The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1896-09-10
FATAL J. I 4 TO FIREMEN.s
Disastrous and Fatal Fire at,
Benton #Harbor Mich 81

Disastrous and Fatal Fire at
Benton Harbor Mich.
Benton Harbor, Mich, Sept. The
most horrible olocaust with great loss
Of life that has ever occurred in this
part of tho state occurred last night at
midnight when YOre's opera house took
fire and in the fight to save the build
ing and other blocks adjoining eleven
iremen, one volunteer, met their fate
at one fell swoop, the death being lin
Simultaneous with five of them, six
lived only q few hours in awful agony
while several others met with severe
bruises and burns. During the evening
the play "A Factory Girl" had been
given by local talent and had closed
but half an hour before fire was dis
covered. St Joseph was called on for.
assistance at the outset, they APP
preaching the building through an al
ley. unloading ladders in the rear Of
the building, and while hosting them
the upper walls fell over without q
seconds warning, covering the men,
which was witnessed by hundreds Of
spectators. B
The following were killed: Frank
Watson Of st. Joe, legs broken, skull
crushed; leaves a widow. John Hoff.
man, Benton Harbor, crushed; leaves
widow and five children. Thomas
Kidd, Benton Harbor, unmarried; was
killed by live wires Frank Woodley,
Benton Harbor, killed by live wires;
leaves a widow and three children
Ed H. Gange, st. Joe, drayman, head
crushed, legs broken. Scott Rice, bell
boy at the Benton hotel skull frac-
tured. internal injuries; lived but few
MI 40, r % r.,
Dor, both legs fractured, internal in
juries, lived two hours; leaves widow
and seven children. Louis Hoffman,
Benton Harbor, head smashed, thigh
crushed; Widower, leaves two small
children. Arthur-C. Hill, st. Joe, fore
man st. Joe Hose company, legs brok-
en-, terribly burned; lived one hour
Frank S. Eaver, st. Joe, leg broken,
badly cut and burned; lived three
hours. Robert Z. Rofe, St. Joe, COM
pound fracture left leg, burned; lived
one hour.
The injured: John A. Crawford, ex-
chief Benton Harhor fire department,
overcome by heat and smoke burned
about head; will recover. Will Freund,
st. Joe, cut about head Frank Paget,
st. Joe, leg bruised by falling brick
Frank Woodley and Thomas Kidd
We're on top Of adjoining buildings
with hose when they encountered live
electric wires, on which they were
hanging when four d. Policeman
Charles Johnson narrowly escaped, as
falling bricks tore half his coat off,
While another was protected by a tel
ephone pole.
An Arrest Made.
The cause Of the fire is a mystery
several theories from cigar stub to
a lamp explosion, are given. Guy
Prescott is under arrest as being one
who knows of, the origin, but when
asked by a reporter of the cause, re-
marked that she 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 erected seven years ago
at a cost Of $4,000 by Patrick Yore,
wealthy farmer, who had since
leased2it to J. A. Simon, who has had
charge for six years. A tWo-story
brick block owned by Joseph Frisk,
which stood adjoining, was demolished
by the opera house walls falling on
top and crashing through to the base
ment without apparent resistance. The
Opera block was occupied by the Even
ing News, S. NJ. Austin's bakery, J.
Bernstein's clothing store, John
Holmes barber shop and fruit packing
in the basement. The Frisk block was
used for retail boot and shoe business
and dwelling. The buildings and
stocks destroyed, with losses, are as
follows:
Opera house block. loss $4,000, in
surance $4,000; Evening News plant
$4,000, insurance $1,000; J. Bernstein
$4,000, no insurance; S. M. Austin $500,
no insurance; Holmes $500, no insur-
ance; J. NJ. Frisk, loss 81 200, insurance
$4,000; J. N. Herr, grocery store across
the alley, damage to building and
stock, $1,000; fully insured. A large
quantity of stage scenery belonging to
Harry Emery, of the Katie Putnam
company, j. Simon and w. G. Hooks,
was destroyed, with no insurance.
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