Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1896-09-10
FATAL TO FIREMEN
DISASTROUS AND FATAL FIRE AT
BENTON HARBOR, MICH.
YOre's Opera House Is Completely
Observation-Disclosures FfremeM Are
Buried Beneath a Falling WALL
Eleven of h Brave Men Are
Killed and the others May Die
of Their Injuries.

Benton Harbor. Mich, Sept. S.-The
most horrible holocaust with great loss
of life that has ever occurred in this
part of til. state occurred last night at
midnight when YOre's opera house took
fire and in the fight to save the build
ing and other blocks adjoining eleven
firenfen, one a volunteer, met their fate
at one. fell swoop. the death being in
Simultaneous with five of them, six
lived only a few hours I'm awful agony
while st vcral others me with severe
bruises and burns. During the evening
the play "A Factory Girl had been
given by local talent and had closed
but half an hour before fire was dis
covered. st. Joseph was called on for
assistance at the outset. they APP
preaching the building through an nj
ley. unloading ladders in the rear of
the building, and while hosting them
the upper walls fell over without a
seconds warning, covering the men.
which was witnessed by hundreds of
spectators.
The following were killed: Frank
Watson of st. Joe, legs broken. skull
crushed: leaves a widow. John Hoff-
man. Benton Harbor, crushed, leaves
widow and five children. Thomas
Kidd. Benton Harbor, unmarried; was
killed by live wires. Frank Woodley.
Benton Harbor, killed by live wires;
leaves Il widow and three children.
Ed III. Gange. st. Joe. drayman. head
crushed. legs broken, Scott Rice, bell
boy ut the Benton hotel, skull frac-
tured. internal injuries; lived but few
minutes. Will |. Mitten. Benton Ear-
Dor, both legs fractured, internal in
.: I.-J ,A A,,. 4. Ia, xyA. x.tIAV ~
and seven children. Louis Hoffman.
Benton Harbor. head smashed. thigh
crushed: widower. leaves two small
children. Arthur G. Hill. st. Joe. fore
MAI 81. Joe Hose company, legs brok-
en-. terribly burned: lived IL houi.
|, Frank :. Eayer. ST. Joe, leg broken.
badly cut and buI ned; lived three
hours. Robert l.. Rofe. St. Joe. com
n hour.
The injured: John A. Crawford, ex-
| chief Benton HarDor fire department,
| overcome by heat and smoke. burned
| about head; will recover. VIII Freund,
st. Joe. cut about head. Ir nix Paget,
St. Joe, leg bruised NY falling brick.
Frank Woodley and Thomas Kidd
were on top Of adjoining buildings
with hose when they encountered live
| electric wires, on which they Were
| hanging when found. Policeman
| Charles Johnson narrowly escaped. as
falling bricks tore half his coat off
while another was. protected by a tel
ephone pole.
An Arrest Made.
The cause of the fire is a mystery;
several theories from a cigar stub to
a lamp explosion. are given. Guy
Prescott is under arrest as being one
who knows of the origin, but when
asked by n reporter of the cause. re-
marked that The IA not going 10 give
anybody away assuming that he was
in possession of facts that caused his
detention.
The building was comparatively new,
having been erected eve years ago
at n cost of $4,000 by Patrick Iore,
n wealthy farmer. who had since
leased it to ]. \. Simon, who has had
charge for six years. A two-story
brick block owned by Joseph Frisk,
which stood adjoining. was demolished
by the opera house walls falling on
top and crashing through TO the base
ment without apparent resistance. The
Opera block was occupied by h Even
ing News. S. NJ. Austin's bakery. j.
Bernstein's clothing store. John
Holmes barber shop and fruit packing
in the basement. The Frisk block was
used for retail boot and shoe business
and dwelling. The buildings and
stocks destroyed, with losses, are as
follows:
Opera house block. loss $4,000. in
surance $4,000: Evening News plant
$1,000. insurance 5000; j. Bernstein
5000. no insurance: $. Nj. Austin $500
no insurance. Holmes 800, no insur
ance: j.. NJ. Frisk. loss $1,000. insurance
$4,000; j. y. Herr. grocery store across
the alley. damage TO building anC
stock. $1,000: fully insured. A large
quantity of stage scenery belonging u
Harry Emery. of the Katie Putnam
company, j. Simon and w. c. Hooks
was destroyed, with no insurance.