Evening star., 1893-11-21
Six Workmen Perish in a Boarding
House Fire.
CALAMITY TODAY NEAR BEAVER, PA
There Was No Water to Extinguish
the Flames.
FATHER AND SON LOST.

BEAVER, Pa, Nov. 21.-A frightful holo-
caust occurred at the government dam, two
miles below this city, early this morning
Six men were burned to death and several
were badly injured.
The disaster occurred at the Merrill
House, three-story frame building. built
for hotel and boarding house to accommo-
date the employees at the new government
dam, which has been under course of con-
struction for the past year. The hotel was
situated upon the hillside above the rail-
road and was the only building on the north
side of the track 1t was eighty-four by
forty feet in dimensions and contained
twenty-five sleeping rooms. 1t also con-
tained the telegraph office, post office and a
store. The proprietors were Frank J. Brad
ley and Robert Keeney.
Every room in the building was occupied
last night, the dodgers being men employed
on the construction of the dam.
Discovery of the Fire.
The fire was discovered at 430 o'clock by
William Boilies the colored porter. The
store room was then full of flame. BollieS
arose at o'clock and began his usual
morning work of cleaning up the rooms on
the first floor He gave the alarm by run
ming up to the second and third floors,
screaming Fire"
The scene that followed was that of the
widest excitement Many of the occupants
of the rooms had been working a night
turn and had retired only two hours be-
fore. All We're sleeping Soundly, and when
aroused became so confused that they lost
all presence of mind and wandered through
the Railways, unable to find a means of
escape.
The Victims.
Six men are known to have perished, as
follows:
John Kelly, laborer. forty years old, lived
at Woods Run.
Barney Wilkes. stonecutter, aged sixty,
lived on East street, Allegheny.
Robert Stanley, engineer. aged thirty, re-
sided with his mother in New Brighton;
leaves two children.
J. j. Wrenn. boss mason, aged fifty-five.
His son Daniel, aged twenty-three, resided
in Allegheny.
James Hughes aged thirty-three, an en-
gineer, resided in Beaver.
Among those most seriously injured are:
James Sheerer. stonecutter, of Sewickley,
burned: Henry Wilkes, son of Barney, aged
twenty-five: Barney McClafferty of Free
dom. injured by jumping from window;
man, name not yet known. arms dislo-
Gated, badly burned about head and face
Bodies Recovered.
Five of the bodies have been recovered
from the runs. They were placed side by
side along the railroad track awaiting the
arrival of the coroner. The sixth body has
not yet been taken out. The hotel register
was burned and il is not positively known
how many men were in the house. The be-
lief is general that others perished Several
are yet unaccounted for. Men were con-
stantly coming and going, seeking employ
ment.
A number of these arrived last evening
bat whether they lodged in the hotel last
night is not Yet known. Within an hour
nom the discovery of the fire the hotel and
contents were in ruins. Not drop of wa
ter could be secured to even cool the glow
ing embers TO enable the men to search for
the bodies of the dead. Their charred re-
mains were recovered with the greatest diff
rculty and danger They are SO badly
burned that none, except the remains OF
Engineer Hughes. have as yet been posi-
lively identified.
But for the anxiety of Jerry J. Wrenn
safety, both might have been saved The
boy was out safe. Missing his father he
re-entered the building to hunt for him.
Daniel had scarcely disappeared when
the father came out searching for his boy
When told that Daniel was in the building
looking for him, the father also returned
and neither was seen again.
Nearly all of the men lost their clothing
and many of them all of their money
They had recently been paid with checks,
W hich had not yet been cashed. Physi-
clans were summoned from Beaver who
made the injured as comfortable as possi-
Bile. They We're afterward sent TO hos
pitals in the nearby towns.
Work on the dam has been temporarily
SUSPENDED