The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-07-13
A WORLDS FAIR HORROR.
TwENTY-oNE FIREMEN MEET THEIR
DEATH IN SETTING FLAMES.
Seeking to subdue Fire in Cupola One
Hundred And Fifty Feet High, Flames
Suddenly Envelope the Entire
Building Beneath Them.

CHICAGO, July 16.-A fear that has
existed for months in the minds OF
nearly every citizen of Chicago, lear
that none dared to utter, but all felt,
found realization today in a frighttul
holocaust at the Worlds Fair, that
claimed nearly two score OF victims
and for a time threatened the destruc-
tion of the entire White City. Today's
disaster was all the more dreadful be-
cause of the sudden transformation
from an innocent flame into death
dealing catastrophe. Like an animal
monster it enticed it's victims to the
topmost stage of the high pinnacle, then
encircling the whole shaft in sheet
. of flame and held them in the trap
until one by one they fell a sacrifice of
the frey altar that ragged beneath
them while 80 600 people stood help.
iessly by.
The structure that burned today was
by comparison one of the smallest
buildings of the fair. 1t was the cold
storage warehouse and skating rink,
and was not the property Of the expo
sition. 1t was a concession and eX-
hibit of the Hercules iron works and
ice and refrigerating machine manu-
facturers.
In addition to the skating rink there
were three 120 ton ice machines and 30
or 40 barrels of linseed oil. The oil no
doubt greatly hastened the confiagra'
tion, and that the fire was not COM
municated to other buildings was due
to favorable winds. The horror was
witnessed by many thousands of pec-
ple, and strong men wept and women
tainted as one life after another was
snuffed out within full view of the
multitude. but beyond the reach of
human aid.
The fire was not generally observed
until 1 15 p. M. and within 30 minutes
the great loss of life occurred. At the
first signal the firemen rushed up the
shafts surrounding the smokestack
and when at the summit began their
preparations to fight the flames, which
first appeared at this point. Before
the hose could be coupled cry OF
horror from the crowd below caused
the firemen to look down and the
whole shaft below was found enclrcled
in flame. Instantly every man realized
the danger, but there were few to IND
an avenue for escape.
One man suddenly grasped a rope or
hose and half sliding, half falling
reached the roof 80 feet below in a
bruised condition but still alive. By
This time the crowd below became
wild with excitement, and weeping
women and frenzied men rushed
hither and thither wringing their
hands in anguish over their inability
to render aid. Suddenly one fireman
was seen preparing to jump and every
eve was turned upon him, He gave
quick, spasmodic leap, turned over and
over half a dozen times before he
struck the roof 80 feet below. To the
snectators he seemed minute falling
this distance, and when his body
struck the roof with frightful crash
and bounced four feet into the air q
eroan of horror went up from the
crowd. After the first wild leap one
man after another jumped in quick
succession as the flames closed in be.
low and the heat became more intense.
Tn nearly every instance the victim
turned over and over again before he
touched the roof. and in every in
stance the result of the desperate leap
for life was the same-death.
The very horror of death riveted
eyerv eve to the scene, and while men
and women shouted hysterically and
wept below the guards were almost
powerless to keep the crowd away
from danger. The spectacle of death
hecame more terrible as the minutes
past and for the last man on
the cupola was Preserved
the most dreadful fate of
ali After all his companions
had leaped to death. and as the last
man hesitated the whole shaft began
to tremble and vibrate. The lone fire.
man understood Alright the OMNIBUS
warning and gave a quick, wild leap.
He was too late. At the very instant
he sprang the whole structure gave
wayi and this human being, quivering
with life and wildly grasping for sup
port in his frenzy of dispair, was seen
to drop into the labryinth of flame
and fire and finally disappear into the
roaripg furnace below. His was liter
aIiv death by fire, for the flames caught
him while his wits were still keen, his
mind active and all his 'nses alive to
the terrible fate to which he was
doomen.
As firetrap, the cold storage ware
house could not have been more per-
fectly constructed. The structure was
ESQ feet long by 15O feet wide, con con, /
structed entirely of wood covered with
staff. The main body Of the building
was five stories high. In the center OF
this rose the smokestack in the shape
of cupola. to the top of which was
almest 200 feet. The base OF TINS
cupola was about 80 feet square.
About so feet from the base OF the
cupola was balcony, from whlch
another square tower rose, culmlnat-
ing in the mouth of the smokestack,
where the fire was discovered. The
interior of this tower and around tie
stack were wooden beams and frame
work on which staff covering was
laid. 1t was on top Of this cupola that
" "Sunnosed that the framework
ororpd the mouth of this huge chin
ney neg0pa caught 1g6 from defect in the flHe.
At first it appeared to be an lnslgnlh-