Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1894-04-12
NINE BRAVE MEN.
They Die While Fighting Fire In a
Milwaukee Theater.
The Roof Pals, Carrying the Firemen Into
. Fiery Furnace List of the Dead
and Injured-The Property
Loss Heavy.
DIED WHILE on DUTY.

MILWAUKEE, April 1o.-Nine hPemen
met horrible death In fire which de-
stroyed the Davidson thsater on Third
street between and a. m Monday.
The big stone building. which con-
tanned the finest playhouse in the
city and the Davidson hotel, was
burned 20 the ground in the
midst of binding storm of rain and
sleet, and in the final crash of falling
roof and walls several companies of the
fire brigade were thrown from the Top
story into the pit OF the flaming fur
mace. The disaster rs one of the most
frightful that has befallen the city
since the Newhall house burned 'cw1,
when scores OF lives were lost ths
Davidson block was one of the most
imposing in Milwaukee and the pc
cuniary loss of the fire is estimated at
between $500. 000. and 1850, 600.
The Victims.
The following is list of the dead:
Third Assistant Chief August JANSEN 265
Eighth street. Frank McGurk, lieutenant
truck company No 4 and acting captain No. IA
3e7 Park street: Fred Kroesschlnuer. pipeman
chemical company No g Capt Archie Camp
street; Allie Res company No. 3, killed by a
falling ladder; James c. Freeman lieutenant
company No. 4; Frank Whine, chemical No. 4
found in balcony of theater; Thomas Morgan
engine company No /; John Farrell, chemical
No 2
Names of the Injured.
Seven of the injured fiFemen We're
taken to the Emergency hospital and
a number of Others We're removed to
their homes:
Charles Schunk, captain chemical No 2 COM
pound fracture OF leg and hand and severely
bruised about the head; John Yeo, pipeman
No. A. badly burned about the head and arms;
Frank Schroeder, No g. back badly sprained
and head cut Fred Mauhr, No 5, foot crushed
and back sprained: Pssrick Linehan. captain
No 4, collar bone fractured and internally tn
jursd: Lieut. Curran. No !, internally injuyed,
PROBABLY fatally; John Crowley, internal in
juries, may recover
A Total Loss.
The valuable scenery and property
of the Lilliputians, whose ten days en-
gagement al the theater was to close
on Wednesday, IS 81 gone. Manager
Rosenthal of the company says it was
worth $4,000.
Plunged to a Fiery Death.
"
was seemingly under control, the
theater roof, on which a score or
more fiFemen stood as they fought the
flames, vert down. and the brave men
were carried with it to the floor
of the auditorium below. Some were
extricatsd from the furnace of flames
in which the whole interior was now
enveloped, by their brave and more
fortunate comrades, who risked their
lives 10 drag out the PROSTATE
forms of the dead and injured
men. Six or eight men were
soon brought out, and those who
were able TO speak said there were ten
or 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, If they had
not been killed outright in thai terrible
plunge from the roof
A cry of horror went up from the
fremen who saw the awful catastro-
phe. The members Of the insurance
patrol were covering up the seats in
the parquet of the theater when sud-
denly light was seen through the
roof above. The men in the theater
ran back just in time, and the next
moment the roof fell into the parquet
of the theater. Several of the men in
the theater were caught by the falling
timbers.