Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1896-09-12
MET A HORRIBLE DEATH
ELEVEN FIREMEN BURIED BY
FAILING WALLS.
ELEVEN
Brave Lnddies Carried Into the Next
World While at Work at
Their Posts.

Detroit, Mich, Sept. CA special to
the Free Press from Benton Harbor,
Mich, says:
The most horrible holocaust, with the
greatest loss of life that has ever Oc-
Cured in this part of the state, occur
red last night at midnight Wnen
Yore's opera house took fire. and in the
fight to save the buildings and other
blocks adjoining, II tiremen, one vol
unteer, met their fate at one time,
death being instantaneous with five
of them. Six lived only a few hours in
awful agony, while several others met
with severe bruises and burns. During
the evening the play, "a Factory
Girl" had been given by local talent,
and had closed out half hour before
the fire was discovered.
The building was filed from base
ment to the forth floor with suffocat-
ing smoke, which burst into sheet
of flames throughout the entire audi
ence room, almost instantaneously be-
fore the fire department could respond
with single stream of water. There
was some confusion at the outset oW-
| irg to the hook and ladder facilities
being short, although the local fire
companies had closed two days
! tournament, exhibiting the utmost
skill in quick work. st. Joseph was
called on for assistance at the outset
The firemen approached the build
ing through an alley, unloading ladders
in the rear Of the building, and while
hosting them the upper walls fell
over without a seconds warning, COW
ering the men. This was witnessed by
hundreds of spectators The following
| were killed:
| Frank Watson of st. Joseph.
John Hoffman of Benton Harbor.
Thomas Kidd of Benton Harbor.
Frank Woodley of Benton HarboT.
Ed Fl. Gange of ST Joseph.
Scott Rice of Benton Harbor.
Will Mile Of Benton Harbor.
Louis Hoffman of Benton Harbor.
Arthur c. Hill of ST. Joseph.
Frank Seaver of ST. Joseph.
The injured are. John Crawford eX-
chief of the Benton Harbor fire depart
ment, overcome by heat and smoke,
burned about the head, will recover;
Will Fecund of ST. Joseph, leg bruis-
| ed by falling brick. Frank Wo0dley a3d
Thomas Kidd were on top of an adj
| joining building with hose, when they
encountered live electric wires, on
which they were hanging when found,
| Policeman Charles Johnson narrowly
escaped, as falling bricks tore his coat
half off, while another was protected
by telephone pole.
The work of removing the debris was
commenced at once, and those pinned
in were removed within a few minutes
except Cahill, whose body was recoV-
cred at o'clock this morning. The
origin of the fire is unknown, several
theories being given.
Guy Prescott is under arrest as be
ing one who knows of it's origin, but
| when asked by reporter for the
cause, he remarked that "he was not
going to give anybody away" assum-
ing that he was in possession of Facts
that caused his detention.
The building was comparatively new,
having been erected seven years ago
at a cost Of $4,000 by Patrick Yore, a
wealthy farmer, who had since leased
it to j. A. Simon, who has had charge
for six years
A two-story brick block owned by
Joseph Frick, which stood adjoining,
was demolished by the opera house
walls falling and crashing through TO
the basement without apparent resist
ance.
The opera block was occupied by the
Evening News, S. M. Austin's bakery,
j. Bernstein, clothing John Holmes.
barber.
The Frick block was used for a re-
tail boot and shoe business and dwell
ing. The building and stocks destroy
ed, with losses, are as follows: The
opera house block loss was $4,000; in
surance, $4,000; Evening News plant,
$4,000; insurance, $2500; j. Bernstein,
$4,000; no insurance; s. M. Austin, $4,000;