The Yale expositor., 1896-09-11
WITHIN OUR WALLS.
MERE MENTION OF MICHIGAN
MATTERS.
Eleven FIremen Killed by Failing Walls
ar From Coming In Contact with
Electric Wires In n Big Fire at Ben
ton Harbor--An Incendiary Caused 1t.

that ever visited the city OF Benton
Harbor, and one which caused an
amount of distress scarcely equalled
by the loss of the steamer Chicora two
years ago, occurred at the burning of
Yore's opera house and the killing of
IL fireman by the falling of the walls.
An amateur performance of "A Fac
tory Girl" had been concluded about
an hour when fire was discovered in
Yorc's opera house, smoke issuing
from the windows being the first in
timation of the fact. by the time the
fire department had responded TO an
alarm the interior was mass of flames
which came pouring out of the win
dows. The building was four stories
high and surrounding buildings SO
much lower that it prevented the fire.
men reaching the roof with their short
ladders. Finally the roof began to
burn, which prevented any attempt TO
cut off the flames, and it was decided
to confine them as much as possible
and save the adjacent property.
Bravely the fremen, of Benton IIar-
Dor, went to work assisted by the st.
Joseph department, but they were
handicapped in all directions. Hun
dreds of people floclSing To the scene
and blocked the streets i'm every di-
rection, only the intense heat serving
to keep them at safe distance. Urg-
ed to their utmost the firemen began
getting their hose ready as best they
could and the fire department from st.
Joseph. ran their truck into the alley in
the rear of the building and began un
loading ladders. Others began pulling
lines of hose to the adjoining build
ings, but before stream of water
could be turned on, the catastrophe
came without IL moments warning.
The thousands who had collected
about the scene only heard terrific
crash which almost lifted them off
their feet, while they could see some
of the firemen running for their lives
away from the falling bricks and tim
Der. The walls of the building had
fallen. Then the cry arose that
number OF men were buried beneath
the fallen walls, but only the most de-
termincd of the men were able to with
stand the terrible heat and smoke in
order TO attempt to rescue them a
rescuing party was ut once organized,
however, and the work OF searching
the ruins began without delay. As
the men ncared the ruins they could
hear the groans of some OF the un-
fortunate ones who were pinned down
while on all sides of them flames were
beginning to burst out anew. Several
streams were brought into use and the
bodies were taken out as fast as pos
sibie.
While the rescuing party was at
work someone noticed two dark objects
on the roof of an adjoining building.
and they proved to be the bodies of
Frank Woodley and Thos. Kidd. Near
them rested a line of hose. which told
the sad tale. The men had climbed
onto the building with the hose, but
before they could give the signal to
turn on the water they fell upon the
live wires and met with instant death
1t was several hours before all the
bodies were removed and the fear that
some might have been overlooked in
duced the workers to pick over the
ruins several times until they were
satisfied that not n body remained.
During all this time the immense
crowd hung on watching the direful
work and it was daylight before the
scene began to be deserted. Mingling
in the crowd were the wives and fami-
lies of the firemen, and they became
frantic to know who had been killed or
wounded. 1t was impossible to keep
the sad news from them, and rs fast as
the ruins it would be surrounded by
tear-faced women and children, whose
grief was pitiful to witness. The
dead are:
Frank Watson, of st. Joseph, leaves
n widow; John Hoffman, Benton Har-
Dor, crushed into an unrecognizable
mass, leaves widow and five children;
Thomas Kidd, Benton Harbor, unmar-
ried, killed by live electric wires;
Frank Woodley, of Benton Harbor,
killed by live electric light wires,
leaves a widow and three children;
Edward ii. Gange, of st. Joseph, dray-
man; Scott Rice, bell boy at the Benton
hotel; William /. Mitten, Benton Har-
Dor, leaves a widow and seven children;
Louis Hoffman, Benton IIarbor, wild
overs, leaves two small children; Ar
thur c. Hill, st. Joseph, foreman, St.
Joe Hose Co.; Frank Seaver, st.
Joseph: Robert l.. Rofe, st. Joseph.
The injured: John Crawford, ex-chief
Benton Harbor fire department.; Will
Freund and Frank Paget, st. Joseph.
The cause of the fire is mystery,
but it Is generally believed TO have
been incendiary, and Guy Prescott, n
young man, was arrested because he
was heard to say that he knew some
thing about it. The losses are $40. 900
on the opera house and about $4,000
ON merchandise stocks and surrounding
buildings
William Patterson, an aged farmer
near Caseville. cut his throat from ear
TO ear. No cause is given for the act.
Edwin Lee, aged IL, hanged himself
M, ,..tl.,,,po The s.o.,,. - l,fa 1.Ag,,x