Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-07-20
DRrYEN TO rRsrR DEA1Hs.

A Charge That the Firemen Who Met
Death at the Fair Grounds Were Warned
Not to Go Up the Tower.
CHICAGO, ILL.,, July 17.-John B. Skin
ner, president of the Hercules iron
works, the concern owning the cold
storage building burned last Monday,
lays the blame for the terrible loss Of
life upon Assistant Fire Marshal Muir
ply. He insists that blunder was
made in the face of repeated warnings
from employees in the building.
Captain Fitzpatrick was with Marshal
clares, would not listen to the admoni-
tons of those who knew the structure
and the danger of an ascent to the tower.
"Among those who warned them and
who is ready to testify to the fact" said
Mr.. Skinner, sis Walter M. Donaldson,
the office manager of the business part
of the storage and ice department. He
went into the tower and fully informed
himself of the state of the fire before the
men arrived. AS soon as the firemen
arrived he hunted up Captain Fitz-
patrick and found him on the rink floor
with his men, some of whom were
armed with axes. He asked the captain
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. To these directions and
entreaties Captain Fitzpatrick answered,
You go to h; / am running this
thing
"He was trying at the time to carry
three loads OF hose up at once and was
not making Roadway. Notwithstanding
his rebuff, Donaldson, approaching the
situation and the necessity for greater
haste, begged him to get UP one.
Captain Fitzpatrick answered he
would get three up or none,
"a. j. branch" continued Mr.. Skin
ner, in response to request for the
names of the other witnesses, lone of
our men, also asked Captain Fitzpatrick
to work on the base OF the tower and
| fight the fire which was already there.
/ The captain, for an answer, fetched him
| a back. handed blow with the fiat of his
hand which knocked him s 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,
| hdloHdl hul PhJ olOpA thCib AIN Al
| spite of this information actually drove
his men to their deaths. Upon the in
formation we had given them some of
the firemen hesltated and demurred.
| The marshal was heard to shout to them
by at least two of our people; Get up
| there, you d---n cowards.' He drove
them to their deaths. There is no ques-
ton about it. We are prepared to prove
and it must all come out at the inquest"
WORLDS FAIR GROUNDS, CHICAGO,
| Ill, July 17.-One week has elapsed
since the Worlds Fair fire, and still the
mystery of the exact number of human
lives lost remains unsolved. For three
days practically no. attempt was made
to clear up the ruins and the work that
has been done since that time has only
had the effect OF indicating the. large
amount OF labor still ahead before the
investigation is complete and the funeral
| pyre gives up its secrets.
The cessation of work yesterday at
tracted general unfavorable comment,
and although large force is engaged
OF the ruins to-day, the frightful odoI
arising from the scene, despite the lavish
use of disinfectants, indicates that putre-
faction is proceeding with a rapidity
that will still render it impossible TO dis.
tinguish between any decomposed frag-
mehts that are unearthed, and the guam
titles of meat and provisions that were
stored in the building at the time Of the
J fire. ..