River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-04-12
DEATH MID FLAMES.
Brave Milwaukee Firemen Plunged
Into Seething Furnace.
They Fall with the Blazing Roof OF the
Davidson Theater. and Nine of Them
Are Taken Out Dead "A
Thrilling Rescue.
BRAVE MEN PERISH.

BRAVE MEN PERISH.
MILWAUKEE. April Mime firemen
met a horrible death in a fire which de-
stroyed the Davidson theater on Third
street between 4 and 8 a. m. Monday.
The big stone building. which con-
tanned the finest playhouse in the
city and the Davidson hotel. was
burned to the ground In the
midst OF binding storm of rain and
sleet, and in the final crash of falling
roof and walls several companies of the
fire brigade were thrown from the top
story into the pit of the flaming fur
mace. The disaster is one Of the most
frightful that has befallen the city
since the Newhall house burned down,
when scores of lives were lost. The
Davidson block was one of the most
imposing in Milwaukee and the Pc
cuniary loss of the fire is estimated at
between $500, 900 and $3.50. 600.
The following is list of the dead:
Third Assistant Chief August Jansen. PCS
Eighth street; Frank McGurk, lieutenant
truck company No. and acting captain No a.
3e7 Park street; Fred Kroessehmuer. pipeman
chemical company No 2; Capt Archie Camp
bell, OF the freboat Foley, IL Twenty-seventh
street; Allie Ries company No g. killed by a
company No a. Frank Whine chemical No T.
found in balcony OF theater; Thomas Morgan,
engine company No l. John Farrell, chemical
No Q
Seven of the injured firemen were
taken to the Emergency hospital and
number of Others were removed to
their homes
Shortly after o'clock, when the fire
was seemingly under control, the
theater roof, on which a score or
more firemen stood as they fought the
flames, went down. and the brave men
were carried with ii to the floor
of the auditorium below. Some were
extricated from the furnace of flames,
in which the whole interior was now
enveloped, by their brave and more
fortunate comrades, who risked their
lives to drag out the prostraGe
forms of the dead and injured
men. Six or eight men were
soon brought out, and those who
were able to speak said there were ten
or more in the ruins. where living
death awaited them. For these poor
fellows there was no chance. 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.
The most thrilling experience of
all was that of John Crowley For
several hours he was pinned beneath
the ruins. suffering bodily torture, but
brave and self-possessed all the while.
From $50 o'clock until 1915 his COM
rades worked to liberate him. 1t was
- h. hnA H.. I'll - Al.
bremen thought he must be dead or I'M
conscious until one of the men heard a
faint sound Putting his ear down he
listened and then shouted: who's
down there?''
This is John Crowley" came the
faint reply. I'm alive, but for Gods
sake dom drown me. There are two men
dead beside me, and Tom Morgan OF
No. is one of them"
A cloud of hot smoke drove the men
back, and. flames bursting forth, II was
necessary to pour in more water. The
faint cries of.Crowley could be heard.
For Gods sake kill me in some other
way than by drowning. / can't stand
all that water I'm lying on my back"
But the fire was soon put out and
ulb1 AhCus ottCCldA dCbdAl w
Chief Foley, set to work TO rescue the
brave fellow Crowley grew weaker
and the men heard him say he could
not last much longer. Then came
a most dramatic incident Will
liam Crowley, brother, appeared
with Father Haven, Catholic
priest. The father bent down and
spoke to the imprisoned man. In re-
ply Crowley said that the water was
nearly over his head and fast rising.
and asked that the last sacrament of
tho church be given him, and there.
amid the steaming ruins, the dense
smoke and the charred timbers, the
priest administered the last sacrament,
and fifty men stood around with their
helmets off, all brothers, all comrades.
Catholic and non-Catholic.
The work of rescue was pushed by
details of ten men working in five-min-
ute shifts. and they fought the stub
born timbers and beams like mad men.
At 1880 o'clock Crowley's head was
free and shout went up that shook
the lettering side walls. Shortly after
his right leg was freed, but il looked
as il nothing could save the other limb.
But the firemen kept at work and in
side of an hour the man was pulled out
He was perfectly limp and his face
wore a distorted look, showing plainly
the terrible agony he had gone through.
As he was placed on the stretcher he
opened hiseyes and endeavored to smile
to his companions, but the effort was
too much and his head sank back. He
was conscious, but he was unable to
utter a sound.
He was placed in the ambulance and
taken directly to the Emergency hos
pital When Crowley was carried into
the Emergency hospital his pulse had al
most ceased beating. DR. Fox, assisted
by Miss jackson, the matron of the hos
pital, worked over him an hour before
he returned to consciousness. His pulse
gradually quickened and at s o'clock
was quite strong. DR. Fox say Crow
ley is suffering from the shock to his
nervous system, but with good care will
recover.