Omaha daily bee., 1896-02-24

third floor lying on the bed the iremen
found the dead body OF Mr.. Riley. BY MS
side lay his wife, breathing faintly. she
was hurried into the open air IN time 70
save her life though she Is badly burnea
about the face and arms and hair crazen
by her terrible loss. She will recover. In
another room we're the bodies OF Mrs. CHAP
lain and her 3-year-old son. while upon the
upper floor the iremen found Ida WAITING
the colored servant, Unconscious from smoke
but not seriously hurt.
CARING FOR THE INJURED.
The injured were taken to the homes oil
neghbors with the exception Of the servants
who we're conveyed 10 the city hospital the
dead were carried across the street to the
residence of Dr. X. b. Bethelor where every
effort vas made to resuscitate them without
avail When II was found nothing further
conid be done for them, they were covered
with sheets and laid out ON the floor of the
physicians parlor to await the coming oil
the undertaken.
The fire. although a fierce one, was con-
fined to the Armiger residence. which was
ruined. No estimate has yet ben haue
of tho loss. but IL is thought the house was
worth at least $1,000. The house Is insured
for $500.
The news Of the disaster spread with won
derful rapidity all over the city and a ire
mendous crowd soon gathered In front oil the
flcted we're lifted up in almost every church
I'm the city and expressions of sincere re-
gret and sympathy were uttered from every
pulpit and in The households OF the many
friends and acquaintances OF the unfortunate
family. -
SIGHT WAS SICKENING.
The scene of the parlors of DR.. Bachelor $
residence where the bodies we're carried
was narrowing Even the undertakers ana
their assistants, used to scenes OF death,
turned away at times half sickened. MIR
Armiger was burned to a crisp around the
upper part of his body. The white hair
around his venerable head was matted with
blood and cinders. His face and fore
head were badly burned. Mr.. Riley died
from burns and suffocation He was rather
stout and muscular man. The burns were
chiefly about his face. neck and Shoulders.
His face was terribly distorted and
wore an expression of awful agony.
His left leg and side were slightly
burned and there was livid
fire mark across his chest. DR.. Manuel
was terribly burned and his horribly SCARED
face and body were twisted to one side
as though he died only after making su-
preme effort for life. Cleaning in startling
contrast with the burned and blackened
fingers OF Mr.. Manuel's left hand glistened
a handsome diamond ring shaped like
serpent with the glittering gem in the center
OF the head.
Strong men who were standing in the
undertakers brought in the body Of little
james Chaplin, grandson of Mr.. Armiger.
woman standing near the parlor door in
the hall tainted The child was a blackened
cinder. Smoke and fire had done their
fearful work. Even the throat and nostrls
were burned inside. His little white night
gown was drabbled and spattered with cnders
and dark stains from the burned body. The
two Riley children were killed by the
suffocating smoke. They were not badly
I,.,r, ,nA Nh4 ltI h,,tt tl4tr Fana
blsckened from the bursting of blood vessels
and the crimson fluid stained their blackened
night gowns.
Mrs Letitia Riley, who is so cruelty be-
reaved, is lying at the home of Dr. Bachelor
In a semi-stupor, seemingly unconscious of
her irreparable loss and suffering great physi-
cal agony. The physicians say, however, that
her wounds are more painful than serious
and that the only obstacle, to her COM
plete and speedy recovery will be the awful
shock she has sustained and will again
experience when the full knowledge of the
dreaded thing which has come to her makes
itself clear to her mind.
Today's. tragedy Is the third OF a similar
character which has visited this city during
the past year. The first was that in which
Mr.. and Mrs. Thomas Whiteridge were killed
by falling from ladder down which Mr..
Whiteridge was endeavoring to carry his
wife. after having refused the services of
the nremen. This fire occurred on January
15.; 1895, at 13 West Biddle street. The
sother resulted in the death Of Mrs. Roscoe
b. Heath. daughter OF the late Commodore
Kttson of st. Paul, and occurred at 20
West Royal avenue on March "a. 1895. Dep.
uty Fire Chief McAfee, today's hero, was
presented with a medal at that time for
herolsm in endeavoring TO rescue Mrs,
Heath. A more recent disaster was that
at the old Front Street theater on Decem-
her 2s of last year, in which five men,
three wcmen and fifteen children lost their
lives during senseless panic caused by
false alarm Of fire.