Evening journal., 1896-02-24
BAL LTIMORE HOLOCAUST
Seven Lives Are Lost In a
Conhagration.
HEROIC DEATH OF TWO OLD MEN.

less injured by a fire in the residence OF
James r. Armigcr a prominent jewelcr,
at 1906 Charles street. The dead are
James r. Armigor, aged 90.
William B. Riley his son-in-law, aged
80.
Richard Riley, son Of W. b. Riley
aged T.
Marian Riley, daughter Of W. B. Riley,
aged 2ls.
Mrs. Marian Champlin, daughter OF
James r. ArmiRer, aged 30.
James Champlin, her son, aged g.
Horace Manuel, aged SO, Of New York
city. a guest
The injured are;
Alice Williams, colored, servant skull
fractured and other serious injuries; she
will die.
Mrs. William b. Riley, burned about
face and arms and suffering from inhala-
tion Of smoke; will recover.
Mrs. James r. Armger, aged 30, slight
burns and suffering from shock and oxpo-
sure.
Miss Eleanor Armiger aged IA, slightly
burned.
Miss Virginia Armiger, aged 20, ankle
slightly sprained In jumping.
Ida Whiting, colorad, servant, slightly
burned and suffering from the inhalation
of smoke; will recover.
Origin OF the Holocaust.
The house In which the holocaust ocl
CURED IS one Of a row of granite front
residences belonging TO the A. $. Abell
estate, on Charles street just north Of La
fayctto avenue. 1t Is four stories in height
and at the time Of tho fire was filed with
costly furniture and much rare hric-a-
brac, plate and unique iowelry, Of which
Mr.. Armiger was an enthusiastic collector.
In the house wero just l3 persons. OF
these ten were members Of the Armigor
household, two servants, and the other,
Mr.. Manuel, was a guest who has been
visiting the Armigor family for the past
two or three days.
All OF these people woro in their bed
rooms on the upper floors, some of them
being partially dressed when fire was dis
covered issuing from n partition in the
cellar IL had ignitod from an ovorheatod
furnace flue and was first seen by Louis
Whiting the colored man Of all work, who
was at tho time cleaning the front steps.
| Whiting ran 70 the adiacent corner and
| gave the alarm 10 "a policeman and hur-
ried haok 20 tho house, entered the front
door. closed &c behind him and assembled
60 tho second floor, where Mr.. and Mrs.
/
was by this time fllod with dense ati-
fling smoke, and when tho negro and Mrs.
| Armiger attcm-ted 90 descend thcy found
it impossible. htiaE aided Mrs. Ar
niger to the front window and holped her
to reach a small balcony in front, upon
/ which he placed her and returned 20 the
aid Of Mr.. Arlnigor Ho found the latter
had gone and came back to Mrs. Ar
niger, who, clad in nothing but hor
i nightclothes was shivering on che narrow
balcony and shrieking I'm agonizod tones
/ FOR help. Half o dozen men who were
| passing hastened TO the power house OF
| the Charles street cable cnr line block
below, and procured a short ladder.
"a Tireman's Heroic Work.
When they returned, they found Deputy
| Fire Chief McAfec, a noted life saver, who
quickly mounted the ladder.
1t was not long enough, but by stand
/ ing on the uppermost round he could
reach the frightened woman. AS he at
/ tempted to lift her from the balcony her
scanty clothing caught on an obstruction,
and she fell forward, with her whole
weight upon the outstretohed arm Of the
i fireman. just then the ladder slipped, and
every one below expected to see both the
rescuer and the woman he was trying TO
save crushed to death on tho pavement be-
i low. BY q tremendous effort, however,
! McAfee steadied himself, and, holding
/ Mrs. Armiger with one hand, he grasped
| the balcony with the other. Hanging
thus he slowly replaced tho ladder with
| his feet and brought the now fainting wo-
man down in safety.
In tho meantime tho other Inmates Of
tho front rooms were crowding to the win
| dows, making the most piteous appeals
/ for help The people below shouted to
| them not to jump but Alice Williams dis
regarded their warnings and with an APP
| palling shriek sprang from the fourth
i story window, striking the stone steps
/ full upon her forehead, fraoturing her
skull and sustaining other Injuries.
An attempt was made TO succor the
| other unfortunates by mems Of the door
way on Charles street, but when the po.
licemen burst It in they were met with
such a volume of smoke and flame that
they were driven back.
In the rear room on the second floor
| were Eleanor and Virginia, the unmarried
daughters OF Mr.. Arniger They were
partially dressed but SO rapid was the
spread Of the flames that they had no time
to escape by the stairway.
Cool Headed Young Woman.
In their extremity they leaned far out
OF tho rear window and cried for help.
| A neighbor came 70 their aid and under
his cool headed directions Miss Virginia
lowered her younger sister with sheet,
| and throwing a mattress out Of the win
dow, leaped to the yard below. She alight-
cd in safety and beyond the shock and a
| slight injury 10 her ankle escaped unhurt.
By this time the hremen had reached
the scene and In a twinkling had reared
long ladders up to the windows, both
front and rear
On the stairway lesding from the ssc-
ond 70 the third floor was found the body
Of Mr.. Armiger, with that Of his little
grandson. Richard Riley, clasped tightly
| In his arms showing that the old man
had made gallant attempt TO rescue
tho boy, which cost him his own life In
the front room on the third door was
found the body Of Mr. Manuel He too
had the body OF a child IA his arms, tell
ing another story Of unrequited heroism.
IN the reaT room On the third floor ly-
| inc on the bed the fireman found tho