The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1896-02-28
TERRIBLE HOLOCAUST.
FIRE DESTROYS LIFE AND
PROPERTY IN BALTIMORE.
Eight Members of the Armlger
Household Dead and Others In
jured-Flames Caught from a De-
fective Flue--Brave Work of Fire
men-List of Dead and Injured.

men-List of Dead and Injured.
One of the most disastrOusly fatal
and melancholy tragedies, one that
causes an involuntary shudder and
silent prayer when the thought recurs,
happened on Sunday morning about
O'Clock. in Baltimore, and surpasses
anything of similar nature on record.
Fire, eminating, it is generally
thought, from a defective fiue in the
cellar, and communicating by means
of an air shaft to the entire building in
the twinkling of an eye, destroyed the
lives of eight members of the Armiger
household, on North Charles street,
before any of them had time to seek
an avenue of escape. Several were Sc
riously injured. Mr.. Armiger was the
Well-knoWn jeweler on Baltimore street.
The details in brief can best be given
by extracts from the leading journals
or that city, which follow:
Eight are dead and fOAr injured, as
the result of the disaster at the home
of Mr. James r. Armiger, 1906 North
Charles street. The ire started in the
basement at the furnace and two flights
of stairs furnished fiues up which the
flames swept with lightning-like rapid
ity to the fourth floor, cutting the first,
second and third floors as they went.
Lou Whiting, a colored servant, who
lived next door, first discovered the
fire in the basement He dashed
through the building arousing the in
,hD Grill in tI,nip hadc
but the sweep of the flames up the
stairs shut off all possibility of escape
in that direction. They dashed to the
doors, but were driven back to their
rooms by the binding smoke.
A large crowd was before the burn
ing building almost in a moment.
Looking up at the windows they saw
the occupants appear one after the
other in their night clothes. The
fire department was soon on the
scene and stretched a net beneath
the windows. The servants on the
upper floors rushed tothe lower
floors, but could get no further than
the second story, where they were
driven into the sleeping rooms of the
other inmates of the house, with the
exception of two. maid servants who
were in the kitchen at the time of the
fire and escaped by the rear door.
The fire department was upon the
scene as soon as possible and did noble
work. Mrs Armiger was taken down
from balcony by one of the brave
firemen, and several other heroic deeds
were accomplished.
Two policemen in an attempt to res
cue those whose lives were in danger
smashed in the front door. 1t was a
Fof. f,ly 70 : II fro
the draft it needed and it roared
through the Railways and up the stairs
with greater fierceness. They could
not reach the imperiled people, for the
stairs were then mass of flames and
the smoke was binding.
Many pathetic incidents are related
concerning those who lost their lives,
and of how they tried first to- save
others more helpless then themselves.
1t is a long story full of horroring de-
tails.
The following is list ofthe dead and
injured:
Mr.. James r. Armiger, prominent
jeweIer, aged go years.
Mrs. Marian Champlin, widow, daugh-
ter of Mr.. James r. Afmiger, aged %
years.
James Amiger Champlin, son of Mrs.
Cnamplin, aged years.
Mr.. William b. Riley, sOn-in-law of
Mr.. James r. Armiger, aged 81 years.
Richard Riley, sou of Mr.. Riley, aged
4 years.
Marian Riley, daughter of Mr.. Riley,
aged 8 years.
MIR. Horace Manuel, aged go years,
member of the firm of Turner, Manuel
& CO., brokers, of New York, guest of
Mr. lanes r rmiOpr
Alice Williams, coIored, nurse; skull
fractured.
Mrs. James r. Armiger, burned un-
der the arms and suffering from having
inhaled smoke and shock.
Mrs. William B. Riley, aged 80 years;
suffering from inhaling smoke, slight
burns on the face and arms and posi-
bly, Inhalation of flames.
Mary White, colored, housemaid;
suffering from bruises and from having
inhaled smoke.
Those who escaped uninjured were:
Miss Virginia Armiger, aged % years.
Miss Eleanor Armiger, aged IA.
Lucy Taliaferro, colOred, waitress.
Rosa Jones, colored, cook
The dead were laid to rest with sad
aud touching ceremonies on Tuesday.
By the will of Mr.. Armiger, all his
personal and leasehold estate goes to
his widow. aud at her death to his
children.