The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-18
The Wabash Engine-House at
Toledo Is Completely
Destroyed.
TWO ALARMS ARE SOUNDED
A High Wind Causes a Loss of Life
and One Hundred Thou
sand Dollars.


house of the Wabash Railroad Company
in this city, located at the foot of South
street on the dock, was burned to the
ground between 10 and IL o'clock this
morning. Three-quarters of an hour after
the first alarm was sent in the southwest
wall of the building, sixty feet in circum-
ference, fell in, burying twelve men under
meath it. Two of them were instantly killed,
a third died a short time after being taken
out of the debris and the others were all
badly hurt, one probably fatally. All but
one, John Bowen, were employees of the
Wabash.
The dead are: R. H. Bohlman, skull
crushed, internally injured.
j. Preston, back broken, skull crushed,
killed instantly.
John Bowen, skull crushed, internally
injured, killed instantly.
The injured are: F. H. Howard, head
bruised, slightly burned will recover; John
Leary, leg broken, arm crushed, skull frac-
tured, may die; Patrick McDonough, skull
fractured, shoulder broken, will recover;
Martin Greenburg, head cut, will recover;
Harry Zimmerman, legs sprained, body
bruised; Louis Becker, head bruised !;
shoulder sprained; Henry Gerding, head
bruised and cut; T. G. Lauer, head and
neck sprained, head cut; Casper Becker,
head and shoulders cut.
The first alarm for the fire came by tele-
phone to the district offices at 1910 A. NJ
A few minutes previously a resident of the
neighborhood of the roundhouse saw a
small fame burst out of the cupola of the
building, and he ran to the Office Of the
general foreman, directly across from the
roundhouse, and notified those in charge
General Foreman Howard summoned the
company's private fire department, con-
sisting of fifteen men, to the scene, and a
stream OF water was directed toward the
blazing cupola. A heavy wind was blow
ing and the fire soon worked its way down
10 the roof of the roundhouse.
When Fire Chief Mayer reached the
scene he saw that there was danger of the
flames reaching the oilhouse, repair shops
and the Wabash elevator, all in close
proximity, and he Immediately sent in a
general alarm.
Meanwhile the roads fire company had
directed its efforts toward smothering the
flames from the structure which menaced
the oilhouse, and the fire at this point was
held fairly in check. The roof was already
ablaze and threatened 10 collapse every
moment, but the falling of the walls was
not at this time anticipated. The iron
braces supporting the roof expanded in the
intense heat, and the frail frame covering
gave way with muffied roar, falling on
the stalled engines.
AT this moment the southwest wall, fif-
teen feet high and eighteen inches thick
was seen to totter outward from the literal
pressure OF the falling roof, and a yell
went up to apprise of their danger the fif-
teen men at work in that portion of the
building. The warning came too late and
twelve of the men were buried in pile OF
brick several feet high.
That only two were killed outright was
nothing short of miraculous. Streams of
water were poured on the smoking debris,
and as soon as possible the work of rescue
began. Preston and Bowen were buried
completely and were dead some time be-
fore their bodies was reached. They were
badly crushed, Bowen's features being I'M
recognizable. Bohlman was taken out in
an unconscious condition and removed to
his home, where he died a few hours after
ward.
By this time half dozen physicians had
reached the scene, and attention was d.
rected toward carrying out the injured.
Leary was found to be the worst sufferer,
and 1T was feared that he would scarcely
live out the day. The others, though
badly used up, will probably recover
The fremen had a stubborn fight with
the doomed roundhouse, the heavy wind
greatly aiding the stubborn flames. At
noon the flames were practically under
control, after destroying all that was in
flammable of the building.
The property loss is estimated at $780,
o00 probably insured. The roundhouse,
which had a capacity of twenty locomo-
tiyes, contained only six engines, and these
are all badly damaged.
A Wheeling and Lake Erie coal car and
Baltimore and Ohio boxcar were also con-
Sumed.
Late tonight two more men were found
who were injured by the falling walls.
They are ]. Finley, engineer, of Andrews,
Ind; George Towers, machinst, both in the
employ of the Wabash. Finley is quite Sc
riously hurt, his chest being crushed and
he sustained a severe scalp wound Towers
has fracture of the left leg and is more or
less bruised.