Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1893-07-20
MANY FIREMEN DEAD
TERRIBLE HOLOCAUST ON THE
WORLDS FAIR GROUNDS.

WONLD'S FAIR GNOCNDSs
Fire in One of the building at the
Exposition Results Fatally to a
Number of Fircmen and Column
bian Guards.
Chicago, July ia number of fire.
men lost their lives 1T the worlds fair
yesterday afternoon. The cold storage
warehouse just south of the Sixty fourth
street gate ,ught fire in the top of the
ccroia, which rises fully POO feet from the
ground. Through this cupola the chimney
passes. The cupola is built of wood over
laid with staff, and is highly ornamented
with columns and pillars. Near the top
is landing. The fire brok,, ont about
thirty feet above this.
AS soon as the iircmen arrived about
thirty-five or forty of them climbed up
the ladders to this landing, and We're pre-
pairing to throw streams of water On the
burning portion, when the fire, which had
eaten its way inside the staff TO Il point
below where the tiremcn stood, broke out
with volcanic ferocity on all sides. An
exclamation of horror went up from the
ANlS VI S''',SN' pNoliS WIZ toSSiAoiS0
about the buil,iing to see the fire. Five
of tire men saved themselves by sliding
down the ropes. Before others could
follow the flames had burned away the
ropes.
The unfortunate fellows who remained
hud,llcd together on the north side of the
cupoa We're doomed. 1t was beyond the
reach of any of the ladders, and the
crowd stood horrorstrickcn and helpless
to rescue the hapless crew. The flames
ran higher and higher until the men were
almost concealed from view.
At this moment one of the fremen
sprang far out into the open air and was
dashed to pieces on the roof fully eighty
feet below. Another and another followed
his example, crazcd by the awful heat,
and doubtless prctcrrins to be killed by
fall than burned to death. When five
had jumped the upper portion Of the
cupola gave way and the remaining fire.
men We're swallowed up in the seething
mass of burning timbers. The structure
was entirely consumed, causing Il loss Of
$G50,00O. Several other buildings were
burned, but the loss is not heavy.
The following is list of those who
met death, the missing and injured:
Killed-Capt. james Fitzpatrick, acting
chief Columbian fire department; John
Mcbride, driver Company No s.; William
Denning, truckman, No. s.
Missing-Capt. Garvey, Fire Company
No. /; Capt. Page, Fire Company No.
3; Lieut.. Purvs, Fire Company No. 4;
Phil Brcen, pipeman, Company No. S;
Lieut.. Freeman, Company No. 1; John
Smith, pipeman, Company No. >: Paul
Schroeder, truckman, Company No. S.;
John Cahill, truckman, Company No. 8;
Sergeant Donaldson, Columbian guard;
four Columbian guards; H. Strand, Com
pany No. 4; Henry Gelutdig foreman Of
painters in cold storage building.
Fatally Injured-W. A. Mahoney, lad
dcrman, Company No. 1, internally and
legs and feet fractured.
Injured-Capt. William Barry, fireman;
Frank Bielenberg, fireman; Sig. Nordrum,
fireman; Lewis Frank; NJ. Murray, guard;
George Davis, guard; w. G. Fisher,
William Lynch, II. J. Donovan, u. S.
Hayman, G. B. French, Fred Gcetz,
Frank Faulkner, fireman; Capt. Kennedy,
Company No. 5.
-Four other firemen, hands badly
burned, treated at emergency hospital
and taken away by their friends before
their names could be ascertained.
Several bodies were recovered from the
ruins, but they could not be identified
The death list will amount to twenty
five, and possibly many more.
Chcago, July 12.-rhe bodies Of ten
men have been recovered from the ruins
OF the cold storag" warehouse ut the
worlds fair. All were horribly burned
so that it vas impossible to even attempt
to identify them. The four Columbian
guards are still missing, and it is thought
that their bodies are underneath the mass
of debris. This, with those who died in
the hospitals, makes the total fatalities
seventeen. as far-a known. although the
full extent of the death dealt out may
never be ascertained. Louis J. Frank.
fireman of Engine Company No. .. lies
i'll the emergency hospital in q critical
condition, and the doctors fear he may
die. With him are also Scgward. Nor
drum, another fireman from the same
company, and Frank BiGlenberg and w.
7. Mahoney, fremen of Engine Company
No. l. They are not in danger of dying
from their injuries These four are all
that are at the emergency hospital to-day.
Capt Thomas Barry, of Truck No. s,
was taken to Mercy hospital and the 9th
ers to st. Luke's hospital All will re-
cover. Should Foreman Frank succumb
to his burns, Engine Company No. ,,
stationed at the service building, will
lose three of its men, Capt. Fitzpatrick
and John A. Smith being already on the
death list.
In the morgue the bodies of eleven men
had been positively identified, except that
Of William Denning, although seven fire.
men who called thought they saw in one
heap of charred remains a resemblance
to their comrade NJ. McQuai1, driver of
Engine No. 3. -Four of the bodies bore
little likeness to dead humanity. One
gunny sack, when opened. showed damp
mass of charred matter. Close inspection
revealed black and feshless bones, and
only by these were the fremen enabled
to tell that they had found what was left
of man. Many women called-wives,
mothers and sisters Of iremen. They
were told that it was useless to go below
on1 pouo ,noo +bo bod;oo fbaro rvoc