Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1893-07-21
A WORLDS FAIR HOkROR.
NEARLY A SCORE PERISH IN
a FIRE TRAP.
The Cold Storage Building Burned
to the Ground - Firemen on Il
Tower Cut on From Escape-They
Leaped to the Roof, Seventy Feet
Below, Only to Perish.

Tower Cut on From Escape-They
Leaped to the Roof, Seventy Feet
Below, Only to Perish.
Amid a scene of horror and confusion on
the Worlds Fair Grounds al Chicago film
silly constructed building erected by the Her
cules Iron Company, used as q cold storage
warehouse and ice skating rink, was burned
TO the q ound between 2 and O'Clock in the
afternoon. As far as was known at midnight
eighteen men were killed and nineteen others
injured. At least eleven f1remen. probably
two lemonade girls and four other persons
were killed and about forty persons were in
iured, many of them fatally.
just how the fire started will probably
never be known. Fire show ed itself in the
tower OF the cold storage warehouse at
1.30 o'clock Tho entire brigade OF tho
Worlds Fair Fire Department answered an
alarm. Reaching the scene of the blaze,
Chief Murphy ordered his men to the roof OF
the building, whence q score or more clam
bered up the ladders of the tower to the top
balcony, where, $50 feet above the earth, the
flames were curling about the cupola.
The grounds were thronged with visitors.
The heavens were blue above. brisk north
wind swept over the park and the gaudy en-
g1nes and carts seemed but to add to the
holiday appearance of the scene.
line of hose was dragged up to- the wait
ing f1remen on the top balcony. A. truck
Captain came to the edge of the roof and
shouted the signal for a steamer TO begin
pumping. Before the order had been trans
mitted to the engineman the fire suddenly
burst through the white sides OF the tower,
midway of its height.
The treacherous element had eaten its way
down the wooden siding between the iron
chimney and the exterior until the men on
the balcony were cut off. A shout from the
assembled thousands told them of their dan
ger. They had been watching the flames
above them, and discovered those below only
when it was too late.
Chief Murphy himself had led his men on
their perilous climb to the balcony and when
the fire burst forth below he ordered them to
save themselves. They could not go down as
they had come up, for the interior OF the
tower was a roaring crater
The men of the hook and ladder. trucks
seeing the peril of their comrades. sprang TO
their machines, and tho big ladders were
slowly hoisted against the roof. Meantime
the flames spread with incredible rapidity
The men worked like trojans but it was al
most instantly apparent that the heavy lad
ders could not be drawn to the roof in time
to save the men in the tower. The poor fell
lows rushed to the south side of the balcony
and swarmed down the line Of hose. Five
men slipped down the smoking tube andtEen
it gave way.
With this avenue of escape cut off the men
surged back to the north balcony. A rope
was made fast to the chimney, and a fireman
started to slip down to the roof seventy-five
feet below. Twelve feet from the balcony
the rope met the flames and snapped. dash
ing the poor fellows who chung to it to the
roof.
The calmness of despair settled on the
men still in the balcony. To remain where
they were meant cremation; to jump meant
to be dashed to pieces Silent and grim the
little band hung over the side of their death
trap, and watched their fellows struggling
hopeieesly to raise the ladders. Over, under. |
and all about them, surged the fire. Not a
man lost his head. None shrank back. None |
cried out.
When every vestige Of hope was gone, one
by one they dropped through the sea of
flames that surrounded them to the roof be- |
low. Strong men in the crowd sichened and
turned away as the blue-clothed forms shot |
through the air.
Women tainted as the mangled bodies
bounded up after striking the roof. Sixteen !
men jumped from the burning balcony, and |
as the last one sprang out, the tower, |
completely enveloped in flames, tottered and |
fell with crash. The burning mass smashed |
through the roof, carrying with it the dead
and wounded who had not been dragged to |
place Of safety.
But the horror did not end here. Two |
minutes after the fall ofthe tower the entire |
roof was ablaze. One hundred men were on
it. SO quickly did the fire spread that the |
ladders on the east and south sides |
of the building were cut of The |
only way of escape for the gallant |
hundred was down single ladder at the |
north end of the building. The deeds of |
heroism, of self-sacrifce and courage per- |
formed in the few minutes that 1t took to
clear the roof will never be told.
The able-bodied men rushed to save their
helpless fellows, who lay about with cruelty |
broken bodies. the result of the leap from
the tower. Every one who was not buried in
the burning debris was lowered tothe ground
by ropes Or in strong arms. Then the bis
tered heroes sought the north ladder.
About them surged the fire. Flames curled
around their legs, stabbed at their faces and
licked of their moustaches and eyebrows
But here, as in the tower, there was no out
cry, no struggle for precedence. no coward
ice Down the ladder they swarmed, by
twos and threes and on both sides. The last
man had scarcely left the roof when it fell
with a roar.
The work of the hospital corps, the Colum.
bian Guard. and the Worlds Fair officials
was admirable When it became apparent
that the fire would be serious, Colonel
Rice established fire lines, and calling
out the full force of guards, placed Gordon
about the building to hold back the crowds.
The United States regulars, the French ma
rines and the sailors from the Spanish cara
wells were also called into service.
Twenty thousand people saw the horror.
When the tower fell on the uDfortunates Oh
the roof. the groan that went up seemed to
shake the skies. Army officers, whose faces
never blanched in the face Of death, covered
their eyes, turned away, and shuddered.
Bearded men cried out. Women swConed,
and children stood transllxed with horror.
The fire was an intense hot one. Firemen, |
guards. and workmen about the building
were Frustrated by the heat. When the fire
Il