Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-04-12
WONDERFUL ESCAPE OF PlPEMAN YEO

u l.tne--lnOSe hhu were III iut Anthbre /
and Others Who Were on the Roof Went |
to Death ToGrther-.sone of the Victims |
and Some who We're Reseued--Details |
of an Awful Disaster.
MILWAUKEE, Wis, April 9.-The
Davidson Theatre, the finest play house |
in Milwaukee and one of the hand
soonest and costliest theatres in the |
country, was destroyed by fire which |
broke out between and o'clock this |
morning. The valuable scenery carried
by the Liliputians, whose 10 days en-
gagement at the theatre was to close
next Wednesday is all gone. Manager
Rosenthal of the company says 1t was
worth $25,000.
FELL INTO A FURNACE OF FLAMES.
Shortly after O'clock, when the fire
was seemingly under control, the thea
tire roof, on which score or more of the
brave tiremen stood as they fought the
flames, went down, and the brave men
were carried with it to the floor of the
auditorium below. Some were extri-
Gated from the furnace of flames, in
which the whole interior was now en-
veloped, by their brave and more for
tunate comrades, who risked their lives
to drag out the PROSTATE forms Of the
dead and injured men.
TEN ROASTED TO DEATH.
Six or eight men were soon brought
out, and those who are able to speak,
said there must be 10 more in the ruins
where living death waits 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 in that terrible
plunge from the roof.
CRY OF HORROR WENT UP
from the firemen who saw the awful
catastrophe. The members Of the in
surance patrol were covering up the
seats in the parquette of the theatre,
when suddenly light was seen through
the roof above. The men in the theatre
ran back just In time and the next
moment the roof fell into the parquette.
Several of the men In the theatre were
caught by the falling timbers.
The scene that followed is never to be
forgotten by those who witnessed it.
For moment all was dark, then sud-
denly
TREMENDOUS SHEET OF FLAMES
shot up, and with it came the cries of
the firemen who had fallen through the
roof to the theatre below. One man
was heard to cry My God, help me- l
am roasting to death"
The men were buried under the
blazing roof and there seemed to be
little hope that any would come out
alive if, indeed they had not been killed
by the terrible fall. There was trouble
in getting water on the fire, which now
rapidly made its way through the theatre
and scenery. The water was finally
turned on and several of the firemen
who had fallen nearest the. front door
of the lobby were dragged from the
burning debris and carried out more or
less injured. The men were removed
to the saloon across the street and their
wounds dressed, while the flremen
bravely kept at work pouring deluge
of water on the debris and trying to
rescue others of the unfortunates. But
soon no more cries were heard, and il
was evident that all who had not been
brought out must now be past hope.
A SETTLING MASS OF FIRE.
The interior of the auditorium soon
became seething mass of flames, which
the firemen vainly endeavored to sub
due in order to save their doomed COM
rades. While the frantic men were at
work amidst the ruins on the floor ol
the parquette, the gallery began to burn,
and while directing their attention to
this blaze another portion of the roof
fell in, making the rescue of the i'm.
prisoned men impossible and adding
more fuel TO the fire.
THE FIRST FATALITY.
The first fatality of the fire happened
before the more awful tragedy on the
roof. Ollie Ries, fireman, lost his life
while trying to reach the roof of the
theatre before the roof fell. He haC
put up u ladder from the northern wing
of the hotel building, which Is twC
stories lower than the theatre proper
} when the ladder swayed and he fel
with it to the roof OF the wing HI
was carried away and died in the arm
his comrades.
WENT DOWN WITH THE ROOF.
Assistant Chief Dever, who wa
among those on the roof when the crasi
, came, said:
"The members of engine companie
/ 8, 4, 8 and IA were on the roof, wherI
the main portion of the fire was raging
Suddenly, without moments warning
the roof gave way and down it went witt
all the men. Third Assistant Chic
August Jannsen was among those wht
went down with the crash, but h
managed to catch fire escape just a
the roof was swaying and held on. w
have tried all we can to rescue the men
but cannot reach them. Assistant Chic
, Jannsen is among those who are miss
ing. | think he is buried in the debris
r HAD WONDERFUL ESCAPE.
: John Yeo, pipoman of Company Nc
a, was stretched out on one of the com
. Portable cots at the Emergency Hospita
at $50 o'clock, frightfully injured, bu
: as calm and cool apparently, as if h
2 had retired for nights rest. lie said
1--WE were all ON the roof of the build
ing, No. 3 and 4 men, when she sun
q with us. There were near me at tn
9 time Captain Tinehan, Lieutenant Free
y man, Pipeman O'Ncill and Pipema
2 Witte. Oh, but ii was terrible thing
x l am afraid some of those poor fellow
% are done for. never saw or heard froI
them since. | had wonderful escape.
seems almost impossible that should I
/, alive here at this moment, but thank God
y y am, owing to the presence of mind
y had when down in the ruins and I'll
J ~ quick work of the relief party that cam
7, after us. When struck the bottom
= was pinned down by bricks and timbel
= = and was working round to get loos
le There were flames all around me an
!, plenty of smoke. My clothing ws
~ tangled up with something, and SO
W lAnrn n 10 sirin off NV clnthes and TINT