The news boy., 1896-09-12

. NIf.
x~.rlv = scors Of F1rsmaa Buricd Undos
9SnIinx Walis-- Eleven Of Them Crosnes
= ts Death and Number OF others -
lriousIy ln5ufed--E Eenrs Of . Further Oor
lnpss Deter tn Bravsst from AaemPa
nt Rescue.
BrSroN HARBon. Mich, Sept D.
| Yore's opera house and adjoining
buildings were burned early yesterday
morning, causing the death OF IL ire
men and injury to q number OF Others
and entailing loss Of SOS, 900.
The killed.
Frank Watson, married, ST. Joseph.
Edward II. Gange, married, st. 10
seph.
Arthur c. Hill, married, ST. Joseph,
Frank Ssaver, married, st. Joseph.
John Hoffman, married, Bentos
| Harbor.
Thomas Kidd, single, Benton Har-
Dor.
Frank woodley, married. Benton
Harbor.
Scott Rice, Benton Harbor.
Will Matten, married, Benton uar.
Dor.
Louis Hoffman, single, Benton Har
Dor.
The seriously Injured Are'
Ex-Fire Chief John A. Crawford,
Benton Harbor; burned and overcome
by heat and smoke.
Frank Paget, of st. Joseph; legs
mashed by falling brick.
will Freund, of st. Joseph; cut
about the head and burned.
Jack Mccormick, Benton Harbori
legs broken and internally injured.
Several others were injured by fall
ing walls, but will recover.
shortly after midnight Yore's opsra
house, large four-story brick struc-
ture, was discovered to be on fire. The
flames had gained much headway be
fore the alarm was given, and wher
| the city FIRE department arrived the
building was a mass Of flames. The
St. Joseph fire ngines were sent for
and arrived soon after. The fire con.
| tinued to gain on them, and was
spreading to other buildings when the
hook and ladder companies went te
the rear of the building hoping to be
able 10 direct stream into the mass
of flames from q sccond-story window.
Hardly had they arrived there, when
the wall, with mighty crash came
down before them. burying Is men un.
der the red hot bricks.
Other portions of the wall were
weakening, and the rescue of the i'm.
prisoned tiremen was deferred some
time, as it was expected every moment
the remainder of the wall would fall.
Finally some of the crowd rushed into
! the mass to rescue the shrieking and
struggling men. Frank Watson, of
st. Joseph, was the first man reached,
but he was dead, and his boiy was u
mass of broken bones and mangicd
! flesh.
The search continued until FIVE
o'clock, when the last victim, Arthur
Hill, was removed. They were car
ried to Offices and private houses,
where doctors from both cities were
in waiting to render aid. Some of
them died en- route and others died
while their wounds were cared for.
The dead were taken to the city
hall, which was turned into tempo.
rary morgue. Some OF the men were
SO badly mangled that identity was
only had by letters and papers in
their pockets. AS the bleeding forms
were carried through the streets they
were followed by througs of awe.
stricken men and women eager t.
learn vine ther the victims were friends
or relatives.
After the falling of the rear wall,
which took with it the lives of a,
least IL men, the roof and other wall,
soon collapsed, one of the side walls
fell upon two-story brick building
owned by William Fricls, and con
pletely demolished it and ruined the
contents of shoes.
The fire had not been confined alone
to tho opera house, but had crepl
across the alley, and soon the rear OF
two store buildings We're secthins
mass of flames. These, however, wers
checked before they reached the main
part of the buildings The fire wa:
under control at tive o'clock, and the
search for more bodies was begun ant
continued all day. Last night the fire
men, exhausted, gave up the search
until to-day. The loss, as far as can
be ascertained, is; Patrick Yort, opera
house block. $4,000; Insurance, $40.
N,O.
The occupants of the several build
tngs will lose several hundred dollars
The origin of the fire is unknown, bu
Guy Prescott, who stated that he knew
how tho fire started. but was no
going to give any one away, was ar
rested and will be brought before tn;
coroner's jury. The wardrobe of thu
Katie Putnam company, which CAV
u performance for tine benefit of tn
hremen in the evening, was ais
burned, as was the wardrobe of tn
Mexican Troubadours, who are spend
ing their vacation here.
Several of the dead firemen hav
large families Tho funerals will b,
all held together tomorrow, and will
be under the auspices of the fireme,
and fraternal societies, of which tn,
deceased were members.
, Wholesale jail Delivery.
HUNrINaTos, w. Va, Sept. 7.-B
Ian atA Of nl.s