Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-02-24
SEVEN DEAD.
A Baltimore Family Reused,
Sunday, by Fire and Smoke.
Seven Perish in House, Fearing to
trust to the Firemen's Nets.
one will Die IRON Injuries-Heroic Rescue
OF Other Inmates.

, baitimure, Feb ga fire, this morn
ing, III the fashionable district of North
baltimore was the cause Of seven deaths
NOT many inmates of the residences nm
North Charles street betT een Iafavcttc
ana North avenue, Were awake when the
IRE engines came dashing up and down
the fashionable thoroughfare. shortly
after O'Clock. The firemen were sum
moned because flames were seen breaking
from the basement Of 1906 North Charles
s0reet the residence of James K. Armiger.
one OF the best known men in the CITY.
. A large crowd quickly gathered Fin
'front.' OF the burning building at the win
dows of which the inmates soon appeared
one after the other, in their night robes
A coiored servant employed next door To
the ArImigcr residence. first discovered
the flames, and gaining an entrance over
the rear fence, he dashed through the
building, rousing the inmates, most of
whom were in their beds. AS quick rs
was his action. the flames were more
rapid, and egress by the stsircases was
shut off before half Of the 16 occupants of
the dwelling had left their rooms.
With all possibility of escape by the
stairs cut off, owing TO the flames and
smoke which filed the passageways. Mr..
Armiger and the other members of his
| family rushed to the windows. The ser
wants ON the fourth floor FASTENED down
| stairs but could get no lower than the
second story, where they were driven into
| the sleeping rooms of the other inmates.
With the closed doors behind them to
keep out the flames and smoke, the SER
wants rushed to the windows, crying
piteously for help. Two maid servants
in the Kitchen escaped by the rear door.
There We're then penned up in the build.
Ing IA persons clamoring for assistance.
When the fire department. arrived. nets
were stretched beneath the windows and
the firemen called to the terror stricken
persons at the window to jump. The
crowd in the street, not realizing the ex.
tent OF the fire and smoke within the
house, yelled Don't jump" The be.
wildered inmates held back and some of
them disappeared from the windows. ap-
parentIy going back for clothing, or, per
maps, for valued possessions 1t was a
fatal move and in most instances cost a
life
a Two policemen, in the attempt to res
cue those in danger, broke in the front
door. This only gave the fire, which had
begun Ill the basement, the draueht il
nctded, and it roared through the hall
ways and upstairs with greater fierceness.
The policemen could not reach the i'm
perilled people, for the stairs ere a mass
OF flames, and the smoke was binding.
The flremeD, by this time, had thrown
up ladders in front Of the house, and Dis
trict Chief McAfee climbed to the second
ri w
crying for help. The ladder did not quite
reach the window and there was the
widest excitement in the crowd as Nc
Afee stood on the upper round Of the lad
der and grabbed the window sill for sun
port, He encouraged Mrs Armiger to
swing herself ont Of the window
! The chief grasped her with one arm
and steadied himself with the other, and
had taken one step down the ladder. when
1t slipped, and McAfee, with the woman
in one arm and the other holding to the
window frame. tlangled in the air. Fort
unately McAfee caught the top round Of
the ladder on his toe, and, pulling 1t back
INTO place released his hold upon the
window and quickly descended with the
woman to the sidewalk. A great cheer
went up from the crowd
Soon afterward at a third story window
appeared the face of Il man wearing look
agony He raised the window and
reaching out his hands, shouted to the
multitude below. 1t sent him back an
encouraging shout, and he, a moment
later, before ladder could be run up.
disappeared.
Alice J. Williams, one of the colored ser.
wants, suddenly appeared at fourth story
window, shrieking like mad She tore up
the window with a crash and leaned far
out. Don't jump yelled hundred
voices. She stepped back, wripging her
hands. Then she leaned out again and
appeared to be trying to call something to
those below. Again the cry went up,
- Don't jump" The terrorized woman,
with a shrek, sprang out of the window.
her body turned over several times and
finally struck the marble steps of the
residence, rebounded and rolled to the
pavement. She was removed to the hos
pital, where she is lingering between life
and DEATH
Mary White, colored, was rescued from
\ window by the frcmen in a semi con-
,cious condition.
In the meantime Mr.. Armiger's two
daughters, Virginia, aged %. and Eleanor,
a, who occupied a second-story back
Dom, made rope of their bed linen and
With this Eleanor was lowered to the
ground Fearing to trust her weight upon
he cord, Miss Virginia threw mattress
o the ground, 20 feet below. She then
umped and landed thereon uninjured,
With the exception of a slight shock.
Mrs. Latitia Riley, another daughter of
'lr. and Mrs. Armiger was carried down
y