People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1894-04-13


company No. 3. He was spared the
possibly worse fate of being burned in
the building itself.
Shortly after o'clock, when the fire
was apparently under control, the
theater roof, on which a score or
more of the brave firemen stood as
they fought the flames, went down
with eight men. Six of these were
rescued alive, but the other two. as
well as seven men Of the insurance
patrol, were buried in the debris. The
falling timber added fuel to the
flames and all hope of rescuing any OF
the men inside was reluctantly aban-
doned.
THE VICTIMS OF THE HOLOCAUST.
The men who met their deaths in
the holocaust were as follows:
GEORGE JANSEN. Compar No .
CAPTAIN LINEHAN. Comp AZ No
ASSISTANT CHIEF AUGUST JANSEN
ARCHIE Campbell, fireboat Cataract
THOMAS MORGAN, No |.
FRANK MCGURR y
JAMES FREEMAN, No l.
D. 0'NElLL
The following were rescued and
taken to the Emergency hospital:
LIEUTENANT CURRAN Of company No 1.
Central fire station. probably fatally injured.
FRED MARSH of company s. loot crushed
FRED SCHROEDER
JOHN YoE, piDeman OF M t. badly burned;
back hurt
CROWLEY. probably fatally burned and
crushed
The scene that followed the fall of
the roof was one never to be forgot
ten by those who witnessed it. For a
moment all was darkness and then an
immense sheet of flame shot up and
revealed the firemen who had fallen
through the roof to the theater be-
low. One man was heard to cry: my
God, help me, am roasting to death. !"
The men were buried under the
blazing roof and there seemed to be
little hope that any would come out
alive if indeed they had not been
killed by the terrible fall.
There was trouble in getting water
on the FIRE, which now rapidly made
its way through the theater and seem
cry. The water was final turned on
and several of the frNmen who
had fallen nearest to the front
door of the lobby were dragged
from the burning debris and
carried out, more or less injured.
They were taken to the saloon across
the streel and their wounds dressed,
while the other firemen kept at work
pouring deluge of water ON the de-
bris and on the unfortunates. Nc
more cries were heard and it was evil
dent that all who had not been
brought out were then 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.
AWFUL EXPERIENCE OF ONE MAN.
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 ex-
ertions to save him. There was
fire all around him and the spot
where he was pinned down was
kept flooded. About 10 o'clock the
firemen got near enough to him to
speak to him, and were 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 a
dead man near him, but did not know
who it was. After that his voice
could not be heard for some 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 man who
had been drowned.
Some lronworks were pinning
Crowley down and the fireman could
not stop throwing water on the burn
ing ruins above him for fear that the
unfortunate man would be burned to
death. An engine was put ito draw
ing water from point directly under
him and in the hope that he could be
kept alive.
At noon the awful alternative was
considered of cutting off Crowley's
legs to release him, and it is said the
poor fellow requested this to be done.
There was ten feet of burning debris
about the pinioned man. At 1915 he
was released from the ruins and taken
to the Emergency hospital. He is
badly hurt and may die. He had been
imprisoned for seven hours.
The guests in the Davidson hotel,
which occupied part of the building,
fed panic-stricken from their rooms
when the alarm of fire rang through
the corridors. They were really in
no danger and had ample time TO get
out. None were insured.
The total loss will reach 100000.
The origin of the fire is unknown.
The flames were discovered in the
meat room adjoining the kitchen OF
the hotel over the auditorium of the
thaatar