The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-07-13
THE FIRE AT THE FAIR.
Twelve Bodies Recovered from the
Ruins Thus Far.
0HARRED BEYOND RECOGNITION.

IL Is Believed, However, That There Are
Many Bodies Lying Beneath the Net
work of Pipes In tho Ruined Cold stor-
age Building.
CHICAGO, July 12-The dead by the fire
of Monday night are now known to be
twelve, while two sufferers are living in
the Emergency hospital gasping away the
few hours of life which are yet allotted to
them. The numbered dead include those
who died in the hospital from their inju-
ries and the unfOrtunates whose charred
and blackened trunks were taken from the
mass OF debris now adjoining the space
near the Sixty-fourth street entrance,
where on Monday stood a handsomely
whltewashed structure. The unknown
dead will probably never be known, but
efforts are being made. by the aid of pow
erful machinery to lift the network of
freezing pipes, allowing the fremen to
delve still deeper for the remains which, it
is conceded by all, are certainly wedged
below. The following list is explanatory
OF the fatalities thus far known
James Fitzpatrick, 81 years old, captain
Engine Company No. 2; John H. Freeman,
lieutenant Company No. 1: William Den
ming, Truck Company No. /; n. Hart
mann, lineman; Philip p Breen, Truck
Company No. s; Captain James A. Garvey.
Engine Company No. 1; John Mcbride,
pipeman, Engine Company No. 8; John
Cahill. Truck Company No 8; Paul Schro.
der, Truck Company No. s; Burton E.
Page, captain Truck Company No. 3;
Charles Purvis, lieutenant Engine Com
pany No. 4; John A. Smith, driver, Engine
company No. 4.
Fatally injured-L. J. Frank, Engine
Company No. l. expected to die today;
Sigmund Nordrum. Engine Company No.
q cannot live twelve hours.
The four Columbian Guards who were
reported in the list of missing have been
heard form.
At daylight yesterday Marshal King and
twenty laborers were ut work on the ruins
They used their implements well and by
o'clock three bodies were recovered from
the ruins, but they were so badly charged
and disfigured as to make recognition alb
solutely impossible. One thing seems
quite evident, however. and that is that
the bodies discovered are not the remains
OF firemen. The locality in which they
were found seems to preclude the posi-
bility. All the firemen who lost their lives
were huddled in the dreadful fire trap Mt
che top of the shaft, and their bodies fell
somewhere within the small circle sur
rounding the smokestack
IhoSe recovered yesterday were evil
IDENTIFY not the remains of any who jumped
or fell from the tower, because they were
found ut n somewhat remote distance from
this point, and under n mass of steam pine
AMI machinery that must have fallen from
above. That gives color to the fearful ap-
prehension that the firemen were by no
means the only ones who fell victims to
the flames, and the public is disposed to
doubt the declarations that employees and
visitors were out of the building before
the cOntiagratiOn had reached Il dangerous
stage.
The search work went on with but one
short intermission until shortly after 4
O'Clock, when one body was brought to
the surface. Like the others it was
charred beyond recognition. The ONLY
remnant of clothing left was patch of
linen the size of a hand, which chung to
the small of the back of the victim. At
O'Clock the picks of the workmen struck
on another body. 1t was found lust I'M
der the edge of the network of pipes, and
was eXtricated with difficulty The car
cass was broiled all to pieces, and as
Identification was out of the question, it
was taken TO the morgue
This makes the total number of bodies
recovered twelve. There are reports yet TO
be heard to the effect that Henry Geduldiy.
foreman of the painters in the Cold Store
age building is missing, together with u
carpenter John Campbell, but us many
others who We're thought to have been lost,
have turned up it is presumed that these
men have escaped.
Marshall Murphy is convinced that there
are more bodies in the ruins He said:
I'VE have accounted for the 1iremen and
lineman. but what of those carpenters
and painters? The joint was full of men
when went up there, and 1 noticed par
ticularly two men carrying little blast
stoves used in soldering. They, as was the
case with the carpenters, did not realize
the extent of the danger, and were stand
ing around"
In regard to the reports he had made on
the unsafe condition of the building. the
chief said guardedly: IL correspondent in
my official capacity with Mr.. Burnham,
director of the works. l have sent him
three letters in regard to the condition of
the building and have reported to him
after each one of the four fires. and recon-
mended that something be done at once to
prevent Il recurrence of the affair"
After the fire horror came the display of
practical human sympathy for the widows
and children of the brave men who died at
the post Of duty. Subscriptions and offers
of substantial help came in all day to
President Higinbotham, who sat at his
desk in his shirt sleeves saying little about
the calamity, but working hard. He acted
as trustee of the relief fund and reported
that the total amount of the subscription
fund amounts to Si,310, but it will not stop
there by any means. The spirit of aid for
the suffering families is abroad and every
body is anxious to contribute his or her
money.
The banner proposition came by letter to
President Higinbotham from Charles Il.
ferkes, the street railroad president and
a diractOr of fha fotr 10 ,,,..o.+ A..