Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1894-04-13
FIREMEN PERISH.
Terrible Catastrophe In Connection
With a Fire In a Theatre at
Milwaukee.
While Fighting Flames on Top of
the Davidson Building the Roof
Fell In,
Carrying With It a Score of Firemen.
A Dozen Dead or Fatally
Injured.

MILWAUKEE, April 9.-The Davidson
Theater, the finest play house in Mil
waukee and one of the handsomest and
costliest theaters in the country, was
destroyed by fire which broke out be-
tween 4 and s o'clock a. M.
Shortly after 5 o'clock, when the fire
was seemingly under control, the
theater roof, on which a score or more
of the brave fremen stood as they fought
the flames, went down and the
Brave Men Were Carried With It
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 PROSTATE
forms of the dead and injured men.
Six or eight men were soon brought out,
and those who are able to speak said
there must be 10 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
mad not been killed in that
Terrible Plunge From the Roof.
A cry of horror went up from the
fremen who saw the awful catastrophe.
The members Of the insurance patrol
were covering up the seats in the par
quette Of the theater when suddenly a
light was seen through the roof above.
The men in the theater ran back just in
time, and the next moment the roof fell
into the parquette Of the theater. Sew
eral Of the men in the theater were
caught by the falling timbers. The
scene that followed is never to be for
gotten by those who witnessed it. For a
moment all was dark, then suddenly a
tremendous sheet of fame shot up, and
with it came the cries of the fremen
who had fallen through the roof to the
theatre below.
Little Hope Remained.
The men were buried under the blaz-
ing roof, and there seemed to be little
hope if any would come out alive,
even if they had not been killed by their
terrible fall. There was trouble in get
ting water on the fire, which now rap
idly made its way through the theatre
and scenery. The water was finally
turned on, and several Of the fremen
who had fallen near the front door of
the lobby were dragged from the burn
ing debris and carried out more or less
injured. The men were removed to the
saloon across the street and their
wounds dressed, while the fire1nen
bravely kept at work pouring a deluge
water on the debris, and trying to
rescue others Of the unfortunates.
Their Cries Were flushed.
But soon no more cries were heard,
and it was evident that all who had not
been brought out must now be past
hope. The interior of the auditorium
soon became a seething mass of flames,
which the firemen vainly ~endeavored to
subdue in order to save their doomed
comrades. While the frantic men were
at work amidst the ruins on the floor of
the parquette the gallery began to burn,
and while directing their attention to
this blaze another portion of the roof
fell, making the rescue of the imprisoned
men impossible and adding more fuel
to the fire.
As nearly a can be learned eight or
nine fremen were killed and three
others were fatally injured.
Rescuing Dead aud Wounded.
The work of rescuing the bodies of
the killed and the men who were not
killed began Immediately after the roof
fell. William Crowley remained in the
ruins alive for several hours and his
comrades put forth tremendous exer-
tions to save him. There was fire all
all around him, and the spot where he
was pinned down was kept flooded,
Along about 10 o'clock the fremen go
near enough to him to speak to him and
were q good deal surprised to find him
conscious and able to talk. He asked
his rescuers to be careful and not drown
him with the streams. He said there
was q dead man near him, but did not
know who it was. After that Crowley's
voice could not be heard for some little
time and it was feared that he had died.
but he subsequently was able to make
himself heard again. He said the body
near him was that Of a man who had been
drowned, Some iron rods are pinioning
Crowley down, and the fremen cannot
stop throwing water on the burning
ruins above him for fear that the unfor.
stunate man will be burned to death. An
engine Is drawing water from a point
directly under Crowley, and it is hoped
sthatfhe can be kept alive. at noon the
awful alternative wal considered Of
cutting off Crowley's legs to save his
,life,yand it is said the poor fellow re-
quested this to be done. There is 10
feet Of burning debris about the pin
Toned man. It seems that the mon were
not on the roof when it collapsed. but
were Immediately under it, in the din
ing room and kitchen apartments Of the
hotel. When they were at work. the
+russes holding up the rooms over the
auditorium collapseu and let them drop
into the seething furnace below.
Valuable Scenery Burned.
The valuable scenery carried by the
Liliputians, whose 10 days engagement
at the theater was to close Wednesday.
is all gone. Manager Rosenthal Of the
company says it was worth $25, 900.
80 Tho M S5,o-8 ~ ~,