The San Francisco call., 1896-02-24

Ut. batcneluer once, opposite, ana SUBJ
sequently removed to the City Hospital,
where she is now dying.
Another colored servant, Mary White,
was rescued from a window in a semi
conscious condition by the iremen.
While the scenes of excitement and
bravery were being enacted in front OF the
burning residence other acts of heroism
were being performed in the rear. Mr..
Armiger's two aughters-Virginia, aged
25, and Eleanor, aged i5-occupied the
secondstory back room. With the great
est presence of mind Miss Virginia,
assisted by her young sister, made
rope of the bed linen and
with this Eleanor was lowered to
the ground. Fearing to trust her weight
upon the slender cord, Miss Virginia
dashed back to the bed, grasped the mat
tress, pushed it through the window to the
ground, twenty feet below. She then
jumped and landed upon it, uniniured
with the exception OF slight shock.
The only other person of the sixteen who
were in the ill-fated house to be rescued
was the daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. Armi-
ger, Mrs. Leila Riley. She was carried
down by the ladder by the firemen, hav-
ing been overcome by the smoke.
When the fire had been got under
control and the firemen made search of
the ruins of the residence. Mr.. Armiger
was found in the hallway. When Within.
dashed upstairs with the alarm of ire Mr..
Armiger had left his wife in the care of the
colored man and went upstairs to awaken
the other inmates of the house. He had
been overcome by the smoke and flames
and breathed his last as he was carried
into the open air.
William B Riley, a son-in-law of Mr..
and Mrs. Armiger, was found dead near
by. He, with his wife and two children,
had been seen at the third story window.
and Mrs. Riley had been taken out by the
hremen, but before the rescuers could re-
turn TO the window Mr. Riley, with his
two children clasped in his arms, sue
cumbed to the smoke and flames. On the
floor above were found the bodies of Mrs.
Marian Cham berlain, a widowed daughter
of Mr.. and Mrs. Armiger, and her three
year-old child, James. The last person to
be found in the wrecked building was
Harold Manael, aged so, a guest who
arrived from New York. last Thursday.
He was member of the broker firm OF
Turner G. Manuel, 35 Wall street, New
York.
Mr.. Armiger was an importer of dia-
monds and fine jewelry and did a big
business in this city and throughout the
Southern States. For thirty years he had
been one Of the best-known merchants of
the city,
The scene in the parlors OF DR.. K. B.
Bachelors residence, where the charred
and bruised bodies were carried, was har-
rowing. Mr.. Armiger was burned to a
char around the upper part of his body.
The white hair around his venerable head
was matted and clotted with blood and
cInders His face and forehead were so
badly burned that the ends of his hair
were clotted in the flesh. His face, al
though terribly blackened, was easily rec
ognizable, and old friends turned away
sick at heart.
Mr.. Riley died from burns and suffoca-
ton. He was rather stout and muscular.
Fhe burns were chiefly about his face, neck
and shoulders. His face was terribly dis
torted and wore an expression of awful
agony.
Mr.. Manuel was also terribly burned
and his horribly SCARED face was dis
torted, as though be had died only after
making supreme effort for life. Gleam-
ing in startling contrast with the burned
and blackened fingers of Mr.. Msnuels left
hand shone handsome diamond ring
The body of James Cham berlain was a
blackened cinder. His throat and nos
trils were burned inside.
The two Riley children were killed by
the suffocating smoke. They were not so
badly burned as the others, but their faces
were blackened from the bursting of blood
vessels, and the red fluid made crimson
stains on their blackened nightgowns.
The house is completely gutted In the
dining-room and pantry the family silver
ware is bIackened and misshapen mass
OF metal. The monetary loss is estimated
at $50 900.
The news of the catastrophe spread
throughout the city by means of the pull
pit and press, and all day and late into the
night great crowds loitered about the fire.
swept ruins and the house wherein the
poor victims lay. Coroner Alexander Hill
impaneled jury of inquest, which viewed
the bodies of the deceased, and tonight
rendered verdict in effect that the fire
was caused by a badly connected hot-a1r
pipe, euiogized the Fire Department for
prompt service, and gave especial credit to
District Chief McAfee, who heroically
saved the life of Mrs. Armiger
OF those who escaped death to- day Alice
Williams will die from a fractured skull.
Others will probably survive their in
iuries.