The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-04-10
INTO A FIERY FURNACE.
Terrible Experiences at a Theater
\ Fire in Milwaukee.
NINE FIRE FIGHTERS MEET DEATH

THE Men Wore at Work tho Roof of
the Building Whom 1t Gave Way, Pre-
eipitating Them Into the Blazing Audi
torium Beneath.
+ MILWAUKEE,, April TO- EARLY in the
morning flames were seen breaking from
the rear of the Davidson theater and hotel,
b structure valued at s800oG0 An alarm
was promptly responded TO, but not until
xhe roof was sheet of flame, Imme-
diately on the arrival of the fireman, lad
6ers were run up and the men rushed mp
- 4 the roof six stories from the ground.
In doing so Ollie Rels, one of the men,
Slipped and fell to the ground, being killed
by the fall. All the men from engine
house No. were directed to the rear por-
ton Of the roof, right over the stage,
where the fire was the worst. These fire
men and others took their stations and
began work, when without warning the
roof under them gave way, precipitsting
hine Of che men eighty feet below into the
IRE on the large stage1f the thcnter
Twenty firemen We're upon the roof of
the building when It fell, and in a moment
every man was pitched into the andito-
rum of the theater some falling into the
perquct and others into the balconies.
When the roof of the thcater fell the
members of the insurance patrol were COW
ering up the seats In the parquet. A light
was suddenly seen through the roof above,
and the men in the auditorium ran back
Just as the crash came. Several of the men
In the thcatcr were caught by the fall
sug tmbers There was trouble in getting
water on the fire, which, after the fall of
the roof, rapidly made its way throughout
Che building.
The water was finally got into the audi
Hnrinnt md anvnral n the tirpnnau who
had fallen nearest the front door of the
lobby were dragged from the burning de-
lbrls and carried out more or less injured.
The men were removed to the saloons
across the street, and their wounds
dressed.
While the frcmen were at work amid
She 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, Michael
Dunn, captain of one of the fire tugs, slid
down n rope, made it fast to several Of the
mon who were not pinioned 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 new start among the debris,
and amid the groans aud 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 fer hours. There was fire all around
bin, 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 to
ealk. He said there was the body of a
man near him, who had been drowned.
After that Crowleys voice could not be
heard for some time and il was feared that
he had died, but he subsequently was able
20 make himself heard again. Some iron
PODS pinned him down, and the fremen
eouS not stop throwing water on the
burning ruins above him for fear that he
would be burned to death. Finally Crowley
was released from the ruins and taken 10
tho hospital. He is badly hurt and will
probably die
The guests Of the Davidson hotel, which
occupies part of the building. fed pRnc
stricken from their rooms when the alarm
Of fire was rung IN the hotel corridors.
They were really In no danger and had
ample time to get out No one was in
jured.
The fremen killed by the fire were:
Archie Campbell, captain OF the fire boat
FOLEY, fell from the upper part of the
tbeater; Lieutenant Ollie Refs, fell from
ihAdder In renr of theatrr. died on the way
20 hospital; Fred KosrlmideF, aged about
BS; August Jansen, assistant chief of the
department; Thomas Morgan, single;
George Jansseni Frank McGurS, acting
captain. married; James Freeman and
Frank Winn. Eight other fremen were
seriously injured, and it Is feared that
Lieutenant Curran, of No. =. Will die
:, The loss ON tho building, scenery and
equipments of the Liiputian company
aggregates ssCO,0Oo, on which there is an
insurance of sss, 900, OF which $40, 600 is car
ried by Rosenfeld Bros, owners of the
Lliputians. Their loss will be $4,000.