The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1896-01-24
FIREMEN IN DANGER.
THEIR COMRADES START HARD AT
WORK AT ONCE

Hoping to Reach Them Before tho Spark
Of Life Goes Out-Faint Cries for Helm
Nerve the Rescuers tn Their Task-Crasb
Of Floors In u 81. Louis Building.
ST. Louis, Jan. Gas the result of a
Are in the building MT AIS Broadway last
night flvefremsn were buried in the ruins.
and one is dead st Mercy hospital. At
midnight four Of the men In the ruins
were thought to dead, rs nothing could be
seen or heard Of them, while the fifth
Rhinehart Miller, OF salvage corps No. 1,
could be head, and ii WAS hoped to rescue
him alive. Owney Hines, foreman of
truck No. 3, who was taken from the
burning building soon after the fire
started badly suffocated and cut, died
while being taken to mercy hospital in an
ambulance. The cnptives: Owney Hines,
foreman truck No 9; Captain Granville
and James Rhoddy, OF salvage corps No q;
Milton Curly OF salvage corps No l, and
Captain Staunton, of Chemical No. l.
Comrades Work without Hope.
The firemen worked incessantly to res
sue their entombed comrades, but were
unable to reach them up to o'clock, when
1t was thought four Of the men were sure
ly dead, as nothing could be seen or
heard of them. The fifth, Rhinchart Mil
Ter, a member of salvage corps No. 1, who
was pinned down on top Of a shelf, could
be heard by his comrades, but they could
not reach him The firemen were making
every effort to keep the flames from roach
ing their buried comrades and pouring
great quantities of water on the ruins.
When the crash took place George Ruck-
or, member Of the chemical company
No. 1,was caught but was afterwards res
cued by Charles Bradley, Of salvage corps
No. 1, and other members OF the company
One Of the Prisoners Rescued.
At 1880 n m. the flremen succeeded in
rescuing Rhinehart Miller who was taken
to st. Johns hospital. His left arm was
broken and his body badly bruised, but
he is not fatally injured. The firemcn
then went TO work at the pile of debris
with the prospect of soon getting out tho
bodies of the missing men, who wero
believed dead. The men who were
caught were in tho rear of the store, near
the alley on the first and second floors,
when the crash came. Tho cause of the
crash was the construction of the build
ing. On every floor above the FIRST for
the purpose Of lighting the interior, large
skylights led to the roof. The glass and
castings ofthe sky lights broke under tho
heat and fell carrying the flooring in the
rear of the store with it. Tho men at
work underneath were caught.
The Four May Yet BE Rescued.
AT 2:15 p. IN. the firemen had cleared
away considerable OF the debris which was
piled on top of thoir comradea, and faint
cries could be heard from the center Of
the heap, which is ceiling high. One Of
the men said no could recognize the voice
of Captain Staunton, and they redoubled
their efforts to get the imprisoned oncs
out. 1t will take several hours TO get 70
the bottom OF the wreckage, whore Is is
hoped TO find the four men alive.
The fire that resulted in this terrible
disaster broke out in the store occupied
by Aloe 81 Co., 4l5 Broadway, dealers in
optical, surgical and electrical instrl-
ments, at 1890 last night. The firm,
which has been in business hero for the
past fortf years, also carried an extensive
stock of fine painting materials Before
the arrival of the flremen the fire had
worked itself up 10 the roof, breaking
through and threatening adjoining build
ings. All the fire companies in the bust
ness part Of town were soon fighting the
flames, and by strenuous efforts succeeded
in combining them to Aloe's building.
An immense amount Of water was
thrown on the fire. which was finally got
ten under control and practically subdued
when the top floor caved in and fell
through to the first floor, pinning down
the fremon. All the fremen available
were put to work at rescue and several
streams were turned on the burning heap,
from which could be heard their agoniz.
ing cries for help Finally all the voices
but one were stilled
The total loss caused by fire and wato'
is estimated at $50, 900; fairly insural.
Aloe 81 Co, place their loss at about S15O
000 and it is thought the loss on the build.
ing will amount TO $50, 600 Several thou-
sand dollars damage was done 80 the stoc,
of Jordan 81 Co., II cutlery firm az. AZ
Broadway,