The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-03-17

ing from the third story to the roof was Il
shaft which gave the tlames every chance,
and 1t was because OF this shaft that the
fire spread with such awful rapidly. The
building was occupied py number OF con-
Germs. solue oil them employing large num-
bers OF people. 1t Is estimated that 400
people were at work in tue building when
the fire WAS discovered.
The origin Of the lire Il In dispute. by
| some 1t Is said to have heen caused By an
explosion Of coal oil in tho wallpaper ware
rooms OF Alfred P6ats on the tnird floor and
| Nv Others to have been tho. result of an
| eAnlofion among some Photographic chemi-
| calls IN the Photographs supply house of
Sweet, Waiiarh o. Co, on the sixth floor.
| Employees OF both concerns deny that there
| was any explosion In their vicinity.
| The weight OF evidence seems to he,
| however, that the explosion was In the
lower part OF the building and the flames
shot no the light shaft at once. There
was no eating down. Tho sound OF the
explosion threw the inmates of the build
Ing into a panic and on several floors
Wild stampede began for the stairways and
elevators. re add to the panic the men
IN charge OF the elevators ran their ears
M TO the TOP OF the building, shouting
fire on every loor. When they reached
the top loar both elevators took on load
of frightened women and started for the
bottom. The front elevator was in charge
of Harry Gleason a boy, and the rear one
was handled hv William 81. John. 4 young
man. Both OF tho mon kept thelr holds,
showed much coolncss and bravery and
were instrumental in saving many lives.
In less than ten minutes after the eg- 1
p'osiuu that started the fire. all escape |
OF tho Inmates by the stairs and elevators |
was cut of. There remained only the VIM |
dows and the single fire escape a narrow
Iron thing not over eighteen inches from
side to side. This was quickly covered with
string of people, some on one side and
some on the other. They scrambled down
In frantic haste, trod IN one another's
iinsera bumped into one another and pro
GresS was slow and difficult for all of
them. Many OF those who could not reach Z
tho fire. escape madc their way to the
front windows and II was out of these that
Clark, Smith and Dinz hurled themselves
to death. Clark was the bookkeeper for
tho olmsted Scientific company In The
seventh floor and remained to put thu
books in the safe. He might have escaped
had he run upon The first alarm, He w.s
first seen Mt one Of tho seventh story win
dows and u few minutes after showed HIM
self IN window of tho sixth floor. Tho
fire was close upon him, all the floors and
walls behind him were crashing down and
u was certain death to remain where he
was. There was no possibility OF help. and
be took his only chance. Three minutes
lator he was dead on the pavement below
Miles A. Smith, salesman for the Ohm
stead Scientific company also leaned from
q window In the sixth floor. He hesitated
Some time before taking the leap. but like 4
Clark understood that II was his only hone
10 was Instantly killed, his body being
horribly mangled.
Edward Rtn2, the cashier of Sweet, Wall
ZACH Co. on the sixth floor. fell a,
Victim to his desire 10 save others and 10
protect his books from harm He, upon |
hearing the alarm ran TO the rear OF the
store to warn the employees to run for
their livoe.
One fireman distinguished himself by a
daring rescue, He was upon ladder close
70 the building when he heard a cry ring
Ing out above the roar OF flames. HoI !
sttadled himself upon the ladder and
pserod into the dense smoke Just then
gust OF wind changed the scene. The fire
man saw man in window OF the fifth i,
Story carrying an inanimate form. That
|he rescuer wns about 10 throw tho uncon-
scipns Human being into the street, in the
VAN hope of saving the man from death
~ Wasting, was evident. The fire was
roaring so that no voice could be heard | {
putting up his hands as a signal 10 watt
until he rot ready, the fireman again
pEced himself upon the lalder, ard thon
nIve waved his arms for the resoner to dropl
The unconscious man to him. with 4
shock thai nearly knocked the heroic man
rom his position upon the ladder tho body G
OF the man struck the nrefghter.
w a, plmatead, president OF the Ohm :
stead Scientific company, ran to the rear (,
y me seventh floor aud he's not been seen
since u Is thought he has beon buried ),
n the rnira I1 - II
Tho scenes OF the down town atree,s n
'clipsed anything seen at a fire In rhiees. i
or years fhe great flames which show n
rom the burning structure rose "a su,h :
! height IN the air hat they could be on i,
'ervea for three blocks IN either direc- 4 y
ion on Wabash avenue The flames ana :,
moke rolled upward and spread over the +,
hrrounding streets, alarming The crowas +,
business and shopping affairs Of every n,
eserlpiion were abandoned immedia,siy II
Gene - ''''} Il
George Fenter, property man OF the I,
reat Northern thcAter and II. II. Cullen .
ayed several lives, Fenter was passing !,
trough the alley in the rear OF the build- :,
~. when he saw flames bursting from a
20 room. Fontor rushed To the alarm
nx ~ Jackson and Wabash avenue ana n,
'fres IN a. alarm He met cullen run II
ng down the street Will, blanket ana q,
llowed him. The men stood in front 81 ;,