The evening world., 1894-07-25
last EDITION.
P'R'F FIERY N RUINS.
Three Firemen and Over Two
Hundred Horses Perish
in Washington.
TWELVE BUILDINGS BURNED.
Blaze Started in the Knox
Stables and Spread to Many
Dwelling Houses.
FIVE MEN BADLY INJURED.
Brave Fire.Fighters and Policemen
Overcome by the Intense
Heat.
FIVE MEN BADLY INJURED.
(By Associated Press.)

WASHINGTON, July 25.-Clanging
bells. roaring flames, rushing engines.
crashing walls, agonizing shrieks of
horses that were perishing in the fiery
furnace--such was the scene that was
presented to eye and ear at Knoxs sta
bles at B and Second streets, and the
other buildings in that block fell prey
10 the destructive element early this
morning.
Not since the big fire in the Patent
Office. many years ago, has the Fire De-
partment Of the District had to cope
with SO fierce a conhagration. Worst Of
all was the fate of Ave brave firemen.
who were crushed under the falling
walls. Four men were injured by falling
walls and timbers and these were
promptly removed to the Emergency
Hospital for treatment. Three of the
fremen lost their lives.
over 300 heavy draught horses. nearly
all Of the Company's express wagons
and the contents Of the large storage
building were burned. The Adams EX-
press Company's stables, adjoining the
Knox Building to the north, were almost
entirely consumed. About l50 horses
were in the Adams Express Company's
stables. but all were taken out by the
hardest kind of work on the part Of citi-
zens and policemen.
Eight two-story houses in the alley
north OF the Knox Building and two
small frame houses back OF the Adams
stables were destroyed. Six or eight
other residence houses were more or less
damaged. Mitchells blacksmith shop,
in Second street, was crushed by falling
walls. The total loss will exceed a quar-
ter Of q million dollars. The bodies OF
the following named, all firemen of No.
Company, have been recove. ii:
SAMUEL E. MASTIN.
MICHAEL FENTON.
DENNIS DONOHUE.
One of the Knox stable employees was
burned and may die. Fully a dozen
tirement and policemen were overcome
by heat and had to be carried to
places of safety.
The injured are:
J. G. WILSON. SIS Eleventh street.
southeast. broken leg.
nue., southwest. spralned back, seriously
injured,
LEE BELL. 1902 street. northwest,
burned IGr about bands and face; ,aosr
EpWARD cAHILL. citizen. shoulder
broken.
AS the fire ragged persons could not
pass OH b or Second street for the In
tense heat. The firemen were obliged to
throw water on each other repeatedly
ing distance OF the buildings. The men
who had to hold lines of hose on the Il
street front of the Knox Building were
So o eT to ae e on to Their se So
full was the heat. Policemen, who had
to help drag the hose about, were
obliged to remove their outer clothing
and to be frequently drenched with wa
About ten minutes before three a por'
ton of the wall Of the rear OF ths
S50Td Sc! up Ths e. 5sRToa aTi
pany No. / and several men Of other
companies had been caught inside OF
the building. Flames were all about
them. They could not escape without
Fire Chief Paris rushed to the rescue
Half dozen lines. OF hose were turne'
upon the burning mass which nc nri na'
cooled slightly twenty iiremen and a
many policemen rushed into the build
Ing. 1t was an awful risk. The wall
of the Knox Building were tottering
At any moment they might fall an
crush the smaller Adams Building unde
u
from what was thought to be a dealt
Pit; In their arms they dragsed, NJ tn h
had been hurt by falling bricks. an
subjected to such heat that they wer
almost baked alive. Their compnratiyel
uninjured comrades were also scorche
and singed. All were dragged back t
the opposite sidewalk.
Two minutes after the party came on
the upper floors Of the Knox Buildin
sank; the walls trembled, then fell wit
a crash. The scene OF ruin and dc
struction was indescribabl The chsrre
flesh of the brave firemen who lost thei
lives, the burning carcasses OF horses, III
ashes and smouldering remains OF tn
entire household effects OF many fam
lies, the silverware and valuable pi,
ures OF others, and the sealski3s an
Winter garments OF many ladies' {
fashion,. and the ruins OF the building
were mingled in a mass OF debris.
With the fall Of the walls the tre wa
practically under control. but the hct
y (CSntiaued on Second Pegs.)