The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-04-10
Terrible Catastrophe In Connection
With a Fire In q Theatre at
Milwaukee.
While Fighting Flames on Top Of
the Davidson Building the Roof
Fell In,
Carrying With It q Score Of Firemen.
A Dozen Dead or Fatally
Injured. .

Shortly after 5 o'clock, when the fire
was seemingly under control, the
theater roof, on which q score or more
Of the brave firemen stood as they fought
the flames, went down and the
Brave Hon Were CARRIED with nc
to the floor Of the auditorium below.
Some were extricated from the furnace
of flames In which the whole interior
was nov e~nveloped by their brave and
more fortunate comrades, who Eisked
their lives to drag out the PROSTATE
forms of the dead and injured men.
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 awaited them. For
these poor fellows there was no chance.
The burning roof had fallen on them,
and they were roasted 10 death il they
had mot been killed In that
Terrible Plunge FROM ths ReoE
A cry of horror went MP from the
firemen who saw the awful catastrophe.
The members Of the insurance patrol
were covering mp the seats In the par
quette OF the theater when suddenly q
light was seen through the roof above.
The men In the theater ran back lust in
time, and the next moment the roof fell
into the parquette of the theater. Sew
eral OF the men in the theater were
caught by the falling timbers. The
scene that followed is never 10 be for
gotten by those who witnessed it. For a
moment all vsas dark, then suddenly a
tremendous sheet OF flame shot mp, and
with it came the cries of the iremen
who had fallen through the roof to the
theatre below. q,
Little Hope Remained.
The men were buried under the blaz.
ing roof, and there seemed to be little
hope il any would come ont alive,
even If they had not been killed by their
terrible fall. There was trouble In get
ting water on the fire, which now rap
idly made it's way through the theatre
and scenery. The water was finally
turned on, and several of the fremen
who had fallen near the front door Of
the lobby were dragged from the bum
ing debris and carried out more or less
mn -,
ln9uL me Hasn were emOve1 % the
- - sne sSless ahn tneir
pn 11' mnIe sno RENE
of water on the debris, and trying to
rescue others of the u~nfortunates.
AasE or'ss We're Hashod'
But Don no more cries were heard,
and ~ was evident thai all who had not
been brought must now be past
nope. Inc interior or he auditorium
SOON became . seefnlng mass OF flames.
which the nremen vainly endeavored to
subdue In order TO save their doomed
comrades. While the rantic men were
at work amidst the ruins ON the floor Of
the parquette the gallery began to burn,
a while directing their attention to
tins blaze another portion OF the roof
fell, making q rescue OF the imprisoned
mel impossible q adding more fuel
TO the nre,
Rescuing Dead and Wounded.
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 x
tons to save him. There was fire all
all around him, and the spot where hs
was pinned down was kept flooded.
Along about ~ O'Clock the firemen got
near enough 70 him TO speak to him and
were Q good deal surprised 20 find him
conscious and able TO talk. He asked
ms rescuers 20 De careful not drown
him with q streams. de said there
was . dead man near him, but did not
Know VINO ~ was. Aiter tnat Crowley's
voice coula NOT De neard Tor some little
.lne 2 y va feared ina. ne had died,
PUT ne subsequently Was able to make
nimsen heard again. ne said tRe body
near niin va INA. q man VINO had been
aIoWnsu, oOlne ron .oos are pinioning
1rowiey COVE, anc sne nremen cannot
s1op tnIowlng waser On tne burning
Iuins aDoys MN LOT Iear mat Inc unfor-
tunase man W.. 8 DuIneo 70 death. An
snglne wa.er rom point
uATsc.iy unuer S1oWisy, ana ~ IL hoped
80. ~ 49, ~ aeps aase. Az noon the
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