Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-04-19

The burning roof had fallen on them,
and they were roasted to death, If they
had not been killed outright in that
terrible plunge from the roof.
A cry of horror went up from the
firemen who saw the awful catastrophe.
The memb rs of the insurance patrol
were covering up the seats in the par
quet of the theater, when suddenly a
light was seen through the roof above.
The men in the thea.er ran back just
in time, and the next moment the roof
fell into the parquet of the theater.
Several of the men in the theater
were caught by the falling timbers.
The scene that followed is never to
be forgotten by those who witnessed it.
For a moment all was dark, then sud-
denly tremendous sheet OF flame shot
up and with it came the cries of the
firemen who had fallen through the
roof to the theater below. One man
was heard to cry: My God, help me.
am roasting to death"
The men were bnried under the
blazing roof, and there seemed to be
little hope that any would come out
alive, II indeed they had not been
killed by the terrible fall.
An Appalling Sight.
The awful fate which overlook the
firemen was the more appalling because
it was entirely unexpected. No one
dreamed that there was the least dan
ger of the roof giving way. One in
slant the crowds OF excited spectators
saw the firemen standing on the roof
pouring water on adjoining buildings
and then they slowly sank out of sight.
There was q groaning Of timbers, a
ad hn hA
first floor, and the flames shot up along
the shattered walls with deadly fury.
Occurring at the early hour of 5
o'clock, in the midst Of a driving storm
of rain and sleet, the accident was in
vested with more than ordinary hor-
rors. The fremen had gone to the
roof for the purpose of directing the
leads of hose to adjoining buildings as
we'll as to saturate the roof of the thea
ter. Nobody believed the building
was In danger. But the flames had
eaten upward and undermined the roof
supports, and not until the structure
began to sink beneath their feet did
the firemen know the danger that
threatened them.
Then there was no escape. Before
they could even shout an alarm the
roof had gone down. The men fell
fifty feet and were either killed by the
fall or crushed to death by the shower
OF bricks and stone which followed
them. The immense load OF debris
had the effect OF sitting the flames at
first, but they burst out anew and
mounted higher than ever. The walls
of the building remained standing and
made the work Of rescue extremely
difBcult-
A look into the entrance Of the
theater was appalling. The stage and
auditorium were buried beneath piles
of debris from the falling roof, over
which flames swiftly ran and crackled.
Peering through the smoke the
rescuers could see q heap covered with
an oilskin coat lying here and there,
half hidden by the bricks and plaster.
Those heaps we're the bodies OF the
firemen, whether alive or dead the
rescuing party could not tell. A fire.
mans helmet, an ak and piece OF hose
could also be seen in the ruins.
Several Firemen Rescued.
There was trouble in getting water
on the fire, which now rapidly made its
way through the theater and scenery.
The water was finally turned on, and
several Of the firemen who had fallen
nearest the front door OF the lobby
were dragged from the burning debris
and carried out more or less injured.
The men were removed to the saloon
across the street and their wounds