The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-09-07

BENTON HARBOR, Mich, Sept. G.
Yore's opera house and adjoining
buildings were burned, this morning.
causing the death of eleven fremen
and injury to a number of others and
entailing a loss of sos, coo.
The killed are:
Frank Watson. married, of st. 10
seph.
Edward H Gange, married. OF St.
Joseph.
Arthur c. Hill, married, of St. Jo-
seph.
Frank seaver, married, of st. Jo-
Robert Rolfe. single. of st. Joseph.
John Hoffman, married, Of Benton
Harbor.
Thomas Kidd, single, Of Benton
Frank woodley. married. of Benton
win Matten, married, of Benton
Harbor.
Scott Rice of Benton Harbor.
Louis Hoffman. single, OF Benton
Harbor.
The seriously injured are:
Ex-F'ire Chief John A Crawford Of
Benton Harbor, burned and overcome
by heat and smoke; seriously injured.
Frank Paget IF st. Joseph, legs
mashed by falling brick.
VIII Freund Of st. Joseph, cut about
the head and burned.
Jack Mccormick of Benton Harbor,
legs broken and internally injured
THE WALL FELL.
Several o+1eg-c 1,yere i,i,,,ad nv, foil
ing walls, but will recover.
Shortly after midnight Yore's opera.
house, a large fOur-stOry brick struc-
ture, was discovered to be on fire. It
had gained much Roadway before the
alarm was given, and when the four
city fire departments arrived the
building was a mass of flames. The
st. Joseph departments were sent for
and arrived soon after. The fire con-
tinued to gain and was spreading
to other buildings, when the hook and
ladder companies went to the rear of
the building, hoping to be able to direct
a stream into the mass of flames from
a second story window. Hardly had
they arrived there than the wall with
a mighty crash came down before
them, burying fifteen men under the
red hot bricks. Other portions of the
wall were weakening and the rescue Of
the imprisoned iremen was deferred
some time. as it was expected every
moment the remainder of the wall
would fail
Finally some of the crowd rushed
into the mass to rescue the
SHRIEKING AND STRUGGLING
men. Frank Watson, of St. Joseph,
was the first man reached, but he was
dead and his body was a mass of
broken bones and mangled flesh. The
the last victim, Arthur Hill, was re-
moved. They were carried to offices
and private houses, where doctors from
both cities were in waiting to render
aid. Some of them died en- route and
others died while their wounds were
being cared for. The dead were taken
to the city hail. which was turned into
a temporary mOrgue. Some Of the men
were so badly mangled that identity
was only had by letters and papers in
their pockets.
AS the bleeding forms were carried
through the streets they were followed
by throngs of awe stricken men and
women, eager to learn whether the
victim was a friend or relative. After
the falling Of the rear wall, which took
with it the lives Of at least eleven men,
the roof and other walls soon collapsed.
One of the side walls fell upon a two
story brick building owned by William
F'ricke, and completely demolished it
and its contents of shoes.
The fire had not been confined alone
to the opera house, but had crept
across the alley and soon the rear Of
the two store buildings were a seeth-
ing mass of flames. These, however,
were gotten Under control before they
reached the main part of the building.
The fire was under control by o'clock
and the
SEARCH FOR MORE BODIES
was begun and continued all day until
tonight, when the firemen, exhausted,
gave up the search until tomorrow.
The loss as far as can be ascertained
is: Patrick Yore, opera house block,
$4,000; insurance, $4,000 The occu-
pants of the several buildings will lose
several hundred dollars.
The origin of the fire is unknown but
Guy Prescott. who stated today that he
knew how the fire started but was not
rested and will be brought before the
coroner's jury. The wardrobe Of the
Katie Putnam company, which gave a.
performance for the benefit Of the fire
men last evening, was also burned, as
was the wardrobe Of the Mexican
Troubadours, who are spending their
vacation here. Several of the dead fire
men leave large families. Their funer-
ais will be all held together Tuesday,
and will be under the auspices OF the
firemen and the fraternal societies or
which the deceased were members. g