The record-union., 1896-09-07
Eleven Firemen Killed and Number
Of Others Injured.
The Rear Wall of the FOur.StOry
Building Falls With a Mighty
Crash Just as the Victims Had
Reached the Spot to Direct
Streams on the rIass of Flames,
Burying Them Beneath the Ruins.

BENTON HARBOR (Mich.), Sept. 6.
The burning Of Yore's Opera house and
adjoining buildings this morning caused
the death of eleven firemen and injury
to number of others, and entailed a
loss of $50 600
The killed are: Frank Watson, mar
ried, of st. Joseph; Edward H. Gange,
married, ST. Joseph: Arthur G. Hill,
married, st. Joseph; Frank Seaver, mar
ried, st. Joseph; Robert Rolfe, single,
ST. Joseph; John Hoffman, married,
Benton Harbor; Thomas Kidd, single.
Benton Harbor; Frank Woodley, mar
ried, Benton Harbor; Will Matten, mar
ried, Benton Harbor; Scott Rice, Benton
Harbor; Louis Hoffman, single, Benton
Harbor.
The seriously injured are: Ex-Fire
Chief John A. Crawford of Benton Har-
Dor, burned and overcome by heat and
smoke, seriously injured; Frank Paget
of st. Joseph, legs smashed by falling
brick; Will Freund of ST. Joseph, cut
about head and burned; Jack McCor-
mick of Benton Harbor, legs broken and
internally injured.
Several others were injured by falling
walls, but will recover.
Shortly after midnight the Opera
house, a large fOur-Story brick struct-
ure, was discovered to be on fire. 1t
had gained much headway before the
alarm was given, and when the four
city departments arrived the building
was a mass of flames. The st. Joseph
departments were sent for, and arrived
soon after.
The fire continued to gain on them,
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 win
dow. 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 We're weakening,
and the rescue of the imprisoned fire
men was deferred some time, as 1t was
expected every moment the remainder
of the wall would fall.
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 mass of
broken bones and mangled flesh. The
search continued until ) o'clock, when
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 enroute, and others
died while their wounds We're being
dressed. The City Hall 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 VIC
tim 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
falling upon a two-story brick building
owned by William Frick and completely
demolished the building 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
story buildings were mass OF seethlng
flames These, however, were not under
control before they reached the main
part of the buildings.
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, $4,000; insurance,
$4,000. The occupants of the several
buildings will lose several hundred dol
lars.
The origin of the fire is unknown, but
G,1y Prescott, who stated to-day that he
knew how the fire started but was not
going to give anyone away, was ar
rested and will be brought before the
Coroner's jury.
The wardrobe of the Katie Putnam
Company, which gave performance
for the benefit of the firemen last even
ing. was also burned. as was the ward
robe Of the Mexican Troubadoures, VINO
are spending their vacation here.
Several of the dead firemen leave large
families Their funerals will be all held
together Tuesday, and will be under the
auspices of the firemen and fraternal
societies of which the deceased were
members.