Morris tribune., 1893-07-19

Claimed That the Terrible Loss of
Life Was Due TO the Eu'lheaded-
ness of Chief Murphy-Repeatedly
Warned of tho Danger Before the
Men Went Up.
CHICAGO, July 17.-John B. Skinner,
president of the Hercules iron works,
the company owning the cold storage
building burned, lays the blame for the
terrible loss of life upon Assistant Fire
Marshal Murphy. He insists that a
blunder was made in the face of re-
peated warnings from employees in the
building. Captain Fitzpatrick was with
Marshal Murphy. The men, Mr.. Skin
ner declares, would not listen to the ad-
monitions of the men who knew the
structure and the danger Of ascent to
the tower.
T''There is one side Of this fire case
that has not yet been told, said Mr..
Skinner. 81 suppose it will all come
out before the coroner if the case is
gone fully into and the coroner keeps
his promise that he will go to the bot
tom of the affair"
Was All q Blunder.
''There was absolutely no excuse for
the loss of a single life. The tiremen
were Informed by our employees that
there was fire below before they went
up into the tower. They were begged
not to so up and the danger was pointed
out in advance, when there was plenty
of time to order down such as were al
ready up.
among those who warned the men,
and who is ready to testify to the fact
is Walter M. Donaldson, the office man
ager of the business in the storage and
ice department. He went into the
tower and informed himself of the
state Of the fire before the firemen ar
rived. Donaldson has been present
during nearly the whole time Of the ex-
position, was familiar with the building,
and he offered to act asa guide to the
fire fighters.
Didn't Need Advice.
''Ee could not have been mistaken for
an outsider. AS soon as the fremen
arrived he hunted up Captain Fits
patrick and found him on the rink |
floor with his men, some of whom were
armed with axes. He asked the cap |
tain to chop hole below and turn the
hose on the fire in the lower part of the
tower. He emphasized and repeated |
his statement that the bottom was the
place to fight the fire. AS to these
directions and entreaties Captain Fitz-
patrick answered: You go to -; I
am running this thing
He was trying at the time to carry
three loads of hose up at once, and was
not making headway. Notwithstanding
his rebuff, Donaldson. appreciating the
begged him to get one up
Captain Fitzpatrick answered lie would
get the three up or none.
Knocked. This One Down.
"a. j. Brauch, who is one of our
men," continued Mr.. Skinner, in re-
sponse to a request for the names Of the
other witnesses, ''asked Captain Fitz-
patrick to work on the base of the
tower and fight the fire which was al
ready there. The captain, for an
answer, fetched backhanded blow
with the fat of his hand which knocked
him or 10 feet.
Mr.. Alsip, the architect, was one who
also advised the men of the danger, and
told them the fire was below before
they went up, and begged them not to
ascend.
Drove His Men to Death.
Marshal Murphy stood there in spite
Of this information and actually drove
his men to their deaths. Upon the in
formation we had given them, some o
the fremen hesitated and demurred.
The marshal was heard to shout to
them by at least two of our people:
"Get up, you ID cowards.
He drove them to their deaths.
There is no question about it. We are
to prove it, and it must all
come out at the inquest. AS soon as I
heard the statement of our men, right
after the fire, went Immediately over
% Mr.. Higinbotham's Office and told
aim what | state here"