The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-03-18
FATAL ROUND-HOUSE fire
Three Employees of the Wabash Rail
road Killed by Falling Wall.
SEVERAL OTHERS ARE INJURED
While Engaged In Fighting Fire the Vic.
tins Arc Caught by Crnmbling Walls.
Six Engines Rendered Use.
less by the Blaze.

Toledo. o., March IA disastrous
fire at the round-house of the Wabash
railroad, attended by heavy loss of
life. occurred in this city this morning.
Three men lost their lives. two being
instantly killed. Nine others were
more or less injured one of them,
John O'Leary. machinist. 1t Is
thought, fatally. The list of dead is as
follows:
X. Ill. Bohlman, painter, married, sew
on children, skull crushed, internally
injured: j. j. Preston, aged 80. car In
spector married. six children, back
broken. skull crushed: John Bowen,
aged Is, Il spectator, skull crushed, in
tGrnally injured.
The injured are: IL. Il. Howard, gem
eral foreman Eastern division, back
bruised. face cut. slightly burned; John
OLeary, machinist, leg broken, arm
crushed, skull fractured. may die; Pat
rick McDonough. fireman, skull frac-
tured, shoulder broken; Martin Green
burg, car repalrer, head cut: Harry
zimmerman. painter leg broken, body
bruised; Louis Decker. painter, bruised,
shoulder sprained; Henry Gerding, car
repairer. head bruised and cut; Caspar
Becker, painter, head and shoulders
cut; Il. G. Lauer. track foreman, neck
sprained. head cut.
All of the dead, except John Bowen,
We're employees of the Wabash railway.
They constituted the company's fire de-
partment for the protection of the
shops and We're engaged in fighting the
flames when the accident occurred that
resulted SO disastrously.
The round-house was a substantial
brick structure with a capacity of
twenty engines, and contained six loco
motives when the fire broke out. The
flames We're first seen in the cupola
that surmounted the roof, shortly after
10 o'clock. An alarm was sent to the
city fire department. and in the mean
time the yard company got one stream
playing on the blaze which soon made
it's way to the roof. The walls of the
building were believed to be secure
and the fire fighters pressed closely in
towards the building the more effec-
lively to combat the spreading flames
1t was seen that the roof would soon
fall. but no danger was apprehended
from that source, until, to the horror of
the spectators, the southwest wall
weakened by the destruction of the
supports that connected it with the
roof, was observed to tremble and sud
denly fall out on the volunteer fire.
men.
Wall Fell Upon Them.
Before the majority of the men could
realize their peril. the heavy wall was
down on top Of them, burying them un-
der heap Of smoking debris. All but
Bowen, Preston and Bohlman were
quickly taken out. The two first
named We're completely covered by the
ruins of the wall; Bohlman was a little
more fortunate. From out Of the
smoking heap the mangled bodies of
Bowen and Preston We're taken; they
were beyond need of human care
Bohlman was still alive, though un-
conscious, but died shortly after being
taken home. A dozen surgeons We're
quickly summoned and prompt assist
ance rendered the injured. Leary, the
machinist, rallied temporarily, but it is
not thought he can recover.
When the first of the city firemen
arrived they saw that there was imml-
nent danger of the fire spreading to
the Wabash elevator and the repair
shops, which stood close by. The oil
house was also mcnaced. but luckily
the flames were held in check at this
particular point. a general alarm was
sent in and by hard work the firemen
succeeded in saving the surrounding
property. The roundhouse was COM
pletely wrecked, and the six engines
stored therein practically rendered use
less. The loss Is estimated at from
$75, 900 to 100000, and 1t Is believed to be
fully covered by insurance.