Huntsville gazette., 1893-07-15
HUNTSVIL ALA. SATURDAY, JULY 15 1898

| five feet of framework which sur
rounded the cast-iron shaft that pierced
the tower below the men. Quick as a
flash, like band Of molten gold, flames
burst through the square. The gold
letters, Hercules Ice, Skating Rink
and Cold Storage Warehouse" were in
the center of the tower, and around
them the flames circulated and raised
to mock and torture the poor wretches
to whom the eyes of thousands were
turned. In a few seconds the impris-
oned ones felt the fire coming, and with
one impulse of self-preservation, the
men moved quickly 10 where the ropes
were attached at the northwest cor
| ner.
| They could not look down and see
the flames because of the projecting
cornices but they knew where the
ropes were. There they stood, hud-
died together, some without their
coats, others hatless, and all preparing
to save themselves if they could The
man nearest the rope grasped it and
| descended. But for 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.
A great cry of anguish and fear came
| up from thousands on the ground
where the first of those awful leaps
could be seen. Strong men wept and
became hysterical.
| But worse was to follow. No sooner
had one man struck the roof than an
other leaped from the tower before the
Mortified gaze of the spectators His
body kept straight feet-down. until
near the roof when he turned somer-
sault, and second cry of horror came
| from thousands of throats. The two
ropes on the north side of the tower
| where the doomed men were huddled
were almost useless for the saving of
| life, yet for the first possession
| of the corner at least ten
men fought as savage beasts.
They only prolonged their conscious
ness of life. for all were doomed to die;
yet they struggled to catch at any
| thing which seemed to hold chance
| to live. One by one they dropped from
| the burning tower, some clinging to
the burning rope as far as it afforded
them any hold, and then shooting
| through a solid sheet of flame to the
roof.
The sight was too much for the milf
! tary men who behe1d the scene from
| the ground to bear without a shudder
and turning away of faces Human
forms leaping through flames 100 feet
or more, down, down to sure death,
presented a sight the stoniest heart
could not witness unmoved.
| The last man on the tower died the
| hero's death among all those heroes
who faced the furnace below. He had
waited without apparent fear until
there was only himself left, like Casa
blanca who stood on the burning deck.
He was fireman and he grasped the
remnant of burning rope just as the
whole tower structure parted diago-
nally and fell towards the north, right
over the pro strate bodies of the poor
fellows who had leaped to escape the
pitiless flames. The last man who
went down to death with the tower
keep feet downward as far as the rope
went and then the rush of flames and
air was so great that his body was
turned round and round in the pas
sage within sight of all and the blaz-
ing tower fell over his form making a
funeral pyre and ending his agony, if
he was not dead before striking the
roof.
When the tower toppled over there
was no hope of saving any who had
not been taken off the roof The
bodies on striking had become inn
bedded nearly three feet in the gravel
and tar between the wooden joists, and
only few could be taken to place of
safety before the great central tower
crashed over.
The most sublime deed of heroism
was performed by three fremen in an
attempt to save the life of their SUI
perior officer whom they loved, Capt.
Jan Fitzpatrick, the assistant fire chief
at the fair. He was on the roof when
the tower fell over without, warming and
his leg was broken, being crushed by
falling timbers. Being on the east
side of the roof, he thought he was in
no immediate danger as truck ladder
was close to the edge ready for any
emergency. The captain crawled to
the edge of the roof already on fire
and held out his hands in mute ap-
peal for help. The hand which is now
stilled in death was seen by Capt. Ken
nedy, of-hook and ladder No. 5. He
and two Of his men climbed up the
ladder, fighting their way through the
flames which burst through the
whole east side and from the
roof, while three streams of water
were turned on the brave men to keep
their clothing from catching fire.
The fiery gauntlet was run to the top.
Capt. Kennedy climbed over into what
seemed bed of flame, but he reap
peared in few seconds with the body
of Capt. Fitzpatrick. A rope was fas-
tened about the unconscious and dying
captains body, and with difficulty he
was lowered to the ground, enveloped
in flames, hurled partly back by
streams of water. The noble rescue,
+ l,