Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1897-08-11


ployes, elevator employees and others in
Jured further mark the record of the dis
aster.
The Death List.
The death list is as follows:
.COOGAN, JOHN j., pipeman Of engine
company No. 3; buried under the wall and
CONWAY, CHARLES H., driver engine
No. 27;,hurled against barn by force of eX-
plosion; face and head cut; face, hands and
feet badly burned; died at Cook County
hospital.
SGHNUR, JACOB, pipeman of engine
company No. 3; buried under the wall and
killed.
STRAMEN, JACOB E., pipeman of engine
company No. 3; buried under the wall and
STRUCKMAN, JACOB, fireman; found in
debris late last night.
The origin of the fire is indefinite
Recently furnace driers were introduced
into the structure and these may have
been in an Oyerheated condition. Hight
IN the bins are hung big lanterns to guide
the workmen in their labors and the
presence of these has given rise to the
theory that red-hot chimney came in
contact with the dry dust and set the
place on fire. The age of the building
and the amount of dust which had con-
gregated In every crack and corner sup
ports the latter opinion. Many of the
hremen are of the belief that the blaze
and subsequent explosion were due to
spontaneous combustion
George Avery, one of the tally men
IN the elevator, discovered the fire and
turned IN the alarm at $50 o'clock.
w hen the hrst company arrived the
flames had spread from the northwest
corner of the building to the entire west
ern section. A All summons came on
the instant, and Chief Swenie ordered
special call of ten engines.
The ire spread with great rapditv and
For I,g, f,,ll IL Il
nghtlng force had been assigned positions
the building was mass of flames Space
for lighting the flames was confined to a
breadth of twenty feet on the east. less
on the south and a barrier of the Indiana
yladuct and bridge on the north. Be
tween the Northwestern freighthouse
and the enemy. members of engine com
pany 3, truck and engine ~ were
nemmed, under the personal direction of
Chief Swenie.
An Awful Explosion.
Nearly all the members of engine cou-
pany were mounting ladders and bring
ing leads of hose to play on the interior
from the upper windows when there came
roar that could be heard for half a mile
and the roof was torn into mighty frag-
ments and the walls came down with a
crash. The force of the explosion was
so great that the eastern wall was hurled
into the river. the west wall was tumblcd
down upon the heads of the unfortunate
men below and the fragments of tho roof
were distributed for blocks around.
Every window in the vicinity of the cie-
vator was shattered by the conclusion.
dozens of persons were struck by flying
debris and several small fires resulted
from falling timbers that were still in
flames.
At Jefferson street and Carroll avenue.
many blocks distant great burning
masses of wreckage fell upon four wag-
ons loaded with hay and set them in
flames.
Before the walls fell Chief Swenic had
assisted in carrying the leads of hose
near TO the elevator. Close by his side
stood Edward Westlake, newspaper
man. Suddenly Mr.. Westlake called out
to the chief that the walls were swaying.
One glance upward and the chief shouted
a warning and fell back to the North
Western freight depot.
just as he was about to reach a point
Of safety he stumbled, and blinded hy
the smoke and heat. he was about to
fall, when Mr.. WestIake assisted the
chief out of reach of danger AS #
was. he was struck by flying bricks and
badly injured. His rubber coat, uni
form and shirt on the back and right
arm were torn away by piece of tim
Der. For time he thought the arm
had bee3 broken, but after an hour he
was able to move the fingers Of his hand
and this favorable omen he interpreted to
mean the soundness of the rest of the in
Jured member. His eyebrows were al
most singed off and he received burns on
both sides of his face, but he immedia e
ly took charge of the rescue work and
did not leave until the fire was under
control.
The explosion stunned for moment
the police and fremen, but they quickly
rallied to help those who had been hurt
oE To- IL II
ing heat, some not seriously harmed, and
others in the throes of death. 1t was
dangerous work to get them out, but it
was CALAMITY and quickly done and all of
the slightly injured were removed. TIE
dead were, for the time, left where they
lay. No man could rach their bodies and
live.
Fireman Charles NJ Conway died this
morning from injuries received while at
work at the fire. Conway was at work
IN the narrow area-way at the rear of the
elevator when the explosion occurred and
he was thrown with great force against
she'd lie was rendered unconscious
and before rescued from his position his
body and limbs had been terribly burned
The death of Conway brings the total
number of known fatalities in last nights
fire to five. The report that an unknown
man who was watching the fire had been
blown into the river and drowned has
not yet been confirmed. Firemen dragged
the river all night but as yet have found
nothing which would indicate further IA
talities. The injured iremen are pro-
crossing favorably, but several of them
are not expected to recover.
Chiefs Driver Killed.
There is little doubt now that the
man who was carried into the river by
the stream of grain at the elevator a
the time of the explosion was Thomas
Monahan, the fireman who drove Chief
Swenie to the fire. The chief says he is
certain 4Ionahan was standing in the
neighbornood at the time of the explosion.
He has not appeared since
The loss on the elevator and its con
tents was $350,00O, insured for 100000. |
The damage to surrounding property Will
be about SIT, 500, with insurance of about
$4,000.
The elevator was wrecked by the e1-
plosion and as much of the grain that it |
contained which did not fall into tac
river was consumed by the flames.
HAIL THE VICTORS.