The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-07-11
Isolated on a Fiercely Burning
Tower.
FRENZIED CROWDS SAW THEM.
The Brave Lads Perished Miserably
While Thousands Looked On,
Unable to Rescue Them.
Special to THE MORNING CALL

to-day in a frightiul holocaust at the
Worlds Fair that claimed nearly two
score victims and for time threatened
the destruction of the entire White City.
The disaster is all the more dreadful be-
cause of sudden transformation from an
Innocent fame into death-dealing catas-
trophe.
The structure that was burned-the cold
storage warehouse-was one of the small
est buildings of the fair, but did not be-
long to the exposition, being an ex-
hibit of the Hercules Iron Works. ice and
refrigerating machine manufacturers. The
building contained skatlng-rlns, three
120-ton ice machines, some forty barrels of
linseed oil, which added fuel to the flame,
and in it there were stored large quantities
OF meat, fruit, etc.
That the fire did not spread to the other
Worlds Fair buildings was due to favor
able winds.
The scene of horror was witnessed by
many thousands of people. who 1ocked to
the locality when the alarm was sounded,
and the sight was sickening 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 about 1:15 P. NJ. and within thirty
minutes the great loss of life occurred.
At the first signal the fremen rushed up
the huge shaft surrounding the smoke
stack and when at the summit began
preuarations 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 fremen to look down. They saw in
an instant the cause of that cry-they
were encircled with flames. The men
stood stOdly for a moment in full reallza-
tion Of their danger. Then one grasped
the rope which had been lowered for the
purpose of raising the hose, aud half
sliding. half falling, reached The roof
ninety feeI Oelow in a bruised ana burned
condition, but still alive.
The crowd below became wild with ex-
element, and weeping women and fren-
Zied mep rushed around, wringing their
hands and moaning in anguish over their
inability to render aid.
Suddenly every eye was turned upward
by the preparations Of fireman to jump.
He gave quick, spasmodic leap and
turned over and over half dozen times
before he struck the roof. ninety feet be-
low. When the body struck the roof there
was frightful crash aud it bounded far
up again into the air.
From this time on bodies rained from the
steeple. as after the first wild leap, one
man after another jumped in quick sue
cesSiOn as the flames closed in below and
the heat became more intense.
The very horror of death invited every
eye to the scene, and while men and
women shouted Historically, the guards
were almost pOwerless to keep the crowd
from the danger.
As fretrap the cold storage warehouse
could not have been more perfectly con-
structed. 1t was go feet long and 80 feet
wide. 1t was made of wood and covered
with staff, a sort of stucco. The main
body of the building was five stories high
and in the center rose the smokestack, In
the shape of a cupola. 200 feet high. It's
base was about 80 feet square, and 90 feet
up there was balcony from which rose
tower eliminating in the mouth of the
smokesJack, where the fire was first dis
covered. In the interior tower were
wooden beams and framework on which
staff was laid.
1t is supposed the framework around the
mouth of the chimney caught fire from
defect In the fue. At first it appeared an
insignificant affair, but knowing the inflam-
able nature of the structure, Fire Marshal
Murphy called all the companies out. With
about forty of his men Captain Fitzpatrick
climbed the ladders inside the tower to the
balcony and from there ropes we're lowered
to haul up the hose. One had been hauled
MP when the wind caused the flames to
break out in an alarming manner about
len feet from the top of the cupola:
Meantime the fire had eaten Its way
down the inside of the structure and the
ali unconscious 6remen were standing on
the she'll of a burning volcano. The fire
had been burning scarcely twenty minutes.
when. suddenly the flames burst out
around The base of the balcony in perfect
fury.
80 terrible was the spectacle that for a
moment the crowds stood transfxed with
horror. all alike poweress to aid the un-
fortunate men imprisoned on the balcony
150 feet from the ground.
All the ropes hanging from the tower
were rapidly burned away. One hose
withstood the heat, however, and John
Davis caught hold OF it and slid down to
the main roof. where he tainted. His face
aud hands were terribly burned by the
flames W which enveIoped him as he came
down. He was taken to the hospital, and
physicians say he will recover
Two of his fellow-fremen attempted to
follow him, but before they were half way
down, the hose gave way and they dropped
into the seething mass of fire and were
lost Another man started down portion
OF rope hanging from the tower. but it
gayeway and he fell. striking on his head
and was instantly killed.
There now remained, according to the
count OF various spectators, from twenty
nVe 10 thirty men on the tower. They were
hopelessly beyond human help, the longest
LADDER ialllng short by full thirty feet. at
this terrible moment Captain Fltzpatrick's
tail form appeared in front'of the men
who were huddle1 topethar an tho norro,u