The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-03-27
THE FIREMEN BURIED.
A TRAGEDY AT A DISASTROUS FIRE
IN TOLEDO.

Wabash Road Fall Upon the Fircinen.
killing Three and Manning Many.
| TOLEDO, O., March IA disastrous
fire, attended by heavy loss Of life, oc,
Cured in this city this morning. Three
men lost their lives, two being in
stantly killed. Nine others were more
or less injured, one Of them. John
OLeary, machinist. it is thought ia
tally The list of deaG is as follows
r. H. Bohlman, 56, painter, mar.
ried; seven children; skull crushed
and internally injured
j. j. Preston, car inspector; mar
ried, six children; back broken and
skull crushed.
John Bowen. IS, a spectator, skull
crushed and internally injured
The injured are:
H. F. Howard, general foreman
Eastern division, back bruised, face
CQI, Sl1s LILY DQIHCQ.
John O'Leary, machinist leg broken,
arm crushed, skull fractured may die.
Patrick McDonough, fireman; skull
fractured, shoulder broken.
Martin Greenburg, car repairer
head cut
Harry Zimmerman, painter; leg
sprained, body bruised.
Louis Decker, painter; head bruised,
shoulder sprained.
Henry Cerding, car repairer; head
bruised and cut.
Casper Becker, painter; head and
shoulders cut.
T. G. Laurer, trnck foreman; necE,
sprained, head cut.
The dead, except John Bowen, were
employees of the Wabash Railway.
Those constituted the company's fire
department for the protection of the
shops and were engaged in fighting the
flames when the accident occurred that
resulted so disastrousl y to them.
The round house is located at the
foot of South street. 1t was a sub
stantial brick structure with capacity
of twenty engines, and contained six
locomotives when the fire broke out.
The flames were first seen in the cupola
that surmounted the roof shortly after
10 o'clock. An alarm was telephoned
to the city fire department, and in the
meantime the yard company got one
stream playing on the blaze, which
soon made its way to the roof. The
walls of the building were believed to
be secure, and the brave fire fighters
pressed closely in toward the building,
the more effectively to combat the
spreading flames. Itwas seen that the
roof would soon fall, but no danger
was apprehended from that source un-
til, to the horror of the spectators, the
southwest wall, weakened by the de-
struction of the frame supports that
connected it with the roof, was OBJ
served to tremble and suddenly fall
out on the volunteer fremen.
Before the majority Of the men could
realize their peril the heavy wall was
down on top of them, burying them
under heap Of smoking debris. All
but Bowen, Preston and Bohlman were
quickly taken out. The two first
named were completely covered by the
ruins. Bohlman was little more fer
tunate. From out Of the smoking heap
the mangled bodis ofBowen and Pres
ton were taken. They were beyond
the need of human care. Bohlman was
still alive, though unconscious, but he
succumbed to his injuries shortly af-
ter being taken home.
A dozen surgeons were quickly sum-
moned, and prompt assistance was rem
dered the injured. OLeary the ma
chinist, was still unconscious, and at
one time appeared to be sinking. He
rallied temporarily, but it IS not
thought he can recover. When the
first of the city fremen answered the
alarm, they saw that there was immi-
nent danger of the fire spreading to
the Wabash elevator and the repair
shops, which stood close by. The oil
house was also menaced, but luckily
the flames were held in check at this
particular point. A general alarm
was sent in. and by dint of numbers
the fremen succeeded in saving the
surrounding property.
The round house was completely
wrecked, and the six engines rendered
practically useless. The loss is esti-
mated at from SIS, 900 to $500, 900, and
is believed to be fully covered by in
Surance.