The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1893-07-15
A SCORE PERISHED.
TWENTY DEAD OR MISSING
FROM WORLDS FAIR FIRE.

jured in the Falling Building-The
Unfortunate Men. Hemmed In by
Fire, Jump to Certain Death-Thou-
sands of Exposition Visitors Wit
hess the Horrible Spectacle.
WORLDS FAIR GROUNDS, July 10.--
Twenty men dead or missing and 25
others injured is the result of the fire
in the cold storage warehouse at the
worlds fair grounds. The building,
which was situated near the Sixty
fourth street entrance TO the exposition
grounds, was a fiimsily constructed
affair and burned rapidly. The full ex-
tant of the death wrought may never
be known as the building collapsed to-
tally in SO short time after the fire
started that many people who entered
the building hoping to render aid be-
fore the peril under which they were
placing themselves was realized, were
caught like rats in trap and went un-
announced to their doom. 1t is said
that but four Columbian guards are
missing, but there are many vacancies
in the different companies scattered
about the grounds and the captains,
while refusing to commit themselves,
fear that their men have been Gre
mated. The following is list of those
who met death and the missing:
Killed.
CAPTAIN JAMES FITZPATRICK, acting
chief, Co umbian fire department.
JOHN MCBRIDE, driver
WILLIAM DENNING, truckman.
LIEUTENANT MOLTER, truckman.
UNKNOWN MAN, initials on belt w. H.
Missing.
CAPTAIN GARvEY, Company No. /.
CAPTAIN PAGE, Company No.3.
LIEUTENANT pURVIS, Company No. l.
PHIL BREEN, Company No. s.
LIEUTENANT FREEMAN, Company No. l.
JOHN SMITH, Company No2.
PAUL Schroeder. Company No. 8.
JOHN CAHIII, Company No. 8.
SERGEANT DONALDSON, Columbian
guard.
II. STRAND, Columbian guard.
FOUR COLUMBIAN GUARDS.
HENRY GEDUTDlG. foreman Of painters.
The fire was apparent only in the OBJ
the great main roof made the work of
the tirsmen hazardous and slow. The
hremen at ice went out on the roof
and hastened up the hose with ropes to
the far story of the tower on the east
and south sides. Others rushed up the
spiral stairway to the landing next the
blazing top and lowered ropes on three
sides for the men below to attach the
hose to. Until this time the fire re-
sembled the flaming mouth of
A Small Blast Furnace
and there seemed to be no danger men,
acing those brave men working in the
air. Without a thought of the fate
which was so soon to overtake them
the 30 odd men outside the towers were
at work on the east and south sides.
All this time the flames were burning
through the larger section of the tower
beneath them. The first intimation of
danger came to the victims when the
smoke appeared under them and as the
wind blew into their faces they retired
in an orderly body to the north side Of
the tower. 1t seemed Bs if the victims
changed position because they feared
hame3 would soon follow the smoke
which they saw. The flames had been
devouring five feet of framework which
surrounds the cast iron shaft that
pierced the tower below the men.
Quick as flash, like a band of motion
gold, flames burst through the square
tower just underneath the i'm prisoned
men on all sides. Soon the imprisoned
men
Felt the ScOrching Fire
coming and with one impulse of self
preservation moved quickly to where
the ropes were attached at the
northwest corner. They could not
look down and see the flames because
of the projecting cornice, but they
knew where the ropes were. There
they stood huddled together, some
without their coats, others hatless, and
all preparing to save themselves if they
could. The man first to the rope
grasped it and descended, but only
dozen feet. The flames had no mercy,
the rope was burned in two and with
feet downward the first victim shot
through the air to the main roof. He
turned partly over before he struck
and bounded up before lying still as if
dead. A great cry of anguish and fear
came up from thousands on the ground.
Fighting for Life.
No sooner had the first man struck
the roof than anOthar leaned from tho