Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1893-07-14
THE NEWS IN BRIEF.
Many Lives Lost.

uraye iremen caught III Death Trap
,n, worlds Fair Grounds in Chi
o.so and Nearly 40 Perish I'm the
Flames.
Tho cold storage warehouse at the
world, Fair grounds, five-story building
,,Sbv 30 feet, built of wood, was burned
Nonday afternoon, and nearly 40 men fell
..i,,in. I'D the fire, which for a time threat
onel the destruction of the entire white
citv The building contained a skating
INK and the exhibits of the Hercules iron
works and ice and refrigerating machine
manfacturers. A cupola about 200 feet
bigh rose from the top of the building.
l6out 50 feet from the base of this cupola
wss balcony from which square tower
,ose eliminating in the mouth of a smoke
stack which ran up through the tower. 1t
wos around the smoke stack near the top
that the fire was first discovered, and
tbourh apparently Insignificant Fire Mar
shal Murphy, in charge of the fire depart
ments on the grounds, sent in a call for
fine companies. With about 40 of his
men. he climbed to the balcony and low
ered ropes to haul up the hose. Only one
hose that of chemical engine, had been
bspled ND when the flames broke out in an
alarming manner about 10 feet from the
ton of the cupola. Meantime the fire had
eaten its way down through the network of
,imbers inside, and as the men were haul
inc At the ropes the flames suddenly broke
ont around the base of the cupola, and the
borror-stricken crowd below were powerless
10 help the men imprisoned on the balcony
1i0 feet from the ground. All the ropes
save one on the north side of the tower
were burned in an instant. The hose from
the chemical engines withstood the heat,
however, and John Davis caught hold of
# and slid down 90 feet to the main roof
of the warehouse, where he tainted. He
was terribly burned but it is thought not
fatally Two of his fellow firemen at
tempted to follow him, but, before they
were half way down, the hose gave way
and they dropped into the seething mass
of fire and were lost. Another started
down the rope on the north side of the
tower. but it gave way and he fell and was
killed. In all five or six men escaped by
the ropes. though fearfully burned or
crushed. The % or 80 men left were be-
yond reach of help, as the longest ladder
was 80 feet too short. Capt. Fitzpatrick
figure was seen on the balcony, as he stood
addressing the men huddled together;
then one man, finding rope which had
been overlooked, fastened it to the rail and
started down. Half way the flames swal-
lowed him up and he disappeared, another
met the same fate, and others, frenzied by
fear or heat, jumped to the roof below
only to be crushed. Capt. Fitzpatrick went
down the rope, then dropped 20 feet and
caught on a ladder, from which place he
was rescued by Marshal Murphy only to
die in the hospital. 1t is doubtful if Muir
ply RECEIVERS. The cupola fell with a
crash, carrying with it several more fire
men who we're on the roof. Many of the
fremen who lost their lives could have
been saved if the department had had
nets. The Worlds Fair stables were
burned, and several hotels near by were
saved with difficulty. Beside the men
who lost their lives, IL are seriously in
jured. Only one man escaped without Sc
rious injury. The loss exceeds $3.50, 900.
A few weeks ago Marshal Murphy inspect
ed the building and reported it to be ex-
tremely unsafe. On account of his report
it is said the insurance companies who had
taken risks on the structure Cancelled them,
so there was no insurance on it.
On Tuesday the inquest on the victims
of the fire began, and the scene at the
morgue was a horrible one. 1t is definite
" ascertained that but II firemen lost their
lives, but it is known that others than fire
men were among the victims; several Of
the Columbian guards are missing, and it
is known that they were upon the Inflated
building in some numbers, while there are
numerous instances of visitors to the fair
being missing, who are supposed to have
been in the house.