Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-09-07
ELEVEN ARE DEAD.
The Result Of a Terrible Acct.
dent at a Fire.
OPERA HOUSE AT BENTON HARBOR
Breaks into Flames That Plays Havoc with
the Firemen, Five of Whom Are In
stantIy Killed and Six Given but an
Hour of Life After Their Eescue-Fall-
ing Wall Docs the Mischief. Catching
the Men in the Aliey-List of the Dead.

ahS -"th tuc -hit List oI the Deaus
Detroit. Sept. "A special to the
Free Press from Benton Harbor Mich.
says: The most horrible holocaust.
with great loss of life. that has ever oc-
Cured in this part of the state occurred
Saturday night at midnight. when
Yore's Opera house took fire, and in the
fight to save the building and other
blocks adjoining eleven firemen, one a
volunteer, met their fate at one fell
swoop. the death being instantaneous
with five OF them; six lived only a few
hours in awful agony, while several
others got severe bruises and burns.
During the evening the play "A Fac
tory Girl had been given by local tall
ent and had closed but a half hour be-
fore the fire was discovered.
Caught While Hosting Fire Ladders.
Then the building was filled from
basement to fourth story with a suffo-
eating smoke which burst into a sheet
of flames throughout. the entire audi
eonce room almost instantaneously. be-
fore the fire department could respond
with single stream of water. There
was some confusion at the outset, ow-
i,1 to the lack of hook and ladder ia
ciities. although the local fire compa-
iltip Iitt' sstlit 'tfStu d Two
days tournament exhibiting much
Skill in quick work. st. Joseph was
called on for assistance at the outset,
her fremen approaching the building
through an alley and unloading ladders
in the rear OF the building. 1t was while
hoistinC them that the upper walls. fell
over without seconds warning covering
the men. which was witnessedby hun
lrrds Of SDectatoTS
LIST of the Men Who Died.
The following We're killed: Frank
Watson, OF st. Joseph, legs broken
skull crushed, leaves a widow; John
Hoffman. Ernton Harhor, crushed into
an unrccoCniEable mass. leaves widow
ard five children; Thomas Kidd. Ben-
ton Harbor. unmarried killed by live
wires; Frank Wuodley. Benton Harhor
killed Ey live electric wires, leaves
widow and three children: Ed H.
Gange st. Joseph, drayman. head
crushed. legs broken: Scott Rice bell
boy at the Benton hotel skull
fractured. internal injuries. lived but
few minutes; VIII 7. Mitten. Benton
Harhor, both legs fractured. internal in
juries. lived two hours, leaves widow
and several children: Louis Hoffman.
Benton EiarDor. head smashed. thigh
crushed, Widower, leaves two
sriail children: Arthur G. Hill.
St Joseph. foreman St Joe
Hose company. legs broken. ter
ribly burned, lived one hour: Frank
Seaver. st. Joseph. leg broken. badly cut
and burned. lived three hours: Robert
Rofe, St Joseph. compound fracture of
tire left leg. burned and internal in
juries. lived one hour.
Three VI er Cut, Burned and bruised.
The injured are: John A. Crawford.
ex-chcf of Benton Earbor fire depart
ment, overcome by heat and smoke.
burned about the head, will recover: Will
Freund of St. Joseph, cut about the head;
Frank Pagct, Of st. Joseph, leg bruised by
falling brick.
Frank Woot.ley and Thomas Kidd were
on top of adjoining buildings with hose
when the encountered live electric wires,
on which they were hanging when found
Policeman Charles johnson narrowly
escaped, as falling bricks tore his coat off,
while another was protected by a tele-
phone pole. The work of removing the
debris was commenced at once and those
pinned in were removed in Il few minutes.
except c. \. Hill, whose body was rccov
cred at I o'cl,ck yesterday morning. 1t
was believed that several more bodies
were under the pile of brick and search
was continued till every doubt was passed.