Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-09-07
ELEVEN NlT DEATH.
The Awful Results of a Michigan
Theatre Fire.
A Play House at Benton Harbor
Destroyed, and Eleven Firemen
Were Killed While Fighting the
Flames Others Badly Hurt-A
Falling Wall the Cause.


great loss Of life, that has ever occurred
in tbs part Gu the state occurred las,
night a, midnight, when YOre's Opera
House took fire and in he fight 10 save
the building and oaher blocks adjoining
el5ven fremen, one a volunteer, met
their fate at one full swoop, death being
instantaneous with five OF them, six W.
ing only few hours IN awful agony,
( While several others met with severe
| bruises and burns
During th5 evening the play, "a Fac
tcry Girl" had bsen given by local
talent, and the theatre had closed but
half hour before fire was discovered,
When the build ng was filed from base
ment to fourth story with a suffOcadng
smoke, which buIs; into
A SHEET OF FLAME
throughout lhs entire audience room
almost instantaneousiy, before the fire
department. could respond with a single
stream o. water, there being some con-
fusion d, the outset owing 10 heck and
ladder facilities b:ing short, although
the local fire companies had that day
! closed a Two days tournament sXhibi ,.ng
, much skill in quick work. st. joseph
was called on for assistance at the cut
sot. They approached The building
Through an alley. unloading he ladders
in the rear of the building. and while
hosting them the upper walls fell over
without a seconds warning, covering
,he men. which was witnessed by hun
dreds Of spectators.
The following were killed:
THE DEAD.
Frank Watson. Of ST. Joseph, legs
broken. skull crushed; leaves a wife.
Jonn Hoffman. Benton Harbor, crush
cd into unacceptable mass; leaves a
wfe and five children.
Thomas Kidd Benton Harbor, killed
I by live wires; unmarried.
Frank Wood.sy, Benton HarbOr, kill
ed by live ell. ctr:c wires; leaves a wife
and three children.
Ed. T. Csnge. s.. Joseph, drayman;
head crushed, legs broken.
Scott Rice. bell boy at the Benton
Hotel; skull fractured, int rnal injuries;
lived but few minutes.
VIII l. Milton. Benton Harb0r; both
legs fractured, Internal injuries: lvAA
'wo houi5; leaves a wife and seven chill
dren.
Louis Hoffman, Benton Harbor head
mash d. thigh crushed; w.dower, leaves
Two small children.
Arthur c. Hi. S.. Joseph, foreman S..
ice Hose Co.; legs broken, terribly
| burned; lived one hour
Frank Seaver, St. Joseph. leg broken,
/ b2Gir cut and burned: lived thre hours.
Robert L. R0fe, ST. Joseph. compound
fracture LEFT leg. burned, internal inju-
Ties; lived one hour.
THE INJURED.
John A. Crawford, sx-chief. Benton
HarLor fire department.: overcome by
heat and smoke, burned about head;
WI recover.
, VIII Freund, St. Joseph, cut about
] head
Frank Paget, ST. Joseph, leg bruised
by falling brick.
Frank Woodley and Thomas Kidd
were on tCp of adjoining buildings with
hose when they encountered live cleo
trio wires. on wn.ch they were hanging
when found.
Policeman Charlss Johnson narrowly
escaped. as falling bricks tore mis- coat
half IF. while another was projected by
a telephone pole. The work Of remoy-
ing The debris was commenced at once,
and thoss pinned in were removed in q
few minutes, except G. A. Hi. whose
body ives recovered at o'clock this
morning. L was believed that
SEVERAL MORE BODIES
were under tn pile of brick, and search
! was continued tGl every doubt was
passed. The cause OF The fire is a mys-
teIy, several theories from a cigar stub
to a lamp explosion are given. Guy
Pr scott is under arrest as being one
who knows Of the origin, bu5 when
asked by reporter the cause, remarked
that He was not going to give any
body away" assuming that he was m
( possession of facJs that caused his de-
tenUOn.
The building was comparatively new.
having b en erected seven Yeas ago at
COS, Of $4,000. by Patrick Yore. a
wealthy farmer. who had since leased it
to J. A. Simon, VINO has had charge for
six years.
A two Story brick block owned by
Joseph Flick. which stood adjoining,
was demol shed by the Opera House
walls falling on top and crushing
through 20 the basement.
WITHOUT APPARENT RESISTANCE
The opera block was occupied by the
Evening News. S VI. Aus,in's bakery,
7. Bernstein. clothing: John Holmes,
barber shop. and fruit packing in base
ment The Frick block was used for
r5laii boot and shoe business and dwell
rng The building and sock destroyed,
with loss .. are IS follows: Opera house
block. less $4,000, insurance $4,000;
Evening News plant $4,000, insurance
50 500: J. Bernstein $1,000 no insur-
a7e-: S. NJ. Austin. $500, no insurance;
Holmes 800 no insurance; ). VI.
Fr.cz. less $1,000. insurance $4,000; J.
Y Herr. grocery store across the alley,
d7mags TO building and stock $1,000,
fully insured: DR.. Hun, and 5. NJ. Aus
IN grocers across Ia alley, damage 10
building and stock respectively, 5000 and
5000. fully insured.
: h.gb wind prevailed. which caused
The walls to fsr outward, and the ad-
iojning buildings were saved only w-,h
Jba greatest effort. A large quantity Of
sock scenery belonging 20 Harry En-
erv oe the Katie Putnam company, }. A.
simon and ". c. Hooks, was destroyed,
with no insurance.
Thousands Witnessed the conhagra-
-ior and with difficulty crowds wers
kep. out c. dangers way. lac Work oi