The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-10-06

DETROIT, Oct. 5.-Ftre was discovered
in the shipping room in the basement
at the back OF the furniture store OF
keenan, & jain at 1880 o'clock this
morning. An alarm was promptly
turned in, but by the time the engines
arrived the FIRE had gained consider
able headway. having run up the eleva'
tor shaft, and the entire upper floor
was mass OF smoke aud flame when
the first stream was thrown.
There were sixty employees ia the
building and most of them had groat
difficulty in escaping
The building, an old.tashioned tiVe-
story brick, was soon Rutted and the
stock ruined.
At 0 o'clock the front wall Of the
building tumbled into Woodward ave.
nue.. 1t came in the shape OF collapse.
and the mass OF debris did not spread
beyond the curb. The tiremen working
in front Of the building were warned,
and retreated as rapidly as possible.
Some got out from under, but a dozcn
or more unfortunate fellows wore unable
to do 30 on account oil the piles OF brick.
glass and burnt timbers at the front OF
the store.
A yell OF horror went up simultane-
ously from the throats Of tho Thousands
who wero in tho street, and then there
was q crash like an earthquake. The
air waa filed with dust aud sheets OF
flames aud smoke. Then some OF tho
falling wall broke the heavy electric
wires in front OF the street besides tho
trolley wire. A fash OF sputtering
electric fluid lightened up the scene,
and people crowded and surged to get
into the stores and down the side streets
to escape being shocked.
A number of men, women and chill
dren were trampled under the feet Of
the frightened spectators but mono
wero seriously hurt.
The first man taken from under the
debris was Lieut.. Michael II. Donoghue,
Of Chemical No. l. He was dead.
The next body found was that Of
Richard Dely, pipeman Of Engine No. o.
It was lying under two iron columns,
and the head aud back we're frighttully
crushed.
The next dead man to be taken out
was Pipeman John pagel, Of No. 8. He
was crushed by the tumbling walls.
Frederick A. Bussey, a spectator, was
taken to Grace hospital and died.
Mike Gray, was taken to Grace hos
pital, where ho was found to be go
badly injured about the head that he
may die.
Michael Ball, pipeman OF No. 0, is
still in the ruins and certainly dead.
julius Cumming, company No. 9, still
in ruins.
These are injured:
Lieutenant 0'Rourke, Of engine No. s.
Pipeman +. Stock, No. s.
pipeman @. Cronin, No. s.
John 3. Newell, truck 2, injured
about head.
Thomas Garry, substitute, badly
bruised.
Leslie Mcnamara, No. 2.
Henry Kimberly, No. 2.
Henry Herig, leg broken.
The latest is that six are dead and ten
injured. The property loss ia $4,000.
The fire apparently originated ut the
bottom OF the elevator shaft aud swept
upward with tremendous Bwiftness.
About sixty.tive persons wero at work
in the manufacturing portion OF the
building in the upper stories, but all
escaped unhurt. The water supply
seemed at first inadequate and the
building was soon ruined.
After the interior OF the structure
had been partially burned out, 1t be.
camo apparent that the front and rear
walls were in danger OF falling, but Fire
Chief Elliott permitted his men to ad-
vance with their hose as closely US pos
sible both from front and rear. Sud
denly tho front wall sagged forward,
and the great mass of hot brick, timber
and iron crashed to the sidewalk with
tremendous roar. Almost at the same
iustant tho rear wall crumbIed and fell
into tho alloy at the rear. Above tho
tnmult 81 the panic stricken crowd
rose the shrieks OF tho wounded and
imprisoned firemen.
Sixteen in al. were in the path OF the
tumbling walls, but ten escaped alive
after q few seconds OF thrilling expert
cnces.
Their comrades worked to rescue tho
dying aud remains OF the deAd in the
hot ruins amid binding smoke and all
were recovered, but mono OF tho ak had
survived, aud their limp and crushed
remaina were ir some cases almost un.
recognizable. Chief Elliott is being
roundly scored tor risking tho lives OF
4 + II.
no call for such an hazard. lie says
that he had no reason to believe the
walls werc unsafe and that the me
were only doing their regular duties as
firemen.
THE BUCKAANNoN FIRE.