The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-07-18
Fire Marshal Murphy Wanted to Show of Be-
fore the Gazing Multitude and Forced
the Men to Climb the Fatal Tower.
Evidence at the Coroner's Inquest
Amounts to q Terrible Indictment.
Educational Congress This Week Attracting
Wide Attention-Flight bit of HOming Pigeons
Programme at Woman's Building.
DECAYING HUMAN FLESH.


Firemen Detect the Odor In tho Debris of
the worIn's Fair Fire Ruins.
Special to the Indianapolis Journai.
WORLDS FAIR GROUNDS, CHICAGO. July
1.-THE quantities of fresh meat and pro-
visions in the cold-storsge building at the
time OF the fire are. of course. responsible
for much of the Odor since decomposition
has set in. but among the wOrkmen around
the debris are many who assert that there
is also perceptible that frigntfully peculiar
stencil that only arises from the decaying
of human bodies.
President Skinner. Of the Hercules iron
works. owners of the burned cOld-storage
building, says that Assistants Fire Marshal
Murphy Is to blame for the terrible loss of
life. He says that Walter Dona ldson, his
business manager. told Captain Fitzpat-
rick that the blaze was in the bottom
OF the tower shaft, but was lmpolitely
told TO go TO warmer climate.
When Chief Murphy ordered the firemen
of the danger, and several of the men held
back until. with q round of oaths. MUIR
phy drove them to certain death By calling
them towards. A. j. Brand. an employe of
the Hercules company. begged Captain
Fitzpatrick TO cut through the bottom of
the shaft and attack the fire. but was
struck in the face and knocked down
by Fitzpatrick. Skinner says IT was
thirty-eight minutes after the alarm had
been sounded before a drop of water was
thrown on the building. owing 10 the bull.
hesdedpess of the firemen. who insisted
sending mp three lines of hose aS once
when one was desperately needed. Con.
cluding. Mr.. Skinner says:
'NurDhy's persistence in sending mon TO
the top OF q smokestack 22O feet high 10
put out q tire at the bottom, forcing his
men up In the face of repeated warnings of
peril, leads me TO believe that Murphy and
Fitzpatrick. seeing that they had forty
thousand spec tators to show off to. wanted
to make great display Of the Chicago fire
department As lt was. many who saw 1t
all have said that it was the wOrst-man-
aged fire they ever witnessed. Had they
not persisted In trying To make u seDsa-
tional display every life might have been
saved and our property not destroyed"
Murphy has ell along claimed the credit
for the rescue of Captain Fitzpatrick from
the roof, but Chief ) Swenie says that Barker
and Miller performed that oct of heroism.
Murphy denies this, but refuses to talk
concerning Skinner's charges.
At the afternoon bearing of the inquest
to-day danes Anderson, the constructing
carpen ter employed under the architect az
the coid-storage building. testified that
the tower and had his attention called to
the tiro in the base below the fifth floor.
He pulled board Oft and saw the inside
was on fire. He asked some passing fire.
men to put stream there. but was
answered with q query of "who In -- he
was" j. ID. Alsup. supervisor under archi-
tect +. Fl. Bnrnham said he was on the skat-
ing rink floor when the fire broke out and
when some EN- ployes started to 90 up the
tower he ordered them not to do so. He
also called to the firemen not to venture
into the tower. but was not needed. n. n.
Donaldson, business manager Of the
Hercules iron works. said:
1--WE had just gained the roof when the
fire department. arrived. Fire Marshal
Murphy and Captain Fitzpatrick came up.
i told Fitzpatrick that l thought burning
embers were falling down the inside of the
sir shaft and would set fire to the building
from top to bottom. / said to
Fitzpatrick: If you will put q
hole through the air shaft and insert q
hose. all these frebrands that are drop
ping down will be drowned out and the
building saved He told me 10 40 to -
that they were putting out the fire. Soon
the fire broke out below W here the men
were. From all | know about il after |
left no ladder or other means of escape
was put MP. If remember rightly the ex-
tension ladder was the first on the grounds
and the last to be used"