Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-25

time the general alarm was turned in 1t
was realized that there was practically TO
chance OF saving the buildings, but this
| did not deter the men in the slightest, and
they labored for hours in this suffocatin3
and binding heat. Frequently they were
| overcome by their eXertions but the places
| of the men who were In dangerous posi-
| tons were at once taken by others and
| the wearied and exhausted men, after hav-
! Ing a chance to breathe and plunge their
heads In buckets of water. turned back
! TO their herculean task.
Went to Death.
BY long odds the most lamentable &C.
| hero!c hre-fghters who went in where they
| must have realized that they were in i'm
minent danger. and yet they went because
! they knew IL was their duty so 20 40. That
| they did not come back alive is u source Of
| sorrow for every one who admires bravery
and daring and who respects a man who
| does his duty fearessly.
The three men who went to their death in
| that awful sea of flames were all men,
| DerS OF No. I company, working under
! Foreman Boss They were Samuel L. Mas
| TIM Assistant Foreman Michael Fenton
and Dennis Donohue
A number of the flremen had gone inside
/ the walls at this point for the purpose of
| better directing the big streams of water
! This was one of the first walls to 60 and as il
feil. with crash, a cry went up from the
assembled multitude. Those who were I'm
! position to see what had happened knew
| That some at least of the men who had gone
| Ia would never come out alive, and from
! their outcry others realized what had oc-
cLrred, and the story quickly spread that
| a dozen or more had been killed To those
| who watched the fire from beginning to end
the only surprise was that the fatality was
| rot greater
| CHIEF Paris heard the cry that went I'D
| when the walls fell, and he at once rushed
| - haG
| CURED. Several streams of water were
/ turned upon the flames which blocked the
| entrance to the building at this point. and.
| as soon it was possible. a score If fire
| men and policemen rushed in to the rescue
| Of the imprisoned men.
In moment they returned bearing in
their arms the bodies of those who had
| been caught by the falling walls The
| other men. whose injuries were compare
| lively slight, were singeG and blstered. but
! glad to get out with their lives. Within
| Few minutes other walls fell. and had not
the menrescuers and rescued alike. escaped
| VIXEN they did the list of the dead would
/ te considerably longer
Heroic Deeds.
The rescue of the imprisoned f7remen was
an act of real heroism worthy to be classed
with any that has ever been performed. 1t
Is too bad that a simple record might not
Rave been made of all the deeds of bravery
that were done. but the excitement and
selves probably do not realize today all that
they did The fire covered such space of
territory that one could not even keep track
or all that was Transporting. One after an
other. or rather piece by piece, the stout
brick walls. that one would have consider
Ell imperViouS to heat crumbled and crash
ell To earth. The scene vas one that those
VINO witnessed it will never forget. AS
picture. apart from all its horrible details,
IT was superb.
From the doomed structure the flames
and smoke rolled up in billowing masses
into the dark sky. For blocks around 1t
| was as light as day. and could have
read newspaper on the avenue by the
light of the burning buildings. Against the
dark background of the sky the dome of
the Capitol was lighted up as If by great
search lights, and presented a magnificent
spectacle. The conflagration was visible for
miles around, and the bright red glow could
be seen far out into the adjoining country
y great crowd of people was gathered
around the scene but the efforts of the
police were not necessary to keep them
back at good distance. The heat did
that all right. for 1t was almost impossible
10 walk even on the sidewalk on the op
poSite side of the street
The crowd was of itself an interesting
sight. 1t was made up of all classes of
people. though the class that stay up until
) or 1 O'Clock in the morning very fire.
quently was particularly in evidence The
residents of the houses in the neighborhood
were greatly alarmed for the safety of their
a +
TIRE Tearing that II was dangerous to re-
main longer inside. When they found that
their houses were not in imminent peril
they returned for the purpose of completing
their toilets.
1t was surprising to note how many veh.-
cies were available at this time of night.
and the nightliners did a thriving business
Other buildings.
The fire was not confined solely to the
three buildings which were destroyed A
number of small frame tenements In the
alleys went by the board. The house ad-
joining the storage building on the north
was also badly damaged by fire and water
The heat was great that 1t was feared
the frame houses on the east side of "a
street would catch. but they were KEEP;
drenched with water and escaped. The
Slater Hotel, at the southwest corner of
I'd and streets, took fire several times
| from the heat and flying embers, but
stream Of water was played upon the roof
ana prevented the flames from getting
| good start. Eight two-stOry frame houses
In the north alley were totally consumed
| and Mitchelrs blacks smith shop in the rear
was soon beyond saving
The two Knox buildings were substap ttal
and rather imposing structures They were
generally supposed to be as near fire proof
as buildings OF the sort could be made but
they seemed to furnish excellent food for
the rapaciouS flames. The building that
Was used for storage purposes was specially
constructed for such uses, and was claimed
To be fire proof. 1t was stored with an i'm
mense amount of furniture. pictures, car
riages. and. in short. with all the varieties
or household and personal belongings that
che would ordinarily expect to find in such
place. What the loss in this building NAV
amount TO Is hard to conjecture, for all the
records and books Of the company were de-
stroyed. and II will be days before anything
Ike complete estimate can be made An
Insurance man who was inside the fire lines
said that representative Ben W. Cable
or Illinois carried $4,000 insurance on fur
r'iture and other property which he had
stored in this building. The losses are
scattered among long list Of people, MANY
or whom are out Of town for the summer.
and consequently II is impossible to saw
how much they have lost. The building
vas provided with an instantaneous fire
alarm box for giving direct communication
TO the fire department, and 1t is said that
the first news this morning was communi-
Gated from knox's ware house. box Is, by
the instantaneous fire alarm system at 2,O5
O'Clock. The third alarm was given by the
fire department officials from the same box
according to the record at headquarters. at
40. and the general alarm at 2:l3 O'Clock.
Inc building was equipped with all the an
piiances that experience could suggest and
there was stand-pipe water apparatus on