The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1897-08-12

Not single premonition Of disaster
warned the men of their impending doom
There was a brighter glow of the heavens
for an instant, rumbling as if the in
terror of the earth was lending its heat
to the flames, and then the east wall was
precipitated on the heads of the firemen
and few spectators who had escaped the
fire lines hu1riedly established by the
police. The noise was different from the
ear-piercing roar of dynamite or gunpow
der. but its effects were as deadly. Ihert
was mullled boom, a crash, and the hre
men were buried.
Edward Westlake, a newspaper man.
was standing with Chief Swenie when
the wall collapsed. Both were covered
with the fallen material and rushed blind
ly to the nearest shelter.
"My God! That was the nearest have
come to it." said the intrepid leader, and
turned back, in the face of flying embers
to aid in the work of rescue.
Start Work of Rescue.
After the walls went toppling over
Chief Swenie. hurt, blinded and bleeding
staggered forward and shouted to his men
to follow him. Lying on the ground were
score cf injured men, crying for help
Repeath The mass of whitehead bricks
and iron sheeting were two men, burned
until nothing but the bones were left.
In an instant half n dozen streams OF
water were turned on the blazing mass
As the water struck the red hot debris
cloud of steam hid the ruins from view.
The injured were first assisted to place
of safety. Three patrol wagons and two
ambulances were soon in service. The
men were put on stretchers, and Lieut..
Mcdonald directed that the wagons be
driven at once to the different hospitals.
As the last victim was hurried away
from the scene of death and destruction
the work of removing the charred bodies
of the three firemen from the ruins was
taken up. BY this time the flood Of water
had cooled off the ruins sufficiently to al
low the firemen and sixty policemen TO
start their search for the dead. Sergeant
Decker was the first man to find Il body.
He used long pole in lifting the iron
sheeting to one side. when he discovered
the remains of Coogan. The body was
in n crouching position and showed that
Coocan was running when the mass of
bricks fel,ed him to the earth. He was
identified by his helmet, which lay within
a foot of his head.
1t was impossible to distinguish the
burned bodies of Schnur and Stramen
apart. They lay side by side, aud a heavy
beam had fallen across the neck of one
of the bodies. Chief Swenie directed the
men to continue their work. and not until
the entire pile had been gone over was
the chief satisfied that all the bodies had
been found.
Origin of the Fire.
The origin of the fire is indefinite. Re
Gently furnace driers were introduced into
the structure and these may have been
in an overheated condition. High 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
a 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 congregated in every
crack and corner supports the latter opin-
ion. Many of the firemen are of the belief
that the blaze and subsequent explosion
were due to spontaneous combustion.
Insurance Inspector Gillian gave the
following statement as his opinion as to
how the fire originated: 1T was surely an
explosion of dry dust. In the majority of
cases in fires of this kind they all start
from the same cause. The dust from the
grain collects and when it is heated TO the
right point it is like powder. 1t is just
as dangerous as any explosive. If this
elevator had been constructed as grain
elevators should be, the chances are the
fire would have been put out with loss
of less than $1,000"
Loss Viii, Reach SoOO.OHO.
Before the insurance underwriters COM
plete the list of buildings wrecked or dam
aged and property destroyed the total
financial loss will reach 100000.
The tabulated statement of the loss, rs
nearly as can be learned. is:
The Chicago Railway Terminal Eie-
vator Company, on building. .....S yo,ODt
Loss to grain in structure. ........ 2lO,0OI
Chicago and Northwestern Railroad,
loss to freighthousc and cars. go. 20,GN
Engine and machinery in elevator. 2o,oet
Loss to Chicago and Northwestern