Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-02-27
A CALAMITY IN BALTIMORE
James r. Armlger's Fine
Home Destroyed by Fire.
THE LOSS OF LIFE TERRIBLE
Seven Persons Suffocated and
Seven Injured.


Baltimore, Md, Feb. 90. Seven per-
sons were suffocated at o'clock this
morning and one other will die from
fracture Of the skull, sustained by
jumping from third story window Of
No. 1906 North Charles street to escape
the flames
Tho dwelling in which the victims
lost their lives is located in the most
fashionable section of the city. 1t was
occupied by the family of James II.
Armiger, of the firm of Justjs g.
Armiger, prominent iewelry house in
Baltimore. With him were his widowed
daughter, Mrs. Champlain. and one
child; another daughter, Mrs. Riley;
her husband and two children. Still
another occupant of the house was
Horace Manuel of Now York, who had
been here since Thursday, and who had
been invited by Mr.. Armiger, whose
intimate friend he was, to spend some
weeks with the family Besides these
there were tho servants, who occupied
upper rooms. but nearly all of whom
had risen when the fire occurred.
The dead are: James II. Armiger,
rs years old, prominent ieweler of
Baltimore; James Champlain, years
old grandson Of James r.. Armiger;
Mrs. Marian Champlain, 23 years old,
widowed daughter of James II. Armiger;
Horace Manuel, banker of New York,
guest of Mr.. Armiger; Marian Riley,
21s years old, granddaughter of James
II. Armiger; Richard Riley, years
old, grandson of James Il. Armiger
William b. Riley. 30 years old, son-in-
law of James r. Armiger
The injured are Eleanor Armiger,
IA years old, daughter of James II.
Armiger, hands torn, Frustrated by
shock; Virginia Armiger, % years old,
daughter Of James Il. Armiger, suffer-
ing from shock, Rose Jones, colored
servant Alice A. J. May, colored SER
want, skull fractured by jumping from
window, will die; Lucy Toliver,
colored servant; Mary G. White, colored
servant; John Whiting, coloIed SER
want.
The man servant. John Whiting,
was building the fire in the furnace
aud the flames were communicated to
wooden partition within few feet of
the furnace, which began to burn like
finder. On either side Of the partition
was a staircase and within few feet
was an air shaft. The wind was blow.
ing a gale at the time, and as the
windows in the cellar were open tho
flames spread rapidly.
Whiting had just time to reach the
upper floor and notify Mr.. Armiger of
his danger, for when he turned about
TO escape he found the flames had
already cut off every avenue of exit,
but he managed 10 get out through a
window, sustaining slight injury.
Mrs. Armiger tried to follow Whiting.
Her night clothes had been partly
burned from her body. Ladders were
Immediately placed IN position, and
Chief McAfee, by climbing to the top
most rung, just managed to touch her
feet. He braced himself against a
railing on the side, and, extending his
hesitating, to jump. This she did,
and nearly knocked the chief from his
perch. by an almost superhuman
effort he managed to retain hold of her
and succeeded in bringing her safely
to the ground.
The firemen succeeded, after time
in reaching Mrs Riley, who had been
compelled to relinquish her children,
and Just as she was falling back into
the Aames they caught her hands and
pulled her through a window. Every
stitch of clothing had been burned
from her body. She was enveoped in
blanket and carried to house near
by, comparatively unhurt, but COM
pletely Frustrated.
About this time Mr.. Armiger and his
guest Mr.. Manuel, appeared ut one Of
the windows on the fourth floor They
remained at the window only few
moments when the dense smoke seemed
TO envelope them and they disappeared
from view.
One of the servants, Alice May,
spurred on by the terrific heat, and
with her clothing ablaze, sprang from
the third-story window, alighting on
her head. Her skull was fractured and
she cannot live. Mary White was the
last one saved. She was pulled out of
third-story window by the fremen
and passed down.
Probably the most heartrending scene
was that presented when Mrs. Cham
plains body was found. Sho was lying
on the floor, clad only in her night
dress, and not at all burned. Her
mouth was wide open and her ewes
almost starting from her head. She
had evidently been asleep when alarmed
by tho cry of fire, but could not get
out of the room when the smoke over
came her. She had been suffoeated.
While these scenes were being enacted
in the front of the burning house there
were acts of bravery being performed
in the rear The two daughters Vir.
gina, aged 20, and Eleanor, aged IA,
occupied the second story back room.
With tho greatest presence of mind,
Miss Virginia made rome of tho bed
ding, assisted by her younger sister.
She pluckily lowered Eleanor to the
ground, grasped tho mattress, pushed
it through the window and threw it to
the ground. She then jumped and
landed uninjured with the Reception OF
slight shcck. Her SISTERS hands
were torn and she is very much pros.
trated. One of the first physicians tc
answer the call for assistance was DR..
Riley, brother of one of the victims.
He was so overcome that he had TO be
taken home in a cab.
The house, through which the deadly
blasts OF fire and smoke swept, is com,
pletely Quilted. The monetary loss ii
estimated at $25, 900.
Coroner Alexander Hill impanellod /
jury of inquest, which viewed tho re
mains Of the deceased and to -nigh
rendered verdict to tho effect that tn,
fire was caused by badly constructed
hot-air pipe.
Alice Williams, the negro seryan
who jumped from third story win
dow of the Armiger residence, in Balti
more, during the fire on Sunday, diet
Monday of her injuries