The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1895-05-01
DEATH CAME BY FIRE.
A Man and Four Horses the
Uniortunatcs.
A MORTAL'S PlTIABLE APPEALS.
The stnbIe OF the Wilmington Transfer
Company Gattcd shortly Amer Mid
night, CRusing n Loss of $4,000.
The Origin u Mystery.

The Origin n Mystery.
Within hearing distance Of one hundred
| ape ctators who shuddered at the awful
thought OF death by fire, yet beyond the
reach OF any human being. q man perish
| cd IN the Iames which Quilted the stable OF
| the Wilmington Transfer Company short.
| ly after midnight The mortal who met
such u horrible death was Aebury FeoIey,
OF No. 1918 Wilson street. His life al
though was not the Only one lost for on
the lirst floor of the building four fine
horses fell unconscious from tho intense
heat while the flames roasted their very
flesh and bones.
The building which proved the death
chamber for man and beast Is located en-
Pine street lew feet north OF Third
street. 1t is brick structure. three etor-
les high and running back 80 feet. It has
afrontage OF 30 feet, The roof lie gabled
and plated. The first floor was used
for the horses, nine in number and the
upper floor as loft. Ia thls there were
four and one half tons Of hay, about the
same quantity OF strs ", 200 bushels of oats
and 25 bushels Of corn.
Amongs at this burning mass the unfortu.
nate man was. It was ten minutes after
12 O'Clock when @. Nj. Pahl, chief night
clerk at the p. W. n b. Railroad Com.
panys freight house. which Is situated
diagonally across the street. noticed
smoke issuing from the openings between
the roof and walls In the loft of the build.
ing In a minute flames appeared, and
before he reached the alarm box at Fourth
and Pine streets he met Patrolman
Shields, Ihs clerk knowing that the
horses wore In tho stable Instructed the
officer TO send In an alarm while he went
ana informed tho compamy's managers.
When the early spectators returned to
the now almost ilamo enveloped building
they shuddered ut the eries of Foeney
coming from the rear of the burning loft.
They were pitiabie,i In tho extreme. What
his utterauces were could not DO under
stood. the cracking OF the burning tim
bors being above tho sound of the human
voice. Neither could the man DO seen,
Ho groaned AMI walled, then screamed
with all The power his lungs commanded.
In the front OF tho loft are two windows
Gnu u door. The former were screened.
the latter locked. Tie man had broken
the glass from tine windows and at the
one nearer Third street had broken the
screen.
BY this time the district engines arrived
and with them fully 800 people. The i'm
prlsoned mans screams fell on their ears.
There l. & man In the loft" went up in
chorus from three hundred voices. Again
Feeney appeared at the window. or at
least his cries came from that direction.
Smoke In dense volumes Issued from the
opening, making It impossihle to see him.
Finally the cries were heard no more
and after the flames were extinguished
sufficiently to allow the firemen to enter
the lou withou. danger oil being cremat'
cd. First Assistant John Welsh mbled
over tho chnrted corpse. 1t was lying un.
der the window nearer Third street.
When the mans cries were heard John
Sterun and Edward Knowles volunteered
TO enter the burning stable. They tced
their way through front door and had
reached the ladder leading to the loft.
when they could 90 no farther. Hay had
fallen about the mouth OF the opening and
1t was nlirc There Is a funnel In the centre
OF the building but this was also atlre.
Thus every means of ingress were shut off
to the mon who had entered the building
on their erraDd OF rescue.
But they could save life and this they
dill. They battered open the big front
doors and tben out OF the building was
taken i've horses, When the men return.
ed again they were unable TO leave them.
selves by that route as the flames had
eaten through the flooring and were
spreading to the first floor, The four
horses and men were surrounded by
flames In moment and the only means
OF escape was through rear window and
this tho re5ouers used.
Five minuLts after tho alarm was sound
ell the building was a seething mass The
llntnes leRped from every part Of the
structure, illuminating the helvons and
sending a shower OF burning hay down on
the spectators. Tho burning mbers
cracked ana bla2oi In almost opeI de-
on them from every quarter.
Tho iniiamDubie material was packed
closely nnd the Intense heat prevented the
ureInen from getting Within n lighting
distance. For oue hour the fla played
with the lire lighters, but In another hour
tho iircmen wero the masters OF the stu.
alton. The fire had consumed all its ma
trral and by O'Clock the building was
sinould6fing mass.
Ali The hny, straw, corn and oats were
destroyed, together with the horses aud
many sets of harness, Whips and other
Articles The horses were valued at $3.50
piece and the eulire loss will aggregate
$4,000 insurance viii bring this about
down to $1,000.
TIE CAUSE
Exactly what caused The lire will prob
ably never be known. But the SUPPOSE
ton Is that the man VINO perlshed had
used u match in lighting pipe and had
uuconsclousiy thrown the burning match
IN thu hay. 1t WAS reported that another
man hnu been In the building but this Ia
doubted as it would have been impossi-
tie fol him to have made his escape as
the fire originated near the entrance to
the loft which wOuli have prevented him
from escaping that way.
Saither could he have ESCAPED through
the funnel. a. As every door OH thu ground
floor was securely locked the man could
moi have gotten out oil the building.
When tho tinInes were exLingus shed
Feeney's body Was carried from tho build
ing to the moIEue where IL was Identified
this morning. Feeney at one time was
employ cd Dr tile Transfer Company. He
was sesn about The stable Yesterday but
was not known to have been in tue build.
ing Inst night. An inquest will be held
on the body his afternoon.