The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-09-18
Morgue

WAsHrsoroS, D. O., Sept 1.-THE
most fatal tire Of recent years in Wash.
iugton was the burning Of the mattress
factory Of stumph & Brothers to-day.
Five bodies arc at the morrue,
eharred and crushed beyond recogni.
don, four injured men arc at the Emer-
sency Hospital, oueof whom will die,
ind there may bo others buried under
tbe ruins, as several Of the workmcn are
uraccounted for.
Two Of the dead at the morgue are
now known 70 be William q. Tenny.
son. an old man employed in the fac.
tory, and Willie Asho, q boy Of thirteen
Others who are missing arc Henry
Fowler, Phillip Ackerman, Robert
Reitsel and an old man who had been
employed In the factory but a few days
no aud whose name Is not remembered
|by bis employers.
Those at the hospital are: James K.
Vaughn, q clerk, injured internally,
will probably die; A. ]. Haske. both
legs broken, may die; Arthur Q, Bevins,
internal injuries and fractured wrist;
Harry Bacon, internal injuries.
The factory, which Is owned by Claude
N. and Edward B. stumph, stood at
tbe intersection Of Seventh and "K"
streets and Massachusetts avenue, q
dye-story structure with thin brick
walls, windows only at back and front
and no fire escapes. II was stored with
feathers, shayings aud other inaamma-
be materials and twenty-five persons
were at work In H. elk Of whom were
young women.
HOW IT OCCURRED.
Fifteen minutes before noon FIRE was
discovered in the picking room at tho
ront Of the second floor. Almost be-
ore the alarm could be given to the
sorkmeu, It had spread through tho
second story and burst up tho elevator
Ehatt There was delay in turning In
hn alarm on account Of the panic.
The escape OF thoso on the upper
tloors was cut of. They stood In tho
windows shouting for help, while hun
treds on the streets, unable 10 gtve
khem assistance, yelled to them to wait
for the hook and ladder. Three men
vere seen on the roof, two OF them ges-
tIculating franticallY, while the other
heaned calmly against chimney, walt
6ng. Policeman Phil Brown found o
ladder and with tho help OF two stall
vart men dragged a mattress to the
rooi Of blacksmith shop be-
heath tho caves Of tho factory. Whilo
these preparations were under way,
.liuske Jumped from tho roof, whirling
lover and over In the air and striking on
Ibis aide, Boyins jumped to tho roof
and was caught on tho mattress held
|by Policeman Brown and Others.
Vaughn leaped headlong, SO that In tho
force Of his fall he tore through tho
mattress aa though II had been
blanket, Bacon jumped from q third
story window and landed on his stomach
scross a barrel twenty-five feet below.
Other men clung to narrow projections
outside tho windows until pile OF
mattresses had been heaped on the side
walk. and jumped OF without sustain
ing severe injuries.
Twenty minutes after the fro had
been discovered the east wall iell,
crushing the blacksmith shop.
Palmet's oyster house and the Horse
aud Cattle Food Company's building.
A cloud OF burning feathers roso hum
dred ieot over tho building and drifting
down, set fire 70 several awnings In
front Of Seventh street stores, making
lively worl, for volunteer 1remen with
water pals. Shortly afterwards tho
other walls tottered and catno down,
crushing the two-story brick building
Of tho Woodruff Flo Holder Company:
George ]. Bennett's marble shop aud
Hall 4 Cammack's furniture store-a
frame building.
REcovRRrSo THE BODIES
Ono flremen aud several spectators
voro hurt by falling bricks, A general
alarm had called out tho whole lro de-
partmont, and the ruins had boon so
flooded that tho search for bodies was
begun at 2:30.
The flrst corpse was brought out on q
Itretcher at 8 o'clock, charred beyond
the semblanco 10 human being. With
In half an hour two others Ind been
bOcn found, aud q gang Of negroes were
set 10 work digging over tho ruins, Mt
. o'clock body was found In the oleva.
tor burned 10 pieces 90 that tho parts
had to be gathered in q blanket and
bundled into a wagon. Tho 9th body
was reached before o'clock.
Scenes at tho morguo whore men and
women collected to look for missing
relatives wero most distressing. Tho
hands and ieot wcro burned from oil
the dead, their features obliterated aud
clothing consumed. II was possible to
identify tho boy Willie Ashc by tho
size OF tho body and tho old man Tommy
son by his teeth. Itis doubtful whether
tho identity OF tho other bodies eau be
distinguished.
Tho cause Of tho fire is unknown.
Tho factory building was valued at sl5,'
0O0 and It's contonts at $4,000. Fifteen
thousand dollars insurance was carried
in several local companies.
The adjoining buildings, which wore
Crushed. woru OF small value, so that
$4,000 will probably cover the damage
10 thOm.