Omaha daily bee., 1893-06-04
CRUSHED TO DEATH
TcoyrryuRp prom FIRST PACE. |

OF uuOy, n
Next to Fireman Morris was q stranger in
town who gave his name as dim Connolly,
and his residence as Scranton, Pa. Connolly
was merely spectator and was standing at
the front OF the wall inside the fire lines
when the building fellJ He was taken out OF
the ruins and conveyed to the jail in the Inn
provised ambulance Connolly was conscious
while his wounus were being dressed but
after this he sunk into sleep and 1T is
doubtful IL he will recover
G. @. Ellingham, driver for Second As
sistant Chief Barnes, was struck on the head
by falling bricks and broken glass and will
be laid up for some time. He was taken to
police headquarters and his injuries dressed
by the city physician.
George Coulter, the superintendent OF the
fire and police alarm service, was the fourth
man brought In Coulter had been caught
in the falling walls in the front of Ed
Maurer's building and was completely
buried in the ruins. A rumour was imme-
diately spread that MIR. Coulter was, dead
and the -. firemen went to work
with will and dug their comrade
out. When Coulter arrived at the Jail
he was examined by DIR. Lee and others and
the opinion was expressed that the patient
would live, as the injuries consisted mostly
of bruises on the head and body. Up to
o'clock this morning Mr., Coulter was uncon-
scious, but the doctors in attendance claim
that he will pull through.
The police at headquarters did everything
In their power TO aid the physicians in their
care of the injured men,
Operator Hengen's Experience.
James Hengen one Of the operators in the
fire and police alarm gives graphic des-
| cription of the manner IN which the brave
| firemen met their death. He was an eye
| witness and at the same time had a very
| narrow escape himself.
Hengen had Just been relieved by the
| night operator as the alarm was turned in
| and he at once started for the fire. For
| few minutes he stood around watching the
| progress of the flames and then walked to
the rear end of the Merchants National
bank and up the alley to the back end of the
| Shiverck building At that time the flames
| were just breaking through the roof and
| moment later they were reaching toward the
sky. Just then a squad of fremen were
| ordered up the alley to play stream upon
the walls of the burning building and in
order to secure better position the men
climbed to the roof of the Maurer building,
where they stood for some time.
| Hengen was standing upon the roof of the
| Maurer building, watching the progress of
| the flames as they crept from floor to floor.
| Without warming, the top of the brick wall
| commenced to sway and topple. Hengen
| called to the firemen and started to run, but
had moved scarcely dozen feet before the
| brick and mortar came tumbling down and
| buried the men beneath the ruins. The
| young operator was struck by the brick and
| debris, knocked down and buried, but by q
| fortunate accident his coat caught on a
beam, which held him suspended in midair,
where he hung until he rescued himself and
slid down telephone pole, reaching the
| ground in safety, with the exception of a
| few scratches and slight bruises. When
the crash came Captain Cox was close to the
| wall of the falling building, directing his men
and telling them where they could do the
most effective service.
Mayor Bemis' Words and Deeds.
Immediately after the general alarm was
turned in Mayor Bemis went out into the
| a1
| offering words of encouragement to the fire.
men. When he learned that some of the
men were injured heawent to the station,
where he remained until the last wounded
man was brought in, and cared for, assisting
in washing the injured men and holding
bandages. After that he returned to the
scene Of the fire, wherei pick in hand, he
burrowed into the debris, helping to find tho
bodies or the DEAD. atL a. ~.
--t Cherished Hopes Blasted.
The fatalities Of the conlagration were
attended by some exceptionally pathetic in
cidents. Pipemen Ouray of No. Z, who was
killed by the falling of the rear wall of the
Shiverlck building, was engaged to be mar
Wednesday of this week. Instead of being
| happy bride the girl of his choice will be q
mourner on her wedding day.
Dan Morris, another member of the
rs, who fell with ouray, had only been
at work for day or two after a three
weeks vacation. His 2-year-old boy had
been very sick and his death was hourly
expected Morris took lay-of to watch at
his bedside and the little sufferer had been
nursed back to health Morris had arranged
to send the wife and child out into the
country tomorrow, and yesterday several
times expressed his gratitude that his boy
had been spared 10 him and was hoping that
the trip into the country would complete his
restoration to health.
Rescuing Co.nrade.
Prominent among the instances of personal
bravery noticed during the fire was the dar-
ing effort which eliminated in the rescue of
George Coulter from the ruins of the Maurer
building, where he had been buried under
tons weight of debris He was lying little
back from the west door Of the restaurant,
and the front wall of the building had been
partly overturned and overhung the en-
trance. 1t was liable to fall at any moment,
but Notwithstanding the imminent danger,
half dozen fremen sprang forward to free
him.
They were digging away at the debris at
the base of the wall and at every stroke OF
the axes the danger of being buried under
it's ruins increased. But they did not hesi-
tate. 1t required nearly an hour to get him
free and the firemen worked like Troans
seemingly unmindful of the fact that each
moment might be their last. Toward the
last the wall trembled and it seemed that
the fall could be delayed but moment
longer. Citizens who were standing near
implored the tiremen to come away before
| the catastrophe occurred, Dut they refused
to listen. One of them shouted that they
would never leave their comrade to perish
and the others bent with added energy to
thei~ work. Five minutes after they fell
back but they carried Coulter with them and
the spectators who had been almost holding
their breath as the men worked in the face
of horrible death could hardly repress a
| cheer of exultation Notwithstanding the
| burden the fremen bore
Sparks from the Runs.
just before the west wall of the ShivericH
building fell there were six walters and bar
tenders at work in Ed Maurer's restaurant
all unconscious of the terrible fate that
menaced them. "Spud". Parrish, secretary
of the chief of the fire department was
standing in front of the building and saw
the wall begin to tremble'i He dashed into
| the building and exhofted the walters to fly
for their lives. Theylobeged and had only
, | made their exit when the Maurer building
. | was buried under mahx OF brick and tim
/ | ber Mr.. Parrish wassthe last to leave and
a narrowly escaped losing his life in his efforts
v to save the OF tcIpantsnf fhe building.
When the new Halo mater tower on its
trucks was brought rapihiy down Farnam
street it was hailed with a chorus of deafen
: ing cheers. 1T was the first time the tower
1 | had been brought out to fire. Everybody