The herald., 1896-02-24


ants, who were conveyed to the city hos
pital. The dead we're carried across the
street to the residence of DIR. X. Batchelder,
where every effort was made to resusci-
tate them, but to no avail. Nothing fur-
ther could be done for them; they were
covered with sheets and laid out on the
floor of the physiciaE's parlor to await
the coming of the undertaken.
The fire, although a fierce one. was con-
fined to the Armiger residence, which was
completely gutted. No estimate has yet
been made of the loss, but it is thought
the contents were worth at least $40 900.
The house is insured for $500, which will
fully cover the damage.
The news of the disaster spread with
wonderful rapidity all over the city, and in
an hour a tremendous crowd had gathered
in front of the house. Prayers for the dead
and afflicted were lifted up in almost every
church in the city and expressions of sin.
from every pulpit and repeated in the
households of the many friends and ac-
quaintances of the unfortunate family.
The scene in the parlors of DIR. Batchel-
der's residence where the bodies were car
ried, was narrowing. Even the under
takers and their assistants, used to scenes
OF death, turned away at this, ,half-sickened.
Mr.. Armiger was burned to a crisp around
the upper part of his body.
Mr.. Riley died from burns and suffoca-
tion. He was a rather stout and muscular
man.
Mr.: Manuel was terribly burned and his
horribly SCARED body was twisted to one
making supreme effort for life.
Strong men who we're standing in the
parlor turned their heads away when the
undertakers brought in the body of little
James Chaplin, grandson of Mr.. Armiger.
woman standing near the parlor door in
i, I.-D III E-sv til Ill Il
ened cinder.
The two Riley children were killed by
the suffocating smoke. They were not as
badly burned as the others, but their faces
were blackened from the bursting of blood
vessels, and the crimson fluid stained their
blackened nightgowns. Mrs. Letitia Riley,
who is SO cruelty bereaved, is lying at the
seemingly unconscious of her loss, and
suffering from the physical agony. The
physicians say, however, that her wounds
are more painful than serious and that the
only obstacle to her complete recovery will
be the awful shock she has sustained and
edge of the dreadful thing which has come
to her makes itself clear to hcr mind.
Today's tragedy is the fourln of similar
character which has visited this city dur
ing the past year. The first was that in
which Mr.. and Mrs. Thomas Whiteridge
were killed by falling from ladder down
which Mr.. Whiteridge was endeavoring to
carry his wife, after having refused the
services of the firemen. This fire occurred
on Januaty 15, 1895, at 13 West Biddle
street. The second resulted in the death
of Mrs. Roscoe B. Beath, a daughter of
the late Commodore Kittson of st. Paul,
and occurred at 20 West Mount Royal
avenue. on March "a, 1895. Deputy Fire
Chief Nc Afee, today's hero, was presented
with medal at that time for heroism in
endeavoring to rescue Mrs. Heath. The
third, a more recent disaster, was that at
the old Front-street theater, on December
26th of last year. in which five men, two
women and fifteen children lost their lives
during eenseless panic caused by a false
alarm of fire.
A coroner's jury tonight found that the
fire was due to defects in the furnace. and
commended the fire department and Dep
uty Chief McAfee. .4-.,. .
A GIRL BURNED
NEW YORK, Feb. 23.--Lillian C. Lyons
the 14-year-old daughter of Daniel Lyons
of Brooklyn, was burned to death in her
bedroom today. The fire started through
the accidental explosion of an oil stove
which had been used to light the room.
Lillian, who was an epileptic, was In the
without assistance. The bedclothes
quickly became lighted and the girl was
enveloped in flames before she could be
rescued. The screams of the girl attracted
the attention of the neighbors. They sue
ceeded in getting the girl from the burning
building. Before doctor arrived the girl
died in horrible agony.
SMALL IN COMPARISON.
STANFORD, Conn, Feb. 23.-By the col
lapse of an old building in Dublin. late
Saturday, one boy was killed, another
fatally hurt, and several others were more
or less injured.