Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-02-24
SEVENSUFFOCATE.
Fatal Thirteen Plays a Part in a
Fiery Tragedy.
EIGHT DEATHS WILL BE RECORDED.

The Lass One Bsisg That u . woma.
who Took . FrishtGal Leap From .
- Fourth Story Window and Landed On
Her Forehead-Dramatic Rescue OF An
other Woman by . Fireman - Awful
scenes - Baltimore Hlase.
BALTIMORE, Feb. A-Seven persons
were asphyxiated. one fatally hurt by
jumping from q window, and i've others
moro or lcss injured, by fire in the resi-
dence OF James H. Armiger, q prominent
jewelcr, at 1916 Charles street yesterday.
The dead arc-James K Armiger. aged
IS; William b. Riley, his son-in-law;
Richard Riley, son of w. B. Riley, aged 4;
Marian Riley, daughter Of w. b. Riley,
aged 21z; Mrs. Marian Champlin, daugh-
ter Of James r Armiger, aged 30; James
Champlin, her son. aged 3; Horace B.
Manuel, aged Sc, OF New York City, a
guest. Fatally injured-Alice Williams,
servant, skull fractured
List Of Those who Got Hurt
The injured arc the following: Mrs.
William B. Riley, burned about the face
and arms and suffering from inhalation Of
smoke. will recover; Mrs. James Armiger,
aged 50. slight burns and suffering from
shock and exposure; Eleanor Armiger,
aged II, slightly burned: Miss Virginia
Armiger, age 2s, ankle slightly sprained
in jumping; Mamie Whiting, servant,
slightly burned and suffering from inhala-
ton Of smoke, will recover. Tho house in
which the holocaust occurred is one Of a
row of granite front residence belonging
to the A. S. Abel estate on Charles street
just north of Lafayette avenue. 1t is
four stories in height and at the time Of
the fire was was filled with costly furni-
ture and much rare bric-a-brac, plate and
unique jewlry, of which Mr.. Armiger was
an enthusiastic collector.
just Thirteen in the House.
In the house were just thirteen persons
OF these ten were members Of the Armiger
household, two were servants. and the
other, Mr.. Manuel, was q guest who had
been visiting the Armiger family for the
past two or three days. 1t was his purpose
to have returned to his home in New York
Saturday night, but Armiger prevailed
upon him to remain until today. All of
these people were in their bed rooms on
the upper floors. some of them being par
TALLY dressed, when at S:15 o'clock in the
morning the fire was discovered, caused
by an overheated furnace 1ue. By the
time an alarm was turned in the house
was full Of smoke, and when Louis Whit
ney, q colored servent, attempted to lead
Mrs. Armiger down stairs it was found
impossible. He therefore led her through
q front window to a balcony where she
was safe for the moment.
Mrs. Armiger's Frishtful Predicament.
Mrs. Armiger, clad in nothing but
her night clothes, was shivering on the
narrow balcony and shrieking in agon;zed
tones for help. Half u dozen men who
were passing hastened to the power house
of the Charles street cable car line, block
below, and secured short ladder. When
they returned they found Deputy Fire
Chief McAfee, a noted life saver, who
quickly mounted the ladder. 1t was not
long enough, but by standing on the
uppermost round he could reach the
frightened woman. As no attempted to
lift her from the balcony her scanty cloth
ing caught on an obstruction and she fell
forward with her whole weight upon the
outstretchcd arm of the fireman.
Saved by Bravery and Skill
Just then the ladder slipped and every
one below expected to see both the rescuer
and the woman he was trying to save
dashed to death on the pavement below.
BY tremendous effort, however, McAfee
steadied himself and holding Mrs
Armiger with one hand grasped the bal.
cony with the other. Hanging thus he
slowly replaced the ladder with his feet
and brought the now faintiog woman
down in safety.
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