Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-09-18

WASHINGTON, d. c., September H.
The most fatal fire Of recent years 10
Washing ton was the burning OF the
mattress factory Of Stunph & Broth.
ers to-day. w.
Five bodies are at the morg -
red and crushed beyond reco yhition.
Four njured men are at the Emergency
hospital, one OF whom will die, and
there may be others buried under the
ruins. as several Of the vorkmen are
unaccountsd for.
Two OF the dead at the morgue are
known to be VIM. n. Tennyson, an old
man employed In the factory, and
Willie Ashe, a boy OF l3 years.
Others who are missing are Henry
Fowler. Phillip Aekernan, Robert
Reitzel and an old man who had been
employed in the factory but few days
and whose name is not remembered by
his employers.
Those at the hospital are: James Il.
Vaughn, q clerk, injured internally.
will probably die; A. j. Haske, both
legs broken, may die; Arthur C. Beylns.
internal injuries and fractured wrist;
Harry Bacon, Internal injuries.
The factory was fve-story structure
with thin brick walls, windows only at
back and front aud no tire escapes. 10
was stored with shavings and other
inhammable materials and twenty-five
persons were at work, six young women.
Fire was discovered at the front OF the
second floor, and almost instantly 10
burst up the elevator shaft There was
delay In turning ln an alarm on account
OF the panic.
Those on the upper floors stood 10 the
windows shouting for help Three
men were on the roof, two gesticulating
franticalIy while the other leaned
calmly against chimney watt
log. Policeman Phil Brown, with the
help Of Two menUUrOuS IIniiIa6S
10 the roof OF a b1fcksmIh ShopHOhK
side the factory. Hsske jumped from
the roof, whlrllng over and over In the
air, and striking on his side. BevlDs
jumped 10 the roof and was caught
on tho mattress held by Policeman
Brown apd others. Vaughp leaped
headlong, so that In the force OF bis
fall. be tore through the mattress as
though IL had been q blanket, Bacon
jumped from third story window and
landed on his stomach across q barrel
twenty-five feet below. Other men
clung to narrow projections outside the
windows until pile OF mattresses had
been heaped on the sidewalk, aud
Jumped of without sustaining severe
injuries. 4
Twenty minutes after the Dire hadl
been discovered, the east wall field
crushing the blacksmith shop, Palmer's'
oyster house and the Horse and Cattle
Food Company's building. A cloud OF
burning feathers roso hundred
fast over the building aBd drifting
down set fire 10 awnings. Shortly after
wards the other walls came down
crushing the two story brick building
OF the Woodruff File Holder Company.
George J. Cennstts marble shop and
Hall q Cammack's furniture store.
One fireman and several spectators
were hurt by falling bricks. A general
alarm had called out the whole Ore de-
partment and the ruins had been so
flooded that the search for bodies was
begun a. 2:30.
The first corpse was brought out on
a stretcher a. O'Clock, charred beyond
the sembance OF human being. With
10 half On hour two others had been
found, aud a gang OF negroes were set
to work digging over tue ruins. Az
5 o'clock a body was found Ia the el.ya-
tor burned so that toe parts had TO be
gathered 10 q blanket The fifth body
was reached before z o'clock.
Scenes at the morgue, where men and
women collected TO look for missing
relatives. were most distressing. The
hands and feet were burned from the
dead, their features obIiterzted
aud clothing consumed. IL was possi-
bic 70 Identify the boy willie Ashe by
the size OF the body and old man Ten
nyson By bis teeth. II IA doubtful
whether the identity OF the other bodies
l.