The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-04-10
NTO 4 FIERY FJRNATE.
Terrible Experiences at Theater
Five in Milwaukee,
VINE PIE FIGHTERS MEET DEATH

The Essa Were at worh - me Hsof Of
me BuRdias when II cave wSs, Pre-
sipitntana The-n Int shs HasEinE Audi-
toriuHn noneath.
MuvAUHHN, Aprfl lo.-Early IN the
morniHg flames were seen breaking frena
the bear Of the Davidson theatsT and hotel,
0 structurs valued al $500, 900. An alarm
was promptly responded 70, but not until
the reef wss . sheet u flame. 1mm0-
sintoly en- the ArEivRl Of the fireman, lad
asrs wese rBA Np and the men rushed up
on the reof, d storlSs from the ground.
IN doing 80 ellie Rois, one Of the msn,
sllppGd and fell " the ground being killed
~ the fsll. All the ReR from engine
Eeubs Eo AwSra directed 10 the rear Por~
koH ~ TIE poef, riRht over the stage,
whore the Gre was the worst. These tto-
men and others tSok their stations and
bogan wSGa, when without warning the
roof undrr them gave way, Brscipitatiug
nine ef the aen eighty feet bsiev into tie
Rrs on the largo stage Of the tAsater.
Twenty hrtmen were upon the roof Of
the building when 4 fell, and in a moment
every mHn was pitched into the audito-
rium Of the theA6er some falling into the
Bnr0uet aAd others ints the balconies.
Whom the roet Of the thester fell the
mem bers OF this insurance patrol were COW
a4nE up the seats in the parquet A light
was suddenly seen through the roof above,
and the men In the auditorium ran back
| Just rs the crash came. Several of the mon
in the theator were caught by the fall
| ing timbers. There was trouble In getting
water on the fire, which, after the fall of
| the roof, rapidly made its way throughout
the building
The water was finally got into the audi
! t0rium and several Of the firemen who
] had fallen nearest the front door Of the
| lobby were dragged from the burning de-
bTis and carried out more or less Injured.
The men were removed to the saloons
eeross the street, and their wounds
| dressed.
While the flremsn were at work amid
the ruins of the floor of the parquet the
| gallery began to burn, and while directing
| their attention to this blaze another part
| Of the roof fell
| Deeds of heroism were numerous as
usual under such circumstances. Miihael
| Dunn, captain Of one of the fire tugs, slid
| down a rope, made 1t fast to several of the
men who were not plnioned down by the
/ debris and then climbed the rope, hand
| over hand to the roof Of the Davidson
hotel, which escaped destruction. The
fire took a new start among the debris
and amid the groans, and shouts Of the
| imprisoned firemen the work of rescue
began and was kept up until O'Clock last
night, when the eighth body was taken out
and the work abandoned until today
when the body of Third Assistant Chief
Jansen was taken out.
John Crowley remained in the ruins
alive for hours. 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 him, and were sur
prised to find him conscious and able tC
talk. He said there was the body of
man near him, who had been drowned
After that Crowley's voice could not b,
heard for some time and it was feared tina
he had died, but he subsequently was abb,
to make himself heard again. Some iroI
rods pinned him down, and the firemel
could not stop throwing water on tn,
burning ruins above him for fear that h,
would be burned to death. Finally Crowle,
was released from the ruins and taken t,
the hospital. He is badly hurt aud vii
probably die.
The guests of the Davidson hotel whicl
occupies a part of the building, fled pani
stricken from their rooms when the alarm
of fire was rung in the hotel corridors
They were really in no danger and ha,
ample time to get out. No one was in
jured.
The fremen killed by the fire were
Archie Campbell, captain of the fire boa
Foley, fell from the upper part of tn
theater; Lieutenant Ollie Refs, fell fron
ladder in reur Of theater, died on the wa
to hospital; Fred Koschmider, aged abou
30; August JANSEN, assistant chief of tn
departments; Thomas Morgan, single
George Jansen, Frank McGurk, actin
captain, married; James Freeman an
Frank Winn. Eight other fremen wer
seriously injured, and 1t is feared tina
Lieutenant Curran, of No 2, will die
The loss on the building, scenery an
equipments of the Liliputian compan
aggregates $500, 600, on which there is "a
insurance Of tSs, 600, of which $40, 600 is cal
ried by Rosenfeld Bros, owners of til
Lihputians. Their loss win be $4,000.