The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-02-24

BALTIMORE. Md. Feb. .3.-seven
people were asphyiated, one fatally
hurt by jumping from a window. and
dye others more or less Injured by q
fire in the residence OF James r. Armi-
ger. a prominent jeweler at 1890
Charles street, this morning.
The Dead.
James ArmIger. aged fifty-fve.
William B, Riley. his son-ln-law. aged
thlrty-six.
Richard Riley. son of W. B, Riley,
aged four years.
Marian Riley, daughter Of W. B.
Riley, aged two years and six months.
Mrs. Marian Champlin, daughter of
James r. Arulger, aged thirty.
James Chsmplln. son Of Mrs. Marian
ChamplIn. aged three years.
Horace B. Manuel, aged fifty-slx, OF
New York City, guest,
Fatally injured.
Alice Williams. colored servant, skull
fractured and other serious injuries.
Injured.
Mrs. william B. Riley. burned about
face and arms and suffering from In
halation OF smoke; will recover.
Mrs. james r, Armiger. aged nifty,
slIgh, burns and suffering from shock
and exposure.
slIghtly burned.
Miss Virginia ArmIger, aged twenty
FIVE. ankle slightly sprained In jump
Mamie whiting. coiored servant,
slightly burned and suffering from in
halatlon OF smoke; will recover,
The house In which the holocaust oc-
CURED is one OF n row Of granite front
residences belonging to the A. S. Abel
estate, on Charles street, Just north OF
Lafayette avenue. II is four stories In
height, and at the time Of the fire was
tlllei with costly furniture and much
rare bric-a-brac, plate and unique
iewelry OF which Mr.. Arniger was an
enthusiastic collector. In the house
were thirteen persons. OF these ten
were members OF the Armiger house,
hold, two were servants and the other,
Mr.. Manuel, was guest who had been
visiting the Arniger family for the
past two or three days. Il was his pur-
pose to have returned TO his home in
New York last night, but Mr.. Armiger
prevailed upon him to remain until
Monday.
Caught In Their Rooms.
All OF these people were In their bed
rooms, on the upper floors, some OF
them being partially dressed when. a;
fifteen minutes after eight O'Clock this
morning, fire was discovered issuing
from O. partition ID the cellar. II had
iEnited from an. ove--heated furnace
fiue and was first seen by Louis Whit
ing. the colored m1ln-of-all-work, who
was az the time cleaning the front
steps. Whiting ran to the adjacent
corner and gave the alarm TO police
man, and hurried back to the house
entered the front door. closed II behind
rim and ascended to the second floor
where Mr.. and Mrs. Armiger had their
bed room. The house was by this time
allied with q dense. sitting smoke and
when the negro and Mrs. Arnlger at
tempted to descend they found II Inn
possible.
whiting aided Mrs. ArniEer TO the
front window and helped her TO reach
small balcony In front, upon which
he placed her. and returned 20 the aid
Of Mr. Arrniger, He found the latter
had gone, and came back TO Mrs. Armi.
ger. who clad In nothing but her night
clothes. was shiveriuR on the narrow
balcony and shrieking In aSonlzed
tones for help. Half dozen men who
were passing hnStened to the power
house OF the Charles street cable chr
line, a block below. and procured a
short ladder. When they returned they
found Deputy Fire Chief McAfee. q
noted life saver, who quickly mounted
the ladder. II was not long enough
but by stanuIng on the uppermos'
round he could reach the frightened wo-
man As he attempted TO IIft her from
the balcony, her scanty clothing caught
on an obstruction and she fell forward
with her whole weight upon the out
stretched arm OF the fireman. Just
then the ladder slipped and every one
below expected TO see both the feseuef
and the woman he was trying to save
dashed TO death on the pavement below
By a tremendous effort, however. Nc
Afee ste6dIed himself, and holding Mrs
Armiger with one hand grasped the
balcony with the other. Hanging thus
he slowly replaced the ladder with his
feet and brought the now fninting wo'
man down In safety.
In the meantime the other inmates IN
the front rooms were crowdlng TO the
windows making the most ptteous hp'
peals for help. The people below shout
ed 10 them not TO jump, but Alice Will
Jams dlsregarded their warnings, and
with an appalling shrlek sprnng from
the fourth story window, struck the
stone steps full upon her forehead. frnc-
turing her skull. and sustaining other
injuries from which she will die. An
attempt was made to succOr the other
unfortunates by means Of the doorway
on Charles street. but when the police
men burst II In they were met by such
n volume Of smoke and flame that they
were driven back.
In the rear room on the Second floor
were Eleanor and Virginia, tho unmnr-
rted daughters az Mr.. krmlgcr. They
were partially dressed, hut so rapid was
the spread OF the flames that they hid
no time to escape BY the stairway. In
thofr extremity they leaned far out o!
the rear window and cried for help. A
neighhSr came so their Aid, and under
his cool-heDded directions Miss Vlr-
ginla lowered her younger sister with a
sheet and throwing mnttrags out ot
her window, lenped 20 the yard below.
She aiIghtcd with safety and beyond
the shock and n slight injury 10 her an.
kle. escaped unhurt.
DIED Saving Others.
by this time the frcmrn hnd reached
the scene md in a twinkllng had reared
long ladders UP to tho windows, both
front and rcnr. Up these they swnrm.
cd and In u few minutes the remaining
inmates Of the doomed house We're car
rl''d out. on III" stairway leading from
the second to the third moor was the
body Of Mr.. ArmiRcr, with that Of his
little grandson, Richard Riley, ClnEpri
tightly IN his arms, showing TINT The
old man had made Il gallant attempt 10
rescue the boy nt the cost OF his own
llrc.
In the front room on the third floor
whp found the corpse of Mr.. Manuel.
He too had the body Of child In his
arms. telling another story OF unTcquil-
Tod hgroigm In the fpnr rom. on thf