Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-19
DIED AT THEIR POSTS.
Loss of Life by Last Nights COnla-
KrutfOn.

kfut1On.
The main feature of the terrible confia-
grafton last night was, of course, the loss
Of life. This loss was especially sad be-
cause from all appearances, it was un-
necessary. By half-past the fire was well
under control seemingly, and, while the
buildings on which it had taken hold were
cf course past any help. there was no dan
ger Of fl rther spread Of the flames. Then
it was that the hose detail of engine conf
pany No. pushed past the door of 92S
Louisiana avenue, one of the buildings be-
longing to the Clark firm, and occupied rs
g. store for agricultural implements, and
entered the building some twenty or TWEEN
ty-hve feet. 1t is a question of doubt
whether these men went inside of their
own volition or were ordered in. Chief
Paris states that his orders were for the
men not to enter the door. 1t was stated
last night freely among the firemen, how
ever. that the No. men were ordered in
side by their superors. However, when
they got there the floors crashed down
upon them, and, while three escaped, four
were caught and held by the falling tim
bers. The concussion of the fall of the
flooring caused the front doors of this
building to spring shut, and in this way, if
any of the four men were not caught al
ready, their exit was prevented. When the
shout went out through the immense crowd
banked up on Louisiana avenue that fire
men wero caught in the ruins and prob
ably killed thrill of horror went through
the crowd, and it was almost impossible
to keep them from surgins close to the
burning buildings. Energetic as the fire.
men had been before, their work was now
heroic. The massive doors We're soon
forced open, ard willing hands pulled tim
bers, agricultural implements of all sorts
and still burning Tafters out on the side
walk in a desperate effort to reach the
comrades held inside the building.
Ropes were attached to larger implements
ard dozens Of willing hands hauled vigor-
hnn ,x,1
worked skilfully and all the time the huge
mass Of still burning ti!nbers was sprayed
with water to prevent more horrible death
reaching the imprisoned men. 1t required
nearly thirty minutes of hard work to ex-
tricate the first man and hiring him to the
street. He proved to be Arthur Donaldson
OF No s. and from all appearances was bad
ly crushed and hurt One more man was
now in sight and the cries Of still another
could be heard far under the piled up beams
Great skill and care had to be exercised in
removing any portion of the pile to prevent
other rafters from closing down and crush
ing the life out of the apparently doomed
men. Twenty minutes later the second mar
was brought out and tenderly placed in the
ambulance and carried to Providence Hos
pital. He was VIM. ]. McIIlwee and he was
also alive, although his legs appeared to he
crushed and he was severely burned. Two
men ere still inside the building and a
continued and rising Smoldering of the
framework beneath the men gave great fear
that they would be roa sted before helm cou-d
reach them 1t was known that the two
men still imprisoned were Joseph Mulhal
and George w. kettler two of the most
popular men in the entire department.
Seemingly incapable of fatigue the tiremen
now worked harder and harder. Outside
the scene was rendered still more sad by
the presence of several relatives of the two
imprisoned men, who waited anxiously for
any sign or word from the inside. BY a
quarter OF ii Mulhall was almost entirely
uncovered being held only by one leg Ket-
tier was still far back and had ceased talk
ing. Engine company No. | had run hose
by ladder to the second story Of the ad-
joining building, 926, and some of the men
were ir side No. 8 had taken a hose through
the door OF the same building and had push
ed far to the rear in an effort 70 throw water
on the pile covering Kettler
Just at this time there was another fear-
tul crash and the crowd outside fearing
that the whole walls were coming out fe,'
IN wild disorder. When the man returned
to the scene it was found at once that
another fatality had occurred In 92G ::
wall mad fallen, and At least three of No
Us men were beneath the ruins Almost
by miracle the No. l men had escaped
without injury. A few minutes later Mul-
hall was taken out, crushed almost bevond
recognition. The work of rescue vas row
divided between the two buildings. Ket-
t tler was stu stu III 92i, and three men were
beneath the ruins in 926, although the
latter were almost certainly dead Late
IN the night firemen and iaborers still
worked at the ruins 1t was nearly 1
tenuerly cared for. For four hours he
mad been underneath the ruins, but he
was still alive, although heavy timbers
!r1' nad probably caused fatal internal injuries.
me three men in the adjoining ruilding
were George T. Giles. the assistant fore
man mi OF engine No. 0; Thomas A. Crit
nm OF truck b. William Conway of e!.gine
NO. NO; =. ilies' dead body was recovered
late In the night, and the work of getting out
ms TWO companions was prosecuted until
oayEght. The prompt ambulance service
ana the tender care of DIR. Ramsay Nevitt
and DR.. Woodward, who stayed inside the
building while the men were being gotten
out and rendered every medical assistance
aiterward, were features of the terrible