Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-07-13

oe1ore they were halr way down the
hose gave way and they dropped into
the seething mass of fire and were lost
As the hose parted and the men sank
out Of sight in the fire the multitude
below gave utterance to groan of
siolxening horror. Another OF the inn
prisoned men started down the rope on
the north side OF the tower and had al
most reached the roof when II gave
way and he fell, striking on his head,
and was instantly killed.
There now remained, according to
the counts Of various spectators, from
twenty-five TO thirty men on the tower.
They were hopelessly beyond the reach
Of help. The longest ladder fell short
of reaching them by thirty feet Death
OF the most awful kind was fast APP
preaching. At this terrible moment
Capt Fitzgeralds tall form and white
helmet appeared in front OF the men,
who were huddled together on the mar
row balcony. He appeared TO be adj
dressing his brave followers What he
said will never be known, for he alone
of all the men around him at that mo-
ment escaped alive and his injuries were
such that he died.
As he ceased to speak one Of the men
crept around the burning balcony to
the east and returned n moment later
with a rope that had been left there In
the excitement. It was hastily fastened
to the railing around the balcony and
thrown TO the roof. Capt Fitzgerald
pointed 10 IL. What he said no one
knows. The foremost man seized 1t
and started TO slide down, but ere he
was half way the cruel flames rolled
up and he was swallowed into the
mouth Of the awful volcano. Another
tried IL and met the same fate. Ono
after another, five of the men at this
moment sprang from the balcony TO
the roof and were killed by the fall.
| II any OF them survived they were
burned. The rope was burned off about
half war down and IL hung apparently
useless against portion of the wall
not yet destroyed
Seeing his men jumping to their
doom, the heroic marshal seized the
rope and started down. A ladder had
been raised, but was almost twenty
feet from the end of the rope. lie
dropped and caught on the end of the
ladder. Marshal Murphy, an old per-
sonal friend of Capt. Fitzpatrick, and
who hos worked on the Chicago de-
partment with him for score Of years,
was ON the roof. Seeing there was a
chance TO save his old comrades life, he
sprang forward and was soon at the tor
OF the ladder. A shout of admiration and
encouragement went up from the multi
tude below. The heroic marshal start.
ed back with his friend, but was en-
veloped in flames With an energy OF
despair, he clutched his companion and
slid down the ladder to the roof, where
he fell PROSTATE. Both Murphy anc
Fitzpatrick were unconscious. They
were lowered to the ground and taker
to the hospital.
Scarcely twenty-five minutes haC
elapsed since the fire was discovered
but so rapid had been its progress tina
the entire tower was burned away, ant
IL fell with an awful crash, carrying
with IL several frcmen who were play
ing on the flames with the hose from
the roof There was wild scrambl
to get off the roof.
A large quantity of linseed oil wa
stored on the top floor and when tn
tower fell it crashed through the roo
} to this inflammable fuel, and then tn
flames rolled up high in the air.
Seeing that It was hopeless task t
! attempt to save the building, and as a
who escaped alive had left the root
the fremen now directed their effort
to keep the fire from spreading. TIL
: worlds fair stables just south of tn
} big warehouse were burning and tn
roofs of several hotels acros
Stony Island avenue, just on
, side the grounds, were on fir,
I With good deal Of effort tn
hotels were saved, but the stables weI
= burned TO the ground. In less tina
two hours from the time the fire star
) ed the big cold storage warehouse wa
5 leveled TO the ground, smoking ruiz
| 1t is doubtful II any of the bodies wi
. ever be recovered, so furious and terrif
3 was the heat, The building being ,
4 wood and added to this the barrels
I oil, made the fire one Of the hottest tn
Q fire department has ever had TO fight.
I Following is list of dead and injure
. as far as known: William Davis, kille
y by leaping from the cupola; Villa
r II. Deming, terribly burned and crushe
e by jumping from cupolai Philip Breei
= was on cupola when roof fell; jam
Green, fell through roof into flame
o ! Barton II. Page, killed by jumpin
n James A. Carney, burned to dealt
John Mcbride leg broken, bod
I horribly burned, died in the no
d pital; Capt. James Fitzpatrick, assis
h ant chief, worlds fair battalion, ar
a broken, body burned and crushed
d falling, died in hospitals John Cahil
2 burned in ruins; Paul Schroeder, burn'
@ in ruins; unidentified lineman, workiI
Z, on electric light wires, burned in ruin
It Lieut., John II. Freeman, burned
II ruins.
It The following tiremen are missii
l. and are undoubtedly dead;
i q. II. Blaisdell, NJ. Dixon, W. A. HUI
d A. L. Otto, NJ. S. Bonfeld and w.
It Sturm.
d Seventeen were injured, three
lie whom will die.
o.
% Killed by Rough ON Rats.
a WEST PLAINS, Mo-, July 1l.-A baby
:. James Shctrons, near Myrtle, a
~ Rnuuh IN Rats "a nd led almost INN