The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-12-04
IN FURNACE OF TAR
H.t. shenfelter Meets Death
i'm Terrible Form.
JUST FINISHING HIS WORK.
while Putting the last on the
New University He Perishes-bs
Companions Escape

OF AT &4EriEeAHE ERs#AH1EH
fate % II. Z. Asheafelter Al the University
81 Washington. yesterday forenoon. and
while the nre Xaz roaring and burning ne
lie OF. OF the unfortunate man, ns eoni-
p4nfou. Frank Gallagher unsuccessful n
an attempt at rescue. Jay exhausted on the
ulatform At the base Of the tank. seventy
Eve feet above ground. with both his hands
severely burned. The awful affair nap
uAned az II o'clock, just AZ a time when
classes were changing IN the Dix naiiaing'
and the excitement, when ne discovery
xas made that two men had been on the
inside Of the burning tank. was intense.
workEnen. students and professors rushed
ont to give aid, but found on the spot
that their services came too late. as the
fated contractor vas beyond ali earthly
help, and Gallagher had gotten down safe
IL. ard was being cared for. 80 All they
had 70 do was 70 stand by and witness the
terrible. though inspiring, sigh for the
flames were shooting into the air for a
distance OF AZ least afteen feet above the
TOP OF the tank.
AS soon as he ire made its appearance,
Foreman cramp ran down to the pump
ing station. a distance Of co yards. and
ordered the pumps turned on. This Is
what stopped the fire IN the tank and gave
o number OF men an opportunity Of ascend
ing the ladders 20 the top and putting out
the fire from the outside. \ hole was then
cut IN the tank. and the body OF Ashen-
felter dragged out and lowered 10 the
ground by means OF ropes. The fresh air
revived Gallagher. when once outside. and
Re bravely made the descent. but how. he
does not remember.
a Warning Of Danger Ignored.
The work OF repairing the tank. which
had not yet been accepted because u
leaked. was hazardous. but Mr. Ashenfeiter
was anxious 20 finish everything before
the meeting OF the regents. which VIII be
held today. and Ia order 10 save time he
placed in the tank q ~salamander, or stove
for heating the tar. and attended 10 that
part OF the work himself. lie kept more
fire COINS than he ordinarily would. but
evidently thought there was no danger.
Yesterday morning about 10 o'clock a han
die was melted Off one Of the hye-gallon
tin buckets. half full OF tar. that had be
come too cool 20 use. the bucket upset and
the boiling tar ignIted. BY the quick work
of Gallagher Ia whipping ont the FIRE with
n wooden overshirt. both lives were prob
ably saved az that time. but not before
Ashenfelter had nearly become suffocated
from the dense smoke. lie got out and
climbed down the ladder 10 the ground.
and went over 10 the main building after
como material, He told Superintendent
johnson OF his narrow escape from death.
and went hack TO work.
Johnson followed soon after. but left al
most Immediately. saying there was too
much danger about such work for him.
lie climbed down and started foAthe gym
nasiufn building. bat before reaching II
looked back and saw immense quantities
Of smoke and fro coming out of the roof
over, the tank. He gave the alarm and
started back as fast as he could run. and
looking up saw the form OF Gallagher
coming out from beneath the roof. head
first lie hung on to the side Of the tank
for a minute, but finally caught the ladder
leading from the platform to the bottom
and climbed down. lie struggled To his
feet ane. with the aid OF Johnson. who
had climbed up. went down the ladder in a
sort OF confused way.
Work Of the Rcscuers.
by this time IA number of workmen and
students arrived. and all stood in awe. ex-
pecting TO see the half-dead man lose his
hold and fall TO the ground. The flames
were shooting out Of the top OF the tank
and timhers from the roof were falling all
about the hystanders. superintendent
johnson had climbed up 10 the platform.
but found nothing with which 10 accom-
plish anything. and hurried down for an
az. With this Mr.. Johnson cut a large
hole in the tank between the hoops and
found the Interior fan of smoke and fire.
lie saw - was an utter impossihility 10 do
anything more. By this time Mr.. Smart.
the engineer. who was at the main build
Ing, ran down 10 the station and started
The pumps. and I'm "a few minutes the tank
was filed with sufficient water TO qucnch
the nrc and enable MIR. Johnson and sew
eral others 10 take the remains out. Every
possible effort 10 rescue Ashenfclter was
made. hut the tank was so high and the
time so short that IL was impossible. The
body was lying fat on It's face. with tho
hands underneath the shoulders. The
clothes were nearly burned or and the
face burned and swollen. The hair had all
been singed OF the head and the body was
badly burned.
Tho Body Recovered.
Henry II. Hindshaw. tho gardener. who
went up The ladder with Mr.. Johnson.
climbed In through the hole. wrapped tho
body In a quilt and lifted t. up SO the other
men couid take it out, There was about
sixteen inches % water I'm the bottom OF
the tank when AIR. Hindshaw went 81.
The body OF the burned contractor was
placed on "A board and lowered 70 the
ground by means of a block and tackle
II was then carried TO one Of his old CON
struction buildings. where II remained IN
III Bonney 4 Stewartr wagon called and
took " away Gallagher. On the meantime.
had his hands attended 90 by pr Chap
man. who lives near the university. and
was taken 10 his home az Sl6 Harvard
street.
Galiaghcr's Accouu or IL.
Gallagher was seen az his home by a
representative 81 the Fost-Intelgeucer
during the afternoon. He was sitting fn
an EASY chair before tine fire. his hands
wrapped with oakum. Vut on az the un-
verSity. ana his eyes were considerably
hiaodShot from the dense smoke and frr.
The good wife. S2Hblnc auf CRYING. hut
withal thankful that her hgsbtnd's lfo
had been saved s4t by. and his -FOUR Nttie
children PLAYED about his chair. unron-
sctous of their fathers narrow escape.
Although suffering Intense pain. Gallagher