made between the fimsy roof and the
joists bui could not tell in those few awful,
moments, With flames in front Of him, where
the bodies kept dropping, who these victims
were. None of those he pulled from under the
roof, where they were imbedded a. far - the
shoulders in a vice-like trap, escaped alive.
THE WHOLE AFFAIR TO BE INVESTIGATED.
81 had never been informed that the ccid
storage building was not properly constructed" !"
said Director General Davis today, "nor did I
know until last night that the insurance on 10
had been cancelled. am now informed that 10
had been inspected and pronounced unsafe by
experienced iremen and insurance men, anc
am at a loes TO understand why q report vas
not made to me. do not know that the corn-
ell Of administration knew anything about
it either, although that would have
been the proper body to receive such .
report. However, had it been made il would
seem that would have heard of it, but I cid
not. The information now comes too late 10
save the lives OF the brave men who were
killed. The entire matter will be fully m
vestigated and the least that can be done
is to place the responsibility. Nothing in that
line has yet been done. We we're too much
shocked by the disaster to do anything last
right. but 4 anticipate the directory OF the
national commission will take some action To-
day"
Assignment Caused by the Fire.
CHICAGO, July 1.-The Hercules Iron WORKS
Company owner Of the cold storage warehouse
at the fair grounds, made an assignment for toe
benefit Of creditors in the county cours
this morning. The Chicago lite ana
Trust Companyis is named ss assignee.
The assignment was caused by the heavy
financial loss entailed by the cold storage pa
yiIion fire yesterday. The company was lncor-
porated in 1885 with a capital stock OF ssoo,oOo.
4, ,,,-,,s rIsnt at Aurora covering seven scrte-
its assets are estimated at 500. 900, against
sooO 600 liabilities. Yesterdays fire caused
loss of s2O0, 600.
TEN BODIES RECOVERED.
The bodies of six persons were recovered last
night and four this morning All were horribly
burned. 30 that it was impossible to even ~
tempt Identification. -Four Columbian guar is
are still missing and it is thought that thsiI
lContiaued 0n SiIth Page.)