The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-09-07
ELEVEN BRAVE MEN KILLED.
TONS OF BRICK AND MORTAR
MANGLE AND CRUSH THEIR
BODIES.
FIRE WAS ALSO DISASTROUS.
Opera House and Adjoining Build
ings in Ashes-Loss $780,
600.


night at midnight, when Yore's opera
mouse took fire, and in the fight to
save the building and other blocks ad-
joining, eleven flremen, one a volun-
teer, met their fate at one fell swoop.
death being instantaneous with five of
them, six lived only a few hours in
aWful agony, while several others met
with severe bruises and burns. Dur
Ing the evening the play "a Factory
G1rf had been given by local talent
and had closed but half an hour be-
fore fire was discovered, when the
building was filled from basement to
fourth floor with a suffocating smoke.
which burst into a sheet of flames
throughout the entire audience room.
almost instantaneously, before the fire
department could respond with a sin
gle stream of water, there being con-
fusion at the outset, owing to lack of
nook and ladder facilities, although the
local ire companies had that day
Closed two days tournament, exhib-
lung much skill in quick work ST. Jo-
seph was called on for assistance. At
the outset they approached the build
Ing through an alley, unloading lad
ders In the rear of the building, and
while hoisting them the upper walls
fell over without a seconds warning.
covering the men, The accident was
witnessed by hundreds of spectators
The following were killed:
FRANK WATSON, of st. Joe: legs broken
skull crushed; leaves widow. 49,
JOHN HOFFMAN, Benton Harbor crushed;
leaves widow and five children, u,
THOMAS KIDD, Benton Harbor. 1,nmar-
RED; killed by live wires
FRANK WOODLEY, Benton Harbor: killed
., Dy i've electric wires; leaves widow and three
ED, H. GANGE, st. Joe: drayman. head
crushed, legs broken
SCOTT RICE, bell boy at the Benton hotel;
Skull fractured, internal injuries; lived but
WILL I. MITTEN. Benton Harbor; both
iegs fractured, internal injuries; lived two
nouIs; leaves widow and seven children.
smashed, thigh crushed; widower; leaves two
small children.
ARTHUR C. HILL, ST. Joe: fireman st.
Joe Hose company; legs broken; terribly
FRANK S. EAvER, st. Joe; leg broken;
badly cut and burned; lived three hours.
ROBERT L. RoFE, st. Joe; compound tract
The injured: 4sa @n
John A. Crawford, ex-chief Benton Harbor
fire department; overcome BY heat and smoke;
burned about head; will recover.
VIII Freund, st. Joe; cut about head.
Frank Paget. st. Joe; leg bruised by fall
ing brick.
top of adjoining buildings with hose when
they encountered live electric wires, on which
they were hanging when found.
Policeman Charles Johnson, narrowly
escaped, as falling bricks tore half his
coat off, while another was protected
moving the debris was commenced at
once and those pinned in were removed
in few minutes, except C. A. Hill,
whose body was recovered at o'clock
this morning. 1t was believed that sew
eral more bodies were under the pile
of brick, and the search was continued
till every doubt was passed. The cause
of the fire is mystery, several theories
from a cigar stub to a lamp explo-
sion, are given. Guy Prescott is under
arrest as being one who knows OF the
origin, but when asked by a reporter
the cause, remarked that "he was not
going to give anybody away" assuming
that he was in possession of facts that
caused his detention. The building was
comparatively new, having been erect
ed seven years ago at a cost of $40, 900
by Patrick YOre, a wealthy farmer, who
had since leased it to j. A. Simon, who
has had charge for six years. A two
story brick block, owned by Joseph
Frick, which stood adjoining, was de-
moliShed by the opera house walls fall
ing on top and crashing through to the
basement without apparent resistance.
The opera block was occupied by the
Evening News, S. M. Austin's bakery,
J. Bernstein, clothing; John Holmes
barber shop and fuit packing in base
ment. The Frick block was used for
retail boot and shoe business and
dwelling. The buildings and stocks de-
stroyed, with losses, are as follows:
LOSS $60,000
Opera house block, loss $4,000, in
surance $4,000; Evening News plant,
$4,000, insurance $500; J. Bernstein,
$4,000, no insurance; S. M. Austin, $500,
no insurance.; Holmes, $1,000, no insur-
ance; J. M. Frick, loss $1,000. insurance
$4,000; J. N. Herr, grocery store across
the alley, damage to building and stock
81 900, fully insured; DR.. Hunt and 8.
M. Austin, grocerS across the alley,
damage to building and stock respect
lively $500 and $500, fully insured.
A high wind prevailed which caused
the walls to fall outward and adjoining
buildings were saved only with the
greatest efforts. A large quantity of
stage scenery belonging to Harry
Emery, of the Katie Putnam company,
J. Simon and w. C. Hooks was des-
troyed with no insurance. Thousands
witnessed the conhagration and with
difficulty crowds were kept out of
dangers way. The work of clearing
up the streets has continued through
the day. j. v. Howe lassoed one of the
ST. Joe firemen, who was half buried
with bricks and pulled him out of the
intense heat that was cooking him.
The ST. Joe funerals viii be held Mon
day, commencing at 10:30 a. M, while
the Benton Harbor unfortunates will
be inferred Tuesday, with services by
various secret orders. This calamity
is a greater shock to the Twin Cities
than Chicora's loss a year and a half
ago, owing to it's suddenness and de-
structive result.
The inquest over the remains was
commenced and the examination con-
tinued till the question of live electric
wires was reached when an adjourn
ment was made till next Tuesday aft
ernoOn, when young Prescott will prob
ably be put on the stand. Mr.. Yore be-
ing advanced in years, will not rebuild
the opera house, which will prove Sc
rious loss to this city.
Soon after the discovery of the fire
flames broke through the roof and
illumined the sky and streets with
lurid glare that served to make vivid
the general scene of confusion.
AS soon as the flames broke through
the windows and walls and let in the
draft the burning block was known to
be doomed. 1t soon became fiery fur
mace. The falling walls proved to be
not only
DEATH TRAP