Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-07-11

naia roof ma<is the work q the frsnen
Hazardous and s.os from the outset.
Before the nIenseB kot 70 work seyersi
painters. electric lishtmen snd others
esnplosed IN the bailiing aseended bs
the siss ators "a the main roof. and AZ
fervssss climbed np the spiral stair
case. xhieh w4s built around the great
death trap Il sE4okesfack until they
reached the balcony undsTneath the
bafnlnx eupol2- They found the iasnes
hai gone too Tar 10 be smothered By the
chemicals az hand
Ordered to Dsrsth-
They xaitrd tor the hrenen 10 join
ths,m, thinking they could be og assist
Anee. Caplasp H2fkncss Of the guards.
orisfed Sergeant Douglas 10 take eight
nsn up TO the blazing tower and aid the
fremen- The sergeant gave his superior
officer one look. such one as the officers
of the Light Brigade at Balzkelsva may
have gis~n the commanding general
when he gayc the order 10 charge into
the mouths u the roaring Russian caa-
men, But the sergeant went and eight
gEarts followed 20 do their duty. BY q
sffange chance al! are alive tonight 10
ted the tale and mourn the loss of brave
comrades
Not So the firemen They went out
cu the roof and hauled up tae hose with
rcpes to the nrst story OF the tower cn
tts east and south sides ~ the wa-e
house. Others rushed up the spiral
stairway 10 the landing next the blazing
tep and lowered ropes ON three sides Tor
tie men below 10 attach the hose 10
urtii this the ire resembled the flaming
mouth of small blast furnace and AZ
distance there seemed 10 be no danger
menacing the brave men at work hun.
d5eds of feet in the air. The exper.
ienced eve % Chief Murphy in command
of the worlds fair ire department failed
q. suspect any risk 10 his men when he
ordered them 10 80 up 10 the tower. be
low the blaze.
O-es a Hearing Crater.
But he sent them nearly all 10 a death.
the horror and agony OF which no hu-
u an tongue or pen can describe. Those
fcs moments Of realization that flames
surrounded them above and below. FOL
lowod bv their last act in lie. must have
been as an eternity OF hell To- every soul
4 sixteen loot ladder was placed from
the first section Of the tower To the
landing uu which the men were. but no
one thought OF running a big ladder
from the main rcof to the lower 81 as To
connect with the small ladder. Without
thought 81 the fate which was soon te
oyertake them. the thirty odd men out
side the tower were at work on the east
and south sides
All this time the flames were burning
through the lager section OF the tower
beneath them The first intimation OF
danger came TO the victims " hen smoke
appeared under them. end as the wind
tlew u into their faces they retreated
Ia an orderly body around the landing
TO the north side Of the tower with the
exception OF one man. painter. who
slid down the hose which had been
brought up to the south side of the
tower. II may he that more would have
taken this apparently sure and safe
means of escape had II not been for the
smoke. which seemed 10 envelope them.
1t seemed ss IL the victims changed posi-.
tons because they feared flames would
soon follow the smoke which they saw.
Death quickly came To put an end 10
suspense and agony.
Surrounded bv Flames.
The flames had been deyouring five
feet Il frame work which surrounded
the cast iron shaft that pierced the
tower below the men. Quick a. flash.
ike band Of molten gold. flames burst
through the square 10 Just underneath
rhc imprisoncd men on all sides. The
gold letters. -.lierecules lee Skating
Rink aud Cold Storage Warehouse"
we're in the center of the tower. and
around them the flames circulated and
raised to mock and torture the poor
wretches 10 whom the eyes ~ thousands
acre TUNED. In few seconds the i'm
prisonesi ones felt the scorching fire
coming. and with one impulse Of self
preservation the men moysd quickly tse
where the ropes were attached at the
northwest corner.
They could not look down and see the
iames because ~ the pru.erting cor
aices. but they knew whore the ropes
we're. There they stood huddied To-
sether, some without their coats. others
halless. and all preparing to save them
selves II they could. The man nearest
the rope grsspsd II and descended But
Tor oniy dozen feet. The flames had
no mercy. the rnpe was burned in two.
and with feet downward. the first vic
tim shot through the air a. the main
roof. lie turned partially over before
be struck and bounced up "a II dead. \
great cry came from the thousands on
the ground
Fighting For the I;opc.
Strong men wcpt and became hysteri.
cal They cried aloud Tor God Ia save
those poor souls prnned betwe cen flames
They got on their knees and prayed t.
tsod that all might not perish. Women
could be seen yer,where fain'ing and
sringing their hands. burying ar turn
ing away their faces and cry lng hysteri
eally a. the aickening scene.
An intramurai train facing the fiery
spectacle had 70 be stopped because
-1ms of the women on board tainted and
became hystsricsl hut worse was 10
follow worse No sooner had one man
struck the roofthan another lespei from
the tower before the horrified gaze -
the spectators. iiis body kept straight
feet down until near the rssf when he
turned a scmerpsulf and a second cry ~
horror came from thousands q threats
The two fupes on the north slds ~ the
tower where the doomed men were hud
died az thseige we're almost useless for
the saving ~ llie. yet for the first pos.
srssion q the corner 0re. az least ten
fought se savage beasts.
Ihey only prolonged their CONSCIOUS
res@ - he fot all we're doomed - die
Jet they struggled "a catch AZ anything
Nhich seemed t. hold out chance -
cap and i've Cine ~ one they dropped
frum tne tower. eome eiinEiug - the
burning rsp~ a. Ear "A Il afforded them
any holf and then shooting through 4
sid ah..f u h.asl.. =. The r....f