The evening times., 1896-06-02
IS kURIl R[sP0NSIBLE1
New Light on the Louisiana
Avenue Disaster.
IMPORTANT FACTS LEAK OUT
Fireman KidweH Claims That AS
slstant Chief Kurtz Ordered the
Men Into the Building to Fight the
Flames and Not to Rescue Their
Comrades.

The resignation of Fireman Kidwell from
Company No. 8, which has Just become
known, has again raised the question OF
blame for the death OF the firemen at the
market house coDflagration two weeks ago.
On the morning after the fatal fire Kid
well rendered his resignation to CHIEF Far
r,s. to take effect Immediately. On uc
count Of the charges hinted at in the resig-
nation ihesmatter has not been made puphc
by the department. IL is said ,,,.
In his letter Kidwell states that. with
all due respect to the foremen and mein-
bers OF No. company, he did not care to
again risk his life at the command OF AS
sstant Chief KurtZ. =,
1t Will be remembered tnat az tne ~.
quest and investigation or the death OF
the members of companies ana IL was
stated that the latter company was Or
dered into the burning building wnefe
the assistant chief for the purpose OF
rescuing those injured by the crash at
No. 92S Louisiana avenue.
ORDERED IN BY ASSISTANT CHIEF.
Some OF the surviving members OF No.
now state that such was not the order.
as the building in which their men were
killed was the one adjoining at No. SSO
and that they we're not engaged in rescuing
the men of No. at the time OF the SecOul
crash. Assistant Chief kurtz. 1t is said.
directed the men to go into the auilding
and after pointing out the place Tor INC
ST ream to play upon went outside.
Conway and Kidwell were at the end of
the pipe, adjusting the nozzle to new
length or ho Sc, which had been procured ana
substituted for the one they had first car.
ried in, which had become tangled ana could
not be used The remainder OF the men.
with the exception Of Giles and the other
man who was killed, were endeayoring
to Iengthen out the line when the floors fcii.
No strain had at that time been playing
on the interior of the building. Had the
stream been running all OF the men would
have been ut the nozzle, as Mr. Kuri1 had
directed them, and all would nave Deen
entom5ed in the RUNS.
he GAVE THE ALARM.
Kidwell says when he saw the eorniee
crumblinr and about to fall he shouted
the danger to the others and made his es-
cape. He was standing within two rect
of Conway. who was pinned down; anu
even then, though he escaped with his HE
his foot was injured and still troubles him.
Kidwetl states In his letter that he does
not seek TO question the Judgment of he
assistant chief. but resigned beca use he
considered IL extremely hazardous to follow
Since his resignation Kidwell has been
employed on the Fourteenth street cable
line "A gftpman- He was only In the fire
department on probation and had served
Two months and seven days. kIdwells
intimatiOns would seem to place the mat
ter OF the death OF the firemen in an en-
accepted after the inquest, and has been
the subject of mucE talk among those
who are interested III the matter of
further investigation.
DANGER FURTHER INCREASED.
1t is understood tina ta ne W Grder has lately
been issued that no man shall leave the
pipe, no matter what his danger may tie.
il directed by his superior to take Il certain
stand. He must remain there until or
dered to leave or be subjected to fine.
This still further increases the danger. ;Ind
risk in which the nieu will be compelled 10
work.
william j. McIlwee. one of the firefnen
injured at the Louisiana avenue disaster.
| and who has since been at Providence Hos
| pital. is we'll enough to go about the hos
| backgrounds. Arthur Danalds on. the OF her
| injured man. is coDvaescing, but very
slowly, and ii will probably be several
weeks before he is able To be out.