Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-07-13

they dropped into the seething mass Of
fire and were lost Another started
down portion of rope hanging from
the tower but it gave way and he fell.
, striking on his head and was instantly
killed
There now remained, according to the
count or various spectators, twenty five
TO thirty men on the tower. They
We're hopelessly beyond human help.
the longest ladder failing to reach by
fully thirty feet.
AT this terrible moment Captain FItz-
patIack's tall form appeared in front OF
the men who were huddled together
on the narrow balcony. He seemed to
be addressing his brave followers. As
he ceased speaking one of the men
icrept around the burning balcony and
returned moment later with a rope.
1t was hastily fastened to the railing
around the balcony and thrown to the
roof
| fitzpatrick was seen to point to it
and the man started to slide down. but
ere he was half way the cruel flames
, rolled up and he was swallowed in
the awful volcano. Another tried it
and met the same fate
one after another five of the men at
this point sprang from the balcony to
the roof. If any survived the awful
leap they We're burned to death after
ward
The rope was burned off about half
way down, but Fitzpatrick, seeing the
men jumping to certain doom, seized
the strand and started down. He
dropped from the end of the rope and
caught on a ladder which was raised to-
within twenty feet of it. Fire Marshal
Murphy, who was on the roof, Sprang
IT,, forward and soon reached Fitzpatrick
A shout of admiration and encourage
ment went up. The heroic marshal
started back with his friend, but was
enveloped in the flames.
| With the energy OF despair he clutched
his cOmrade and slid down the ladder.
Both Murphy and Fitzpatrick We're I'M
conscious when picked up. The former,
however, is not seriously hurt, but
Fitzpatrick is not expected to survive
the night.
/ Scarcely twenty-five minutes had
elapsed since the fire was discovered,
but so rapidly had been its progress
that the entire tower had burned away
and fell with an awful crash, carving
with it the unfortunates who were
left in the balcony and several firemen
As the tiremen fed from the roof
one of them picked up the mangled
form Of one of the unfortunateS who
had jumped from the balcony and
; dropped it to the ground, thus saving
it from cremation.
/ Seeing it was a hopeless task to at
tempt to save the building, and as all
who escaped alive had left it, the re
naming iremen directed their efforts
, to keep the flames from spreading
further. They had already reached the
worlds fair stables, and the roofs of
several hotels across Stony Island
avenue outside the ground were on
fire. The hotels were saved with diff
Guilty, but the stables were destroyed.
In less than two hours after the fire
started the cold storage warehouse was
a smoking ruin. 1t is doubtful if any
of the bodies will ever be recovered,
so furious and terrific was the heat
! IL 40 ASpo1 CNu Wy SOluIllDidh
that number of women lost their
lives in the building The firemen dis
credit the story, but tonight a lady's
watch was found on body so badly
burned that it is impossible to tell
whether it is that of a man or woman.
! Mayor Harrison was almost over
come when he heard Of the calamity,
but said: well, this settles one thing;
the city of Chicago is going to assume
control over the fair buildings as far
as protecting life is concerned, and
at once-tomorrow morning. L will see
that all the buildings are carefully
inspected and wherever changes are
necessary for the safety Of the people
they must be made. These things must
be looked to and they will be if it takes
every police officer in Chicago 1t is d
little Late now, but the city will take
no more chances"
! A complete and accurate list Of the
dead is difficult to obtain and not even
the officers of the department will know
who all was lost until after roll call
tonight.
Work at the burned building is being
carried on in darkness owing to the
destruction of the electric light wires
Six bodies burned beyond recognition
were taken from the debris since s
, o'clock
The following is a list of the dead
and injured as far as known.
WILLIAM DAVIS, killed by jumping.
WILLIAM II. DEMING, terribly burn
ed and crushed by jumping.
PHILLIP BREEN, on cupola when it
! fell
JAMES GREEN, fell with cupola.
CAPTAIN e. PAGE, killed by jumping.
CAPT. JAMES A. CARNEY, burned
to death.
}, JOHN NrBRIDE, died in hospital from
. injuries.
CAPT. JAMES FITZPATRICK, died
in hospital.
JOHN CAHIIL, PAUL SCHROEDER,
LIEUT.. JOHN III. FREEMAN and
an unknown lineman buried in ruins.
FREEMAN, for years chief marshal
> of the Springfield, Ill, fire department
The following firemen are missing
and are undoubtedly dead:
G. II. BLAIZSBELL.
NJ. DIXON.
W. A. HUFF.
A. L. OTTO.
NJ. S. BONFTELD