The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1896-09-11
ELEVEN ARE DEAD.
The Result of a Terrible Acct.
dent at a Fire.
OPERA HOUSE AT BENTON HARBOR

Breaks into Flames That Plays Havoc with
the Firemen. Five of Whom Are In
stantly Killed and Six Given but an
Hour of Life After Their Rescue-Fall-
ing Wall Does the Mischief Catching
the Men I'm the Alley-List of the Dead.
Detroit, Sept. IA special to the
Free Press from Benton Harbor. Mich,
says: The most horrible holocaust.
with great loss of life. that has ever oc-
Cured in this part of the state occurred
Saturday night at midnight, when
Yore's Opera house took fire, and in the
fight to save the building and other
blocks adjoining eleven firemen, one a
volunteer. met their fate at one fell
swoop, the death being instantaneous
with five of them; six lived only few
hours in awful agony, while several
others got severe bruises and burns.
During the evening the play "a Fac
tory Girl" had been given by local tall
ent and had closed but a half hour be-
fore the fire was discovered.
Then the building was filled from
basement to fourth story with a suffo-
eating smoke which burst into a sheet
of flames throughout the entire audi
eonce room almost instantaneously, be-
fore the fire department could respond
with a single stream of water. There
was some confusion at the outset, ow-
ing to the lack of hook~an ladder ia
cilities, although the local fire compa-
MES had the same day closed a two
days tournament exhibiting much
skill in quick work. st. Joseph was
called on for assistance at the outset,
l. hi, he hull 1ire
through an alley and unloading ladders
in the rear of the building. 1t was while
hosting them that the upper walls fell
over without seconds warning covering
the men, which was witnessedby hun
dreds of spectators.
List of the Men Who Died.
The following were killed: Frank
Watson, of st. Joseph, legs broken
skull crushed, leaves a widow; John
Hoffman, Benton Harbor, crushed into
an unrecognizable mass, leaves widow
and five children; Thomas Kidd, Ben
ton Harbor. unmarried, killed by live
wires; Frank Woodley, Benton Harbor
killed by live electric wires, leaves
widow and three children; Ed II.
Gange st. Joseph, drayman, head
crushed, legs broken; Scott Rice, bell
boy at the Benton hotel skull
fractured, internal injuries, lived but
few minutes; Will I. Mitten, Benton
Harbor, both legs fractured, internal in
juries, lived two hours, leaves widow.
and several children; Louis Hoffman,
Benton Harbor, head smashed, thigh
crushed, widower, leaves two
small children; Arthur c. Fill,
st. Joseph, foreman st. Joe
ribly burned, lived one hour; Frank
Seaver st. Joseph, leg broken, badly cut
and burned. lived three hours: Robert
Rofe st. Joseph, compound fracture of
the left leg, burned and internal in
5uries, lived one hour
Three Men Cut Burned and Bruised.
The injured are: John A. Crawford,
ex-chief of Benton Harbor fire depart.
ment overcome by heat and smoke.
burned about the head, will recover; VIII
Freund, of st. Joseph, cut about the head;
Frank Paget of st. Joseph, leg bruised by
falling brick.
Frank Woodley and Thomas Kidd were
on top of adjoining buildings with hose
when the encountered live electric wires,
on which they were hanging when founl
Policeman Charles Johnson narrowly
escaped as falling DICKS tore his coat on,
while another was protected by tele-
phone pole, The work of removi0g the
debris was commenced at once and tn 3se
pinned in were removed in few ninucs
except G. A. Hill, whose body was recov
cred at o'clock yesterday morning, 1t
was believed that several more bodies
were under the pile of brick and search
was continued till every doubt was passed