The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-02-24
SEVEN LIVES LOST.
Thrilling Scenes at a Fire In a
Baltimore Mansion.
FIVE INJURED. ONE FATALLY.
OF the Thirteen People Comprssinr
James n. Armiger's Household Not
One Escaped without Injury.

Baltimore. Nd, Feb. .s-Seven peonle
We're asphyxfated. one fatally hurt by
jumping from q window and FIVE others
more or less injured by a fire in the resi-
dence OF James r. ATIniger, q prominent
Jeweler. On Charles street this morning
The dead are: James r. Armiger, aged SIS,
William b. Riley. his son-in-law. aged IS:
Richard Riley. son OF w. 3. Riley. aged 1:
Marian Riley, daughter OF w. b. Riley,
aged "a years; Mrs. Marian Chaplin.
daughter of James r. Armiger aged 30
James Capiin. her son. aged 8: Horace b.
Manuel. aged sc. OF New York city. a
guest The fatally injured. Alice Will
Jams. colored servant, skull fractured and
other serious injuries. The injured: Mrs.
William b. Riley, burned about face and
arms, suffering from inhalation of smoke,
viii recover; Mrs. James r. Armiger. aged
q, slight burns and suffering from shock
and exposure; Miss Eleanor Armiger. aged
IA, slightly burned. Miss Virginia Armiger.
aged Is, ankle slightly sprained in jump
ing Ida Whiting. colored servant. slightly
burned and suffering from inhalation OF
smoke. viii recover.
The house in which tha holocaust oc-
CURED Is one of row Of granite resi-
dences belonging to the A. 5. Abel estate
on Charles street. just north Of La Fayette
avenue. 1t is four stories in height and at
the time OF the fire was filled with costly
unique jewelry, of which MIR. Armiger was
an enthusiastic collector. In the house
were thirteen persons. OF these ten were
members of the Armiger household. two
were servants. and the other, Mr.. Manuel.
was guest who has been visiting the Ar
niger family for the past two or three
days. 1t was his purpose TO have returned
TO his home In New York last night. but
Mr.. Armiger prevailed upon him TO remain
until Monday. All of these people were in
their bedrooms, on the upper floors, some
of them being partially dressed, when at
$50 this morning fire was discovered issu-
ing from partition in the cellar. 1t had
ignited from an overheated furnace fiue
and was first seen by Louis Whiting. the
colored man of all work. who was at the
time cleaning the front steps.
Whiting ran to the adjacent corner and
gave the alarm 10 a policeman and hur-
ried back to the house, entered the front
door, closed II behind him and assembled
to the second floor, where Mr.. and Mrs.
Auniger had their bedroom. The house
was by this time filled with a dense, sitting
smoke, and when the negro and Mrs. Ar
niger attempted to descend they found II
impossible whiting aided Mrs. ArTniger
to the front window and helped her to
reach small balcony in front, upon which
he placed her and returned to the AID OF
Mr. Armiger He found the latter had
clad in nothing but her night clothes. was
shivering on the narrow balcony and
shrieking In agonized tones for help. Half
a dozen men who were passing fastened To
the power house of the Charles street ca
BILE line, a block below, and procured
short ladder. When they returned they
found Deputy Fire Chief McAfee, noted
life saver who quickly mounted the lad
der 1t was not long enough, but by stand
Ing on the uppermost round, he could reach
the frightened woman. As he attempted
to lift her from the balcony, her scanty
clothing caught on an obstruction. and she
fell forward with her whole weight upon
the outstretched arms OF the firemen. Just
then the ladder slipped and everyone be-
low expected both the rescuer and the
woman he was trying 10 save. would be
dashed to death on the pavement below.
BY a tremendous effort, however. McAfee
steadied himself, and holding Mrs. Arni-
ger with one hand. grasped the balcony
with the other Hanging thus. he slowly
replaced the ladder with his feet and
brought the now fainting woman down In
safety.
In the meantime the other inmates OF The