The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-07-17
DRIVEN TO DEATH.
Terrible Charge Against Chicago's
Fire Marshal-That Cold
Storage Fire. q

CHICAGO. July II. 1S93-John s. Skin
ner, President of the Hercules Iron
Works, the company owning the cold
storage building burned last Monday,
lays the blame for the terrible loss of life
upon Assistant Fire Marshal Murphy.
He insists that blunder was made in
the face of repeated warnings from en-
ployees ip the building. Captain Fitz-
patrick was with Marshal Murphy. The
men. Mr.. Skinner declares, would not
listen to the admonitions of men who
knew the structure and the danger of
On ascent to the tower.
There is one side of this fire case that
has not yet been told, said Mr.. Skinner,
yesterday. Il suppose it will all come
ont before the coroner if the case is gone
fully into, and the coroner keeps his
promise taat he will go to the bottom of
the affair.
"Tnere is absolutely no excuse for the
loss of a single life. The firemen were
informed by our employees that there was
fire below before they went up into the
tower. They were begged not to go up
and the danger was pointed out in ad-
vance when there was plenty of time to
order down such as were already up.
POSITIVE TESTIMONY.
Among those who warned the men,
and who ls ready to testify to the fact, is
Walter M. Donaldson. the office manager
of the business part, of the storage and
ice department. He went into the tower
and fully informed himself of the state
of the fire before the iremen arrived.
Donaldson, who had been here during
nearly the whole period of construc-
tiou, was familiar with the build
ing and was in every way competent
TO act as q guide TO the fire
fighters. He could not have been mis-
taken for an outsider either. AS soon as
the fjremeu arrived, he hunted up Captain
Fitzpatrick, and found him on the rink
floor with his men, some of whom were
armed wirh axes. He asked the Captain
to cHop a hole below, and turn the hose
on the fire in the lower part of the tower.
He emphasized and repeated his state
ment that the bottom was the place to
fight the fire. To these directions and
entreatles Captain Fitzpatrick ans
wered:--
'"You 80 to-I am running this
thing He "ss trying at the time to
carry three leads OF hose up at once. and
was not making headwAy. Notwith.
standing his reoutf, Donaldson, appre.
cisting the situation aud the necessity
for greater haste, begged him to get up
one."
Captain Fitzpatrick answered he would
A TERRIBLE CHARGE.
IA. j. Branch." continued Mr.. Skin
ner, In response to request for the
names OF the other witnesses. lone OF
our men, also asked Captain Fitz patrick
to work on the base of the tower and
fight the fire. which was already there
The Captain for an answer fe' ched him
back-hand blow with the fl at of his
hand which knocked him eight or ter
feet.
'Mr. Alsip. the architect, was the one
who also advised the men of the danger
aud told them the fire was below, before
they went I'D. and begged rhem not to as
cend Marshal Murphy stood there, and
10 spite of this Information actually drove
his men TO their deaths. Upon the in
formation we had given them some o
the firemen hesitated aud demurred
The Marshol was heard to shout 10 them
by least Two Cf our people,-'Get up
you D. cowardS.'
HE drove them to their deaths. Their,
Is no question abbu it. We are prepared
to prove it and it must all come out a
the inqu esr. AS soon as l heard tn,
statement Of our men right after the fire
/ went i'm mediately over to Mr.. Higiu-
bothan's Office aud told MIN what state
here"