The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-03-18
DEATH IN THE FLAMES.
Thrco Mon Killed BY tho Burning
ottho Toledo Round House.
SEVERAL OTHERS WERE INJURED,
Some OF Whom May Not Recover.
Tho Heated Wallis Fall aud Bury n
Dozen Men Beneath Them--A Dan.
gcrous Fro That Might Have
Proved More Disastrous hut For
the Heroic Efforts OF tho TIrclnon..-
Other Fires.

TOLEDO, O., March 1.-The round
house OF the Wabash railroad company
in this city, located at tho foo. OF South
street on tho dock front, burned to the
ground between 10 and IL o'clock this
morning. Threo quarters Of an hour
alter tho frat alarm was sont In tho
southwest wall Of the building, sixty
feet in circumference, fell in, burying
twelve men underneath it. Two Of them
vore instantly killed., q third died n
short time aftor being taken GU: OF tho
debris and the others were all badly
hurt, one probably fatally. All but
ono. John Bowen, were employees OF tho
Wabash.
Tho dead: L. II. Bohlman, aged Sc,
painter. married, seven children, skull
crushed, internally injured; ]. J. Pres
ton. car inspector, married, ak children,
back broken, skull crushed, killed
instantly; John Bowen. aged Is, speCta-
tor. skull crushed, internally injured,
killed instantly.
The injured: F. II. Howard, general
foreman eastern division, head bruised,
face cut, slightly burned, will recover;
John Lcary, machinist, leg broken. arm
crushed, skull fractured, may die; Pat.
rick NcDonough, fireman, skull frac-
tured, shoulder broken, will recover;
Martin Greenburg, car inspector, head
cut, will recover; Harry Zimmerman,
painter. legs spraincd, body bruised;
Louis Decker. painter. head bruised,
shoulder sprained; Henry Gcrding,
car repairer, head bruised and cut; 4.
G. l.aucr, truck foreman. head cut and
neck sprainod; Casper Becker, painter,
head and shoulder cut.
THE FIRST ALARM.
The first alarm for the fire came by
telephone to the district Offices at 1910
a. m. A few minutes previously resi-
dent OF the neighborhood OF the round
house saw small flame 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'a
private fire department consisting OF
fifteen men to the scene, and stream
was directed towards the blazing cupola.
A heavy wind was blowing and tho fire
soon ate its way down to the roof OF the
roundhouse.
When Fire Chief Mayo reached the
fire he saw that there was danger OF the
flames reaching tho oil house, repair
shops and the Wabash elevator, all in
close proximity, and he Immediately
sent in general alarm.
Meanwhile the roads fire company
had directed its efforts towards smoth-
ering the flames in tho southeast end OF
the structure, which menaced the oil
house, and tho FIRE was held in check.
The roofwas at this point already ablaze,
and threatened to collapse every mo-
ment, but the falling OF tho falls was
not at this time anticipated. The iron
braces supporting the roof expanded in
the intense heat, and tho frail frame
covering gave way with mullled roar,
falling in on the stalled engines.
WARNING CAME TOO LATE.
At this moment the southwest wall,
eighteen feet high aud eighteen inches
thick was seen to totter outwards from
the lateral pressure OF tho falling roof
and q yell went up to apprIso the
fifteen men at work at this portion of
the building OF their danger The warn
ing came too late and twelve OF tho men
wero buried in pilo of brick several
feet high. That only two were killed
outright was nothing short OF miracu.
lous. Streams OF water were poured on
the smoking debris, and as soon as posi-
bic the work OF rescue began. Preston
and Bowen wero buried completely and
were dead some time before their bodies
were reached.
They were badly crushed. Bowon'a
features being unacceptable. Bohl-
man was taken out in an unconscious
condition and removed to his home,
where he died = few hours afterwards.
By this time malt dozen physicians
had reached tho scene, and attention
was directed towards caring Tor tho in
jured. Leary, tho machinist, was found
to be the worst sufferer, and il was
feared lie would scarcely live out the
day. The others, though badly used
up. will probably all recover.
Tho fircmen had a stubborn fight with
tho now doomed round house, the
heavy wind greatly aiding tho stubborn
flames. Atnoon the fire was practically
under control. after destroying all that
was inhamnable OF the building.
The property loss is estimated at $780,.
900; probably insured. The round
house. whictfhad a capacity OF twenty
locomotives, contained only ak engines,
and these arc all badly damaged. 4
Wheeling & Lake Eric coal car and q
Baltimore & Ohio box ear were con.
sumed.
Lato tonight two moro mon wcro
found who were injured by tho falling
wall. They arc J. Finlay, an engineer
OF Andrcwu, Ind, and George Towers,
machinist, both In tho employ OF tho
Wabash. Finley is quite seriously
hurt. His chest was crushed and he
sustained 4 severe scalp wound. Towera
has n fracture OF tho left leg and is moro
or less bruised.
AiIlwnutso Firm. suffers.
MILWAUKEE. Wis, March 17.-Fire
r. Il u A..