The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-09-10
BRAVE F|REMEN MEET DEATH
A FIRE WITH AWFUL CONSE-
QUENCES OCCURS IN BENTON
HARBOR, MICHIGAN.
BURIED BENEATH FALLING WALLS.
Eleven Frcmcn Killed While Bravely
Fighting the Flames-The Opera
House Burned in Half Hour
After Play Was Over.

of life that has ever occurred in this part
of the state occurred last night when My
! ers' opera house took fire, and in the fight
| joining eleven firemen, one Il volunteer,
met their fate ut one fell swoop, the death
being instantaneous with five of them, six
| living only few hours in awful agony,
while several others met with severe
bruises and burns. During the evening
the play, "A Factory Girl had been
given by local talent and had closed but
half and hour before the fire was dis
covered The building was filled from
basement to the fourth story with Il suf-
locating smoke which burst nto.a sheet
of flame through the entire audience
room, almost instantly. before the fire
department could respond with single
stream OF water there being some cOnfu-
sion at the outset, owing TO lack of hook
| and ladder facilities being short, although
the local lire companies had that day
closed Il tWO-dayS' tournament exhibit
ing its skill in such work.
st. Joseph was called on for assistance
at the outset. They approached the
building through an alley, unloading lad
ders in the rear of the building, and while
hosting them the upper walls fell over
without seconds warning, covering the
men. The crash was witnessed by hun
dreds of spectators. The following
! were killed;
Frank Watson of st. Joseph, legs
broken, skull crushed: leaves wife.
John Hoffman of Benton Harbor.
crushed into unacceptable mass; leaves
wife aud five children.
Thomas Kidd of Benton Harbor, I'M
married; killed by live wires.
| Frank Woodlcy of Benton Harbor,
three children
Ed Gange of st; Joseph, drayman, head
crushed, legs broken.
Scott Rice, bell boy ut the Benton ho-
tel. skull fractured
| VIM. Mitten, both legs fractured. in
ternal injuries; lived two hours.
Louis Hoffman of Benton Harbor. head
curshed, thigh crushed; widower leaves
two children.
Arthur G. Hill of st. Joseph, foreman
hose company, legs broken, terribly burn
ed: lived two hours
Frank Seaver of st. Joseph leg broken,
badly cut and burned; lived three hours.
Robert l.. Bofe of st. Joseph compound
fracture of left leg, interal injuries; lived
one hour.
The injured are:
John A. Crawford of Benton Harbol
fire department, overcome by heat and
smoke.
Will Freund of st. Joseph, cut about
| head.
Frank Paggett of st. Joseph. leg
broken.
Policeman Johnson narrowly escaped
us falling bricks tore his coat off, while
another officer was protected by tele
phone pole. The work of removing the
debris was commenced at once, and those
pinned in were removed in few min
utes, except G.. A. Hill, whose body was
recovered ut 4 o'clock this morning. Ii
was rumored several more bodies were
under the pile of debris and search was
continued until every doubt was passed
The cause of the fire is a mystery, severa
theories, from a cigar stub to a lamp eX
plOsion, are given. Guy Prescott is under
arrest as being one who knows of the
origin, but will probably be released.
The building was leased by j. ii. 81
mon, who has charge of it for six years
A two-story brick store owned by JOSEPH
Prick, which stood adjoining, was de
molished by the top walls of the opera
house falling on top and crashing through
to the basement without resistance. The
opera house block was occupied by tn,
Evening News, J. Bernstein clothing
John Holmes, bar shop, and fruit packing
in the basement. The Frick block wa,
used for retail shoe business. The build
ings and stocks destroyed with losses
are as follows: Opera house block, loss
$4,000; insurance, $4,000; Evening
News plant. $1,000: insurance, $500; j
Austin, $500: no insurance; Holmes
500: nc insurance: j. NJ. Prick, loss
$1,000; insurance, $1,000; j. ii. Herr, gro
Gerry stock across the alley. damage t.
building and stock, $1,000, fully insured
DIR. Hunt and S. NJ. Austin, grocers
across the alley, respectively $4,000 ant
$4,000, fully insured.
A high wind prevailed. which causet
the walls to fall outward, and adjoining
buildings were saved only with the great
est efforts. A large quantity of stage
scenery belonging to Harry Emery of the
Katie Putnam company, j. III. Simon anC
w. G. Hoke was destroyed with no in
surance
Thousands witnessed the con1agration
and with difficulty crowds were kept ou
of dangers way. The work of clearing
up the streets has continued through the
day. j. " Howe lassoed one of the st
Joseph tiremen, who was half burned
with bricks, and pulled him out of thu
The st. Joseph funerals will be helC
Monday, commencing at 1890 a. m.
while the Benton unfortunates will be in
tered Tuesday with services by various
secret orders. This calamity is a greater
shock to the twin cities than the Chicoras
loss year and half ago, owing to it
suddenness and destructiveness.
Inquests over the remains were com
menced and the examination continued
| nf yt,ira We oh
ed, when an adjournment was had unit
next Tuesday, when young Prescott vii
probably be put on the stand. Mr.. Yore
owner of the building, being advanced
in years, will not rebuild the opera house
which will prove a serious loss to thi
city.
Soon after the discovery of the fir
the flames broke through the roof ant
illumined the sky and streets with
lurid glare that served to make vivid thu
general scene of confusion and excite
ment. AS soon as the flames brok'
through the windows and walls and le
in the draft. the burning block wa
known to be doomed. 1t soon became ;
fiery furnace. The falling walls PROVED
to be not only death trap for the fir
fighters, but dangerous to every one WIFI
was trying to help stay the progress o
the flames or assist in saving goods. Tn
first to go down was the top part of tn
alley wall. which buried in its CRUISING
decent with tons of debris, fifteen men
This terrible sight was witnessed b.