New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-11-24
FROM THE WINDOW

| From TIE WINDOWS.
Detroit Mich. Nov. 93.--By the burning OF
tho 0,.a-storv irou-front brick building NO.
| l95 to o0o Jefferson-ave, occupied oy ru'o'
Moore g. Co. wholesale drygoods. TINS ai'e'-
moon seven employes lost their lives a "'e-
man was badly injured and the money loss WI,
each in the neighborhood Of SSo0.oDo Inc ocau
are as follows:
BAKER Daniel A.. clerk No $50 Cnton-avc.
DuNNING. Bradley A. 1T.
GENrUER. Edward entry clerk. single. twen'y-e'sh'
MARKry Patrick. ,h,rtytwo years old: had wife and
three children
| MCKAY. James.
! RIDER Henry. packer. No. 436 Theodore-s'.
vIOT. Edward ~. order clerk. No III 'a'ne'"e'''
The fire started between the fourth and fifth
noors at the rear Of the building. and spread
with frghtful rapidity. The great majority Oh
the emnloyes were at luncheon when the alarm
was given but there were eight or nine OF them
left on the upper floors. Those who were nrs'
on the scene saw that the whole upper hoors
were a mass Of flames. on the wndow-si Oh
the fourth window Of the fifth floor. fronuhg
on Rates-st. stood Bradley Dunning; two WIN
dows south of him stood James Mckay.
Don't jump: wait for the hook and ladder
shrieked the crowd.
/ Rut before the ladders could he raised the
flames rolled TO the window ledge where DUN
ming stood He bowed his head. grasped the
window ledge with his hands and then dropped
The people watching him had just time 'o
throw n bale Of jute beneath him. ana IL WAS
no sooner in place than Dunning struck 1t.
| He bounded up like n rubber BAN. ana 'heii
fell to the sidewalk limp and mangled.
He was taken to a nearby drug store. and
afterward to Harpcrs Hospital. where he
| abortly fter died from his injuries.
The fall of James Mckay followed in Few
| minutes When he appeared at the window ne
made no sign that he staring death In the
| face. For few moments he looked over the
people who appeared below as though WONDER
! ing what he might do To save his life lhere
were shouts from below. but he evidently could
not hear what was being said. After a short
| hesitation he threw his feet out OF the window
! and slid down until hc was holding with
| only one of his hands on the sill. He hung this
| way for several seconds before he released his
| hold. The blazing fire was bursting OUT ot the
window when the terrified man finally gave up
| all hopes OF saving himself and slipped from the
| window. He struck on the easement Of the sec
| ond window and partly turned over. This threw
him so far out from the window that part Of
| his body struck on the electric wires below.
| which partly turned him over again. He struck
! on the sidewalk within a few feet Of the build
ing Policemen fremen and spectators quickly
ran 10 him and he was carried 10 the ambu-
lance He was unconscious when picked up,
and 1t was thought that life was extinct He
| lived. however. for two hours after being re-
| moved TO hospital.
The awful spectacle OF McKay's and Dun
nings descent was hardly over when the bpec-
| tators saw another man creeping toward the up
| per window nearest the corner. He was evi-
IDENTIFY on his hands and knees. blinded and sur
| locating in the dense smoke. He reached the
| sill. laid one arm upon II. and. as he endeaVored
to shield his face from the fierce heat with his
| hand. tried to drag himself to open air just be
| yond He was too far spent. i sudden burst
| Of flame closed around him. and the horror
| stricken beholders his head drop. his arm
| drag slowly back and his body sink from View
| In the flames within.
| Meantime a general alarm had been turned
| in and nearly all the companies In the depart
ment Responded The corner II JeHerson-aVe.
and Rates-st was scene of intcnsc excitement.
| After the fire had beer got under contppl ana
| the excitement had somewhat subsidcd rumors
| OF still greater loss Of !ife became current Thr
| firm Immediately opened Il register NJ an ;.d-
iacent store and the ru.nors became ccrtaintics
| as employees who registered told stories OF their
narrow escapes and spoke positively oi the men
| they knew were the top loor when the fire
| broke out Edward l.. Ebert was one Of the
| freight receivers. working on the nith Moor of
| the building at the time the alarm was given.
| When he saw he had to run iOr his life there
| were still on this floor the following people
whom be noticed: Patrick Marley. Edward
| Gcnther Daniel Baker. Henry Rider and Ed
ward Niot. Eber. saws mat h" had hardly
| reached the floor below when the roof fell In,
and he is certain that the men could not have
| followed him down. The only other manner III
| which they could have escaped would have been
by jumping. They could not have jumped with
out attracting attention. Ebert also says he
| saw Genther at OF the windows of the
| nth floor He disappeared without making any
| sign and he supposed that he was going To find
Il way to get down That was the last seen OF
/ him.
Eddie Leach. the elevator boy ran his elevator
to the top Of the building to see II any OF the
| men wanted TO come down. He says that he
.aw the men mentioned by Ebert. He told them
| that they had better come down with him. and
| cried that there were no other means OF getting
| down He was very much excited and cannot
remember what they said But they would not
| come. as they feared that the elevator would
| give way.
william Burgess. pipeman of Engine Company
| No I. was severely cut by tin falling from the
| burning building.
1t is not known positively yet how the fire
| by an explosion. The building occupied by Ed
| son. Moore 4 Co. was owned by the es-
| tate OF Francis Aims. and was valued at sll2.-
| 900 There is $50 900 insurance It. Edison
| Moore & Co. estimate their loss at $500,
| OOO on which there Is an insurance Of between
| $500 900 and 100000.
| loss. The building on the east side OF Edison.
| Moore & CO. damaged to the extent
| Of $1,000. fully covered by insurance. 1t was
| occupied by Friedenborg Spcck. dealers In
| taors' trimmings. who place their loss at $685..
| 900: insurance. S25.0oo and BY the Merchants
| Hotel The hotel loss is 5000 and is insured
The buildings in the Of the burned
| drygoods house. Nos As to "a Batcs-st.. owned
| by the Bagley estate. were damaged about
s. 00o The occupants. however, suffer heavy
| loss from water The Detroit Lithograph
| Company places its loss at $4,000; insurance
$4,000: and jobs j. Ragley & Co, tobacco
manufacturers. lose s25Poo nearly covered by
| insurance.
| RCNAUaY SIEEDS IN CENTRAL PARK