The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-09-18
WASHINGTON Sant. II.

WASHINGTON, sept, IL.
III FIRE alarm at noon today called
lAl the fire department to the corner
IN of Massachus etts avenue and
II u X street, where fire had been
discovered in the mattress factory
owned and operated by Stumph &
Bros. This was soon followed by a
general alarm and in short time all
the engines in the city were on the
scene, but so quickly did tue flames
spread that the operatives employed on
the fourth and fifth floors were obliged
to flee to the roof and compelled to
jump for their lives before the trucks
carrying the long ladders lhad arrived
Four Of these jumped. one Of them,
James q. Vaughn. sustaining fractures
of both legs and internal injuries. He
is not expected to live through the
night. The other three who leaped
escaped with more or less severe injur.
les, but all will recover. Albert J.
Haske had both legs broken and was
otherwise severely injured. Arthur
Bevans was bruised inwardly and had
his wrist sprained, and Harry Bacon
was badly bruised. So rapid and COM
plete was the work of the flames thai
within less than half an hour from the
time Of their discovery the greater part
Of the four walls had fallen in. and by
2 80 o'clock the firemen had pulled
down the sole rem aiuing piece of brick
work. over twenty feet in height which
marked the location of the handsome
four story structure which had stood
there two hours before.
THE SEARCH FOR BODIES.
By this time the spread OF the flames
had been checked and at o'clock the
work Of searching the debris for the
bodies of those who were known tc
have been in the building and not &C.
counted for was begun. So far az
could be learned the missing ones are
Henry Fowler, Phil Ackerman, Robart
Reitzel Tennyson. Willie Ashe. a little
boy. and one other, an engineer, name
unknown, and this includes all of the
dead.
1t was not long before the searchers
found three bodies, close together,
about fifteen feet from the K street ell.
trance, every particle of clothing
burned from the and the bodies
charred beyond ht of recognition.
One of them. Of smaller stature than
the other two. is supposed to be that
of the boy Ashe. 1t was not until 8 sc
that the searchers found another of the
missing ones. This body was discov-
cred within few feet Of the engine,
on the ground floor, and is presumably
that of the engineer. The four bodies
lie at the morgue tonight, one barely
distinguishable from the other keep,
for the numbers placed on the charred
corpses.
Darkness has added to the difficulties
attending the search for the other tive
bodies, but new corps Of workm-n is
at work with the aia of lanterns, and
will continue the search until all are
found
OTHER BUILDINGS DESTROYED
The fire besides destroying the
Stumph building consumed the Wood
ruff building, the factory where oil the
government files ar. made. and the
falling walls of these buildings crushed
Hall g. Carmack's furniture house
filled Renner's marble yard, and in
jured the homeopathic Dispensary
building, on the Massac chusetts avenue
side. On the K street side, Offensteiu
horse shoeing es'abli hmen:, an oyster
depot, and shilling occupied by a
Gospel mission the Horse and Cat
tie Food company ..fered demolition,
The loss on the SIumph building il
In the neighhorhood of $4,000. insur.
ance about $4,000 The loss entailet
by the destruction Of the Woodruff
building is unknown. aud the other
structures were mostly Of wood and
not very valuable. The entire loss
will probably be about $500 In.
snrance unknown.