The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1895-07-04

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| within an hour after the fire broke out
/ six brave frenlen paid the penalty or
| their lives for their faithfulIess in
striving to save the property OF otters.
! Tie dead are:
Joseph Hoy. Hose Truck No. 2.
Walter Richardson, Engine Conn any
No. 9.
Frank Euhlein, Lieut.. Hose No. g.
John Horncr, Truck No. 3.
Fred Thomas, No. s died on the
wav to the hospitaN.
Christian Sander. Truck No. 8.
The fire. which resulted in the great
est fatality to firemen ever known TO
have occurred at any one time In the
history of the Northwest, broke out
Mt 10 40 o'clock in the rear OF the four
story brick structure at 24O and AZ
First avenue south, which was occu-
pied by the firm Of Mcdonald Bros,
and heavily stocked with Crockery,
glassware, chinaware, and silverWafe.
The fire is supposed 10 have origina-
ted among the packing and boxes Kept
in the rear portion Of the building, ana
had made great Roadway before the
firemen were on the ground, although
they appeared in an incredibly short
time after the alarm was turned in,
several of the engine houses being
within a few blocks Of the scene of
the fire. The Mcdonald Brothers
block was a five story brick. There
was no hope at any time after the fire
was discovered to save il from COM
plete destruction. All the firemen
seemed to have in mind w6s 70 pre-
vent the fire from spreading TO the adj
joining buildings. The greater part of
the apparatus turned out to the
alarm The extension hook and lad
der was hoisted promptly aud num-
Der of the firemen were on the top of
the building before the flames burst
through.
The falling of the wall nearest to
Washington avenue, after the flames
had burned briSkly for a quarter Of
an hour. was the first intimation Of
Immediate danger. The first fall was
followed Dy another pile of tumbling
brick Under this the firemen who
were killed were caught. Beside the
six killed. thirteen people were in
jured, some badly. The loss is 500
600. Up to the moment the wall fell
the thought Of the fremen had been
to save the valuable property from de-
struction. From that moment on, al
| though they worked with the energy
| of demons at war with demons, their
| thoughts were with the brave fellows
| whom they had seen dragged, limp,
| lifelesS and fearfully mangled. from
| amid the heap of hot and smoking
TuiLs. The tiremen were ordered into
| the alley between the Crockery house
and saloon. Soon three streams of
| water were playing on the fire from
| that position. when without n mo-
wentS warning the entire wall on that
| side collapsed with a great crash,
| burying a number of tremcn in the
ruins. On Washington avenue all was
| confusion, and great many people
| were moving their possessions into
| the street as rapidly as they could
| haul them down stairs. The entire
| street was soon Uttered with trunks.
| bird cages and all other movable ar
| ticlcs. The glass front of the North
| Star Clothing company blew ont with
great crash, and clothing was scat
| tered in all directions. A woman who
| had just passed the store before the
explosion occurred uttered scream
| and fell to the ground in a dead faint.
She was carried into Barges reStau-
rant, but no sooner had she been
placed in chair than the cry was
| raised that the building was about to
| collapse. She was quickly placed in
cab, hut the rumOr proved TO be I'M
rounded. All the stores In the imme-
date vicinity closed their doors and
the street was given up to the fire
men. They were greatly hampernd in
their work 10y the crowd. who pressed
around them in solid mass At first
the police seemed powerless to keep
them back, as the rear ones pushed
the front ranks forward in spite of
everything the officers could do. In
short time, however, they succeeded
in getting the crowd under control,
ana after that handled them admira-
bly,. AS soon as the dust and smoke
which arose from The fallen debris
had cleared away the work Of remov-
ing the dead and wounded was begun.
The seriously injured are John Gray.
pipeman Hook and Ladder No. 3. with
broken knee cap and other slight in
Juries; Ernest ID. Caldwell, captain of
Engine Company No. q, back badly
strained and internal injuries. NAV
die; Henry eau, Engine Company No.
l, back and kidneys badly Injured. will
die; Farnk Egan, hoseman Engine Co,
No. i, slightly burned on sides and
back; w. Ii. Mcdonald. lieutenant
body badly crushed: Ed Thielen. can.
tain Hook and Ladder Company No.
?. badly bruised about the head and
his body crushed.
Coroner Kistler was on the scene
shortly after the announcement of tho
fatalities. He view the bodies before
their removal.