The Portland daily press., 1893-07-12

1t Is Said They We're Told Again and
Again of the Danger in the Burned
Ruilding-Dead Bodies of His Conn
rades Served as Cushion to Save the
Life of One Fireman-His Story of the
Descent from the Tower-Firemen Not
the Only Ones Who Died.
WORLDS FAIR GROUNDS, CHICAGO,
July 1.-THE assertion is general that
the Worlds Fair management is not
wholly without blame for Yesterdays
disaster. Time and again, it is said,
word was sent to the Council of Admin
istration of the dangerous condition of
the cold storage warehouse, but they
paid no heed to it. A few weeks ago,
the W orld's Fair officials issued an order
withdrawing the guards on duty there as
the company operating the warehouse
refused to pay for them. Col. Rice OBJ
jected seriously to this move. He went
before the Council of Administration
and told that body that the building was
a fire trap and should not be left unpro-
eCSLCO. HC COuuCll. III Is dilGSOu, pt5lu
no heed to the warning, but withdrew
the guard. Then Marshal Murphy made
a full report of the dangerous manner in
which the structure was built He told
how it endangered the Worlds Fair
buildings. If a fire should break out in
the warehouse with strong west or
south wind, he said, it was liable to
sweep over the entire White City. This
undoubtedly would have been the case
had the wind not been from the north
east.
The inquest on the victims of the fire
began today at the morgue. After the
jury had viewed the bodies of the VIC
tins, Coroner McHale decided to adjourn
the inquest until Thursday next, to get
time to prepare for thorough investi-
cation.
Commissioners Take Action.
The holocaust was the principal SUBJ
ject of discussion at today's meeting of
the national commission. Immediately
after calling the commissioners to order,
President Palmer said it seemed proper
that the commission should take some
action. He suggested that the sense of
the commission be embodied in resolu-
tion that the chief buildings frequented,
or whose roofs are being frequented, by
the public should be inspected. He
thought there were several buildings
from which. in the event of fire, it.woald
be impossible to take the people off the
roofs. A resolution of respect
for the memory Of the dead
was adopted by a rising vote. A
resolution was adopted providing
for the appointment of a special
committee of four to inspect
the buildings as regards safety
of human life in case of fire upon the
grounds, A resolution was adopted
directing the committee on buildings
and grounds to request the Chicago
Board of Fire Underwriters to report to
the National Commission the
condition of the various build
ings as to the danger from fire and
further precautions necessary, if any.
The Worlds Fair Council of Admins
ton this afternoon approved a plan for
the collection of fund to relieve the
injured survivors and families of the fire.
men. 1t was agreed at the suggestion of
many employees of the fair that Thursday,
July Is, be set aside as a day when all
employees and pass holders entering the
gates of the fair may at their option de-
trance fee of so cents.
A Survivors, Story.
Frank J. Faulkner hobbies around on
one foot and wonders how he escaped
death. Faulkner belongs to hook and
ladder company, No. s, which was on
the fatal tower and which, almost to a
man, was sent to the hospital or to
death. Faulkner was on the tower. 1t
was he who made that awful jump to
the roof below. Three of his unfortun-
ate comrades involuntarily saved his
life. A sprained ankle is his only physi-
cal reminder.
II don't know how l came off so lucki-
ly," said, Faulkner. s'Tve had narrow
escapes before-have stood on window
sill and seen three upper floors fall past
me-but never went through anything
like this. When dropped / struck on
three men who had jumped before. That
was all that saved me-
"There must have been 1S or 20 fire
men in the tower, but don't know the
exact number. Twelve men of our COM
pany were up there and some Of No. 2's
men. Half a dozen Columbia Guards
won't with us, but we chased them down
before the fire became serious. I sup
posed they all reached the ground with
out injury.
when we went up into the tower we
had no idea that the fire would be seri-
Gus. We had been up there twice be-
one, and knew just how we would
have to work. The two fires before
made this one worse. The wood on the
ton of the tower had been partially