Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-04-12
NINE DEAD.
Firemen Lose Their Lives In a
Theater Fire.
BURIED UNDER A FALLING ROOF.
List OF the Dead and IpJured-work Of
hescuing the Bodies-Ons Corpse
stiii to Get Out The Loss
and Insurance.

Jured,und milwaukee, s leading theater,
the Davidson, is In ruins, the result OF
a fire which mysteriously started In
the roof of the building at 4:2O o'clock
yesterday morning. The loss OF the
building, scenery and equipments Of
the Lilliputian Co aggregates $500, 900,
on which there Is an insurance of ESQ,
900, OF which siO, 900 is carried by Ros.
enfield Bros, owners OF the Lilliputians
Their loss will be s75. 900.
Twenty fremen were upon the roof
Of the building, working under the
direction of the chiefs, and II was
thought that the blaze was under con-
troll, when the roof seemed to bulge
under their feet, and in u moment
every man was pitched into the audi
torium of the theater, some falling into
the parquette and others upon the bal
comics
Deeds OF heroism were numerous as
usual under such circumstances
Michael Dunn, captain OF one OF the
fire tugs, slid down n rope, made II
fast to several OF the men who were
not imprisoned by the debris, and then
climbed the rope hand over hand TO the
roof Of the Davidson hotel which es-
capped destruction. The fire took new
start amid 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 to-day,
with only one corpse to remove, that
Of Third Assistant Chief Jansen, o
brother of Chief OF Police Jansen.
DEAD
Third Assistant Chief August JAMS.
sen, 9G5 Eighth street
Frank McGurk, Lieutenant truck
company No 4 and acting captain No.
II, 397 Park street.
Frank Kroesschmuer, pipeman chem
ical company No .
Capt Archie Campbell, of the fire.
boat Foley, II Twenty.seventh street
Allie Ries, company No. 8, killed by
falling ladder.
James C. Freeman, lieutenant com.
pany No 4.
Frank Whine, chemical No 4, found
in balcony OF theater.
Thomas Morgan, engine company
No /.
John Farrell, chemical No q
INJURED.
Charles Schunk, captain chemical No.
2, compound fracture OF leg and hand
and severely bruised about the head, 80
years of age
John Y. Ice, pipeman No 4, badly
burned about the head and arms, "a
years OF age
Frank Schroeder, No. 3, back badly
sprained and head cut, % years OF age
Patrick Linchnm, captain No. 4. col
lar bone fractured and internally in
jurcd.
Lieut. Curran, No. ., internally in.
jurcd, probably fatally.
John Crowley, No IL, single, badly
burned and crushed.
When the fire was seemingly under
control the theatcr roof on which
score or more of the fremen stood as
they foJght the flames went down
and the brave men were carried with
II To the rloor OF the auditorium below.
Some were eNtricatcd from the furnace
o flames in which the whole interior
was enycloped, by their more for
tunate comrades who rislicd their
lives to drag out the dead ana injured.
Seven or eight mcu were soon brought
out and those who are able to speak
said there must be 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, IL they
had not been killed in the terrible
plunge from the roof
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 efforts
TO save him There was fire all around
him, and the spot where he was pinn
down was kept flooded When the fire.
men got near enough to him to speak
they 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. lie
said there was n dead man near him,
but he did not know who IL was After
that Crowley's voice could not be heard
for some little time and IL was feared
he had died, but he su Osequently was
able to make himself heard again. He
said the body near him was that OF II
man who had been drowned Some
iron rods were pinioning Crowley
down and the fremen could not stop
throwing water on the burning ruins
above him for fear that the unfortunate
man would be burned to death. An
engine was put TO drawing water from
u point directly under Crowley and In
the hope that he could be kept alive At
noon the awful alternative was consid-
cred OF cutting off Crowley's legs TO re-
lease him and IL Is said the poor fellow
requested this to be done. Tnere were
ten feet OF burning debris about him.
Al 1905, however, he was released from
the ruins and taken to the Emergency
hospital lie is badly hurt and NAV
die. He had been imprisoned for seven
hours.
The Davidson theater was opened
inSeptemb ber, 1891, by the Emma Juch
Opera Cu. The original cost to John
and Alexander Davidson was between
tS5O,O and 100000. The loss, of
course, is mainly on the int. ior, The
walls will stand when all else is gone.
There is no way to estimate the loss,
but it may be above half of the original
Investment
The Lilliputians' loss is heavy.
For Chester l. Long.
WELLINGTON, Kan, April 9.-The re-
suit of the republican primaries Satur-
day indicates that sumner county will