The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-03-18
BIG LOSSES By FIRE
The Wabash Railroads Round
house at Toledo Burned.
THREE MEN KILLED BY 4 WALL.


Toledo, O.. March 1.-THE roundhouse
OF the wabash Railroad Company IN this
city. located at the foot OF South street,
on the dock, was harmed TO the ground
between 10 ana II O'Clock this rnor1ing.
Three-Q1arters Of an horr after the first
alarm was sent IN the southeast wall OF
the building. SIXTY feet IN circumference.
fen In. burying twelve rsen underneath
II. Two OF them were Instantly killed.
third died . short time after heing
taken out. and the others were all badly
hurt. one probably fatally. All but one.
John Bowen. we're employees Of the Wa
bash.
The dead are: n. n. Bohlman. skuIf
crushed, internally injured: j. j. Preston.
hack broken. skull crushed killed Instant
": John Bowen. skull crushed. internally
injured. killed instantly.
The injured are: r. III. Howard. face
cut and bruised. slightly burned. WIN re-
cover: John Leary. leg broken. arm
crushed. skull fractured. may die; Patrick
Mcponough. skull fractured. viii re-
cover: 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. c. Lauer. head and
neck sprained.
The first alarm for the fire came by
telephone to the district officer at 1910
a. m. A few minutes previously q resi-
dent OF the neighborhoed of the round
house saw q flame burst out of the Gu
pola OF the building and he ran TO the
office OF the general foreman directly
across from the roundhousa and notified
those In charge. General Foreman How
ard summoned the company's private fire
department consisting Of fifteen men. to
the scene. and stream OF water was
directed toward the blazing cupola A
h. txzA -.
soon ate its way down to the roof of the
roundhouse. When Fire Chief Mayer
reached the fire he saw that there was
danger of the flames reaching the oil
house and repair shops, and Immediately
sent In q general alarm. Meanwhile the
roads fire company had directed its eff
forts toward smothering the flames from
the structure. which menaced the oil
house. and the fire at this point was held
fairly in check The iron braces support
ing the roof expanded in the intense heat.
and the fraii frame covering gave way
with muffied roar, falling In on the
engines.
At this moment the southwest wall.
fifteen feet high and eighteen inches
thick, was seen to totter outward from
the pressure of the falling roof, and q
yell went up to apprise of their danger
the fifteen men at work In this portion Of
the building. The warning came too late,
and twelve OF the men were buried in a
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 sooI as possible the work of rescue
began. Preston and Bowen were buried
completely, and were dead some time be-
fore their bodies were reached They
were badly crushed. Bowen's features be-
Ing unrecognizable. Bohlman was taken
out In an unconscious condition and re-
moved to his room, where he died few
hours afterward. BY this time half a
dozen physicians had reached the scene,
and attention was directed toward carry
Ing out the injured. Leary vas found TO
be the worst sufferer, and 1t was feared
he would scarcely live out the day The
others, though badly used up will prob
ably recover. The 6remen had a stub
born fight with the now doomed round
house, the heavy wind greatly aiding the
stubborn flames. At noon the fire was
practically under control, after destroy
Ing all that was infiammable of the build
Ing. The property loss Is estimated a.
500. 100. probably insured
Late tonight two more men were found
who were injured by the falling wall.
They are ]. Finley. engineer. of Andrews,
Ind, and George Towers. machinist, both
In the employ OF the Wabash. Finley is
quite seriously hurt. His chest was
crushed and he sustained severe scalp
wound.