The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-07-11

tower to tue Daicony. and from there ropes
were lowered to haul up the hose.
Meantime tho fire had eaten its way
through the network of timbers inside
the structure, and unconscious Of their
danger the flremen were standing as It
were on the shell OF a burning volcano
The fire had been burning scarcely 20 min
utes and the flremen were pulling and
hauling at the ropes when suddenly the
flames burst out around the base OF the
cupola in
A Perfect He'll Of Fury.
So sudden and so furious was the out
break and SO terrible was the spectacle
that for the moment the crowd stood
transfixed with horror.
Strong men wrung their hands In a
hysterical manner aud scores OF women
tainted. All alike were powerless to aid
the unfortunate men imprisoned on the
balcony 100 from the ground. All the
ropes save one on the north side Of the
tower were burned away in an instant.
The hose from the chemical engine with
cd the heat, however, and springing
forward, John Davis caught hold Of IL
and slid down to the main roof OF the
warehouse, where he tainted away. His
face and hands were terribly burned.
Two Of his fellow firemen attempted to
follow him, but before they were half
way the hose gave way, and they Dropped
into the flames. The multitude below
gave utterance to a groan OF sickening
horror. Another Of the men started down
Iope on the nortn shic vi the tower,
snd had almost reached the roof when 1t
gave way, and he fell be was instantl-
silled
There now remained from 25 to 30 men
on the tower They were hopelessly be-
yond the reach Of help. The longest lad
der fell short of reaching them by full 80
feet Death of the most awful kind was
fast approaching At this terrible moment
Marshal Murphy appeared in front of the
men who were huddled together IN the
narrow balcony. He appeared to be ad.
dressing his brave followers. What he
said will probably never be known, for Of
all the men around him
None Escaped.
One Of them crept around the burning
balcony to the east and returned a moment
later with rope that had been left there.
In the excitement 1t was hastily fastened
20 the railing around the balcony and
thrown to the roof. One man seized 1t
and started to slide down, but ere he was
half way the flames rotted the rope and he
was swallowed in the mouth OF the awful
volcano. Another tried IL and met the
same fate.
One after another, five men sprang from
the balcony to the roof and were killed.
The rope was burned of about half way
down, and IL hung apparently useless
against portion of the wall not yet de-
stroyed.
A Gallant Rescue.
Seeing his men jump the marshal seized
the rope aud started down. A ladder had
been raised but was almost 20 feet from
the end Of the rope. He dropped and
caught on the end Of the ladder. Captain
Fitzpatrick was on the roof. He sprang
forward and WAS soon at the top Of the
ladder The captain started back with his
friend but was enveloped in flames. With
an energy of despair he clutched bis com
rade and slid down the ladder to the roof,
where he fell prostrated. Both Murphy and
Fitzpatrick were unconscious They were
led to the ground and taken to the hos
pital. and l. is doubtful IL either will re
cover.
Twenty-Five minutes only had elapsed
since the fire was discovered. but the en-.
tire tower was burned away, and it fell
with an awful crash, carrying with it sew.
eral firemen who were playing on the
flames with the hose from the roof There
was wild scramble to get off the roof
AS the firenien left the roof, one of them
picked up the mangled form Of one of the
unfortunates who had jumped from the
balcony and, carrying 1t to the edge of the
roof, dropped 1t to the ground, thus saving
it from cremation. AS yet the body has
not been identified, as the face was burned
black
Many of the unfortunate firemen who
lost their lives might have been saved had
the department been supplied with nets.
Seeing that it was hopeless task to at
tempt to save the building and, as all who
escaped alive had left the roof. the fire
men now directed their efforts to
Keep the Fire From Spreading.
The Worlds fair stables just south of
the war ehouse were burning. and the fire
had spread to the roofs of several hotels
across Stony Island avenue, just outside
the grounds With a good deal OF effort
the hotels were saved, but the stables wer.
burned to the ground.
In less than two hours from the time
the fire started, the big cold-storage ware
house was levelled to the ground, a smok
Ing ruin. 1t is doubtful il any of the
bodies will be recovered, so terrible was
the heat