The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-07-10
DEATH In The BARN.
Fearful Fire in Detroit Five
Men Dead and Others
Injured.

DETROIT, July TO- 1895.-Ffre started
in Cases livery barn, four-story brick
structure, No. Al Congress street, shortly
after two O'Clock this morning. Two
hours later when the firemen had sue
ceeded in gaining control of the flames,
the barn was a complete wreck; five men
at least had been either burned to death
or smothered one fatally injured by
jumping from the burning building, two
horses burned to death and $4,000 worth
of property destroyed
THE DEAD
John Shaw. aged 3S, oiler. Detroit.
John Bowman, 20. second cook. Bay
City.
Thomas Webb, So, painter. Detroit
Edward Hughes, 29 chamoisman. Lon
don, Ontario.
James B. Shaw, harnessmaker. Gale
donia, Ont.
THE INJURED.
John Cummins, 20. helper, Detroit, head
cut open and probably fatally injured.
MISSING.
Charls Davis, stockman, Detroit, hat
and coat found in the ruins.
Seventy-five head of horses were
stabbed in the building, all of them, with
the exception of four, in the basement.
The fire originated on the first floor
near box stall occupied by the trotting
horse Domino. which was recently seized
by the customs department for Illegal
entry from Canada. The horse was got
ten out safely by William Douglass
One of the bar1lnen was on watch at the
time. He also tried to rescue Ethel
G.. another trotter owned by E. A.
Graves, of the Hotel Cadillac, but in this
he was unsuccessful. Little Mac"
PAGER, owned by George Case, was gotten
out after being badly burned.
JUMPED FOR HIS LIFE.
The barnman occupied quarters on
the fourth floor and the flames spread
so rapidly that they were unable to es-
cape by the stairway. Ladders We're
raised and most of them escaped by
them. One of the men, John Cummins,
however. became frenzied and after
throwing out a bundle of clothing he
threw himself headlong out of one of
the windows He landed almost at the
feet of the firenen, who were hasten
ing to his rescue. He struck on the
right side of his head and his skull was
crushed in. He was removed to Harper
Hospital. where he was still in an un-
morning.
FOUND SUFFOCATED.
1t was after four O'Clock before the
firemen We're able to enter the building.
They Immediately made their way to the
fourth floor. In a room in the northeast
corner We're found the bodies of John
Shaw and John Bowman. They occupied
the same bed and had evidently been
; aor-1r Of Arc
on the bodies Thomas Webb. who slept
in room in the northwest corner, was
also suffocated. Then the bodies of
James r. Shaw and Edward Hughes
were found. These two unfortunateS had
evidently awakened and tried to escape,
only to be caught in the flames, Both
bodies were badly burned. The identity
of the body supposed to be that of
Hughes is in doubt. Charles Davis, who
also slept on the fourth floor is missing
and he is supposed to have been burned
to death
Strangely enough, of the seventy-two
horses which were stabbed. in the base
ment, not one was injured. This was owing
to the solidity of the carriage floor above
them They were found standing in
about three feet of water and We're all
tor of the stable estimates his loss at
$50 600 and the loss on the buildings is
about $4,000 more. Graves valued Ethel
- III HUGHES IS MISSING.
The body supposed to be that OF
Hughes has been identified as that of
Charles Davis and Hughes is missing.
The last seen of Hughes was about
twelve o'clock when, after finishing some
work, he told Foreman Allen he was
going to bed He seldom slept in the
regular sleeping apartments occupied by
the men, usually sleeping on pile OF
hay or straw in some quiet corner.
The insurance ON the contents of the
building amounts to $4,000. John Cum
minis, the man who was SO severely in
iured regained consciousness at eleven
o'clock this morning and his chances for
recovery are about even.