The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1898-02-11
SIX LIVES ARE LOST.
Boston Firemen Buried Under
a Collapsed Roof.

Chief Eagan Among the Vtctims-Ihe
Property Loss About $4,000.
Boston, Feb. 6.-SiX firemen, including
n district chief, a captain and a lieu
tenant. were killed at "A fire here Sat
urday morning, which burned out the in
terror of a 5-story building on Merrimac
street, occupied by G. w. Bent & Co..
nar.lfacturers of beds, bedding, etc.
The dead are,
John F. Egan, district chief.
James Victory, captain engines 81 and
49,
George ]. Gotwald. lieutenant, engine
SO.
Patrick II. Disken. hoseman.
John ]. Mulhern, fireman.
w. ]. Walsh, hoseman.
-Four other firemen were buried in the
ruins, but they escaped with more or less
serious injuries:
They are:
Joseph NJ Clarity. captain engine Z.
Thomas f.. Conway, hoseman.
T. J. Doherty. hoseman.
Edward Shea, hoseman.
The first to be taken out was Edward
Shea, who was found about 40 feet from
the front of the building, pinned be.
tween the timber about midway between
the first and second floors, having fallen
from the fifth floor. AS he was taken
out he said to those who were remoV-
ing him: Don't bother about me. Get
the other fellows that are in there"
The next man to be taken out was
CAPTAIN Clarity. He was found within
n few feet of Shea, pinned under some
heavy timbers, and was brought out In
a semi-conscious condition. The next
man. Conway, had been in sight or the
rescuing party for some time. He was
uinned under some timbers, which held
his legs in such manner that the TIM
hers had to be sawed through before ne
could be released. Doherty was then
rescued. He was apparently the worst
injured of the lot. His left leg was Ut
terly useless.
At about this time 1t was learned that
Lieutenant Mccarthy of protective
was struck in the legs by falling bricks
when the floors fell, and was removed
10 the house of protective on Purchase
street. where he was attended by the
surgeon Of that department.
After the first four men were taken
from the building and dispatched to the
hosnital the sound of voices ceased, and
n seemed impossible that any more were
alive.
It was just 1905 o'clock when cry
ceroe from the inside of the building:
1--WE have got them"
SLOWLY the bodies were brought out,
two brave priests having stood on the
edge Of the caved-in floor, and, as cap
tain Victory and Chief Egan were lifted
tenderly on stretchers, administered the
consultations of the church to them.
A shout of encouragement went up
when it was reported that both Chief
Egan and Captain Victory still had the
breath of life in them.
Then came the word that the Others
were dead.
Chief F,gan was found under a mass
Of bedding and feathers. His face was
badly bruised, and dark purple spots
covered his hands and face.
Captain Victory was found near Chief
Egan. and in practically the same state
Egan died on the way to the hospital
and Victory about 10 minutes after
reaching there.
The other four men, as the rescners
had given warning, were dead when
found.
The fire broke out just before o'clock
The first alarm was given at 1858 O'Clock
a. m.
The building, which was occupied en-
tirely by G. w. Bent & Co., manufacture
ers of bedding. spring beds, cushions
sofa beds, etc, owing to the nature of the
articles made there, was filled with the
most inflammable materials.
The fremen had hardly got to work
when from the third-story windows il
the rear and on the west side sheets o.
flame burst forth, which Illuminated the
entire surroundings, and almost in
stantly the wooden ellis of the tenemen
houses were on fire.
second alarm was sounded, and 81
quickly did the flames spread through
the fourth and fifth stories that thre
minutes later a third alarm was sound
ed.
BY this time the three upper stories
rear, and the third story, front, were
seething furnace of flame, and there wa
no prospect that the firemen would saw
anything above the second story. TIL
lower floors were already flooded wit
water, and for an hour and quartz
the firemen kept up their battle.
Just as they seemed about to succee
in controlling the flames, there came
deafening crash, followed by a sheet @
flame and smoke from the lower storie
of the building. A part of the roof ha
fallen in upon the fifth floor, which, load
ed down with it's immense stock of cot
Ton, excelsior and such material tina
had absorbed the water poured into tn
floor, was unable to stand the tremer
dous strain and was carrying everythin
before it, with the exception of the eN
IRENE front of the building.
This was the time when the fireme
who were killed and injured were cal
-ried down with the falling masses.
Then the efforts of the firemen WEI
renewed, and it was another hour and
half before the blaze was finally e.
tinguished. The contents of the builC
ing are a total loss, and, with the dan
age to the building, will bring the tot
up to at least $4,000. This is PARTIAL
covered by insurance.
Cuban Independence.
Washington, Feb. S.-Senator MasC
of Illinois today presented the followiI