Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-02-05
SIX FIREMEN KILLED,
Ten Brave Ladies' Caught in a Big 8cstor
Fire.
ROOF AND FLOORS FALL IN ON THEM.
-Four Only Escape Alive. Cut and Bruised
while Fighting Fire ON the Fourth
story Roof and Floor Above Fell.

Boston, Mass, Feb. 5.--The bodies OF
SIX hremen, among them District Chief
Egan, have just been taken from the
ruins of the Bent building which took
fire at O'Clock this morning, The
dead are:
John f. Egan, district chief.
James Victory. captain engine COM
panles SO and IS.
George j. Gotwald, lieutenant engine
company 80.
Patrick II. Disken, hoseman.
John j. Mulhern, fireman.
w. j. Walsh, hoseman.
-Four other firemen We're buried in
the ruins, but escaped with more OF
less serious injuries. They are; Joseph
". Garf1tty, captain engine 4. Thomas
~ conway, hoseman; II. J. Doherty.
HoSeWan, Edward Shea, hoseman.
Lieut.. John Il. Mccarthy, of Protec-
bricks.
The building was Ave story struc-
lure on Merrimac street, occupied by
G. w. Bent e Co., manufacturers Of
beds, bedding, etc.
The fire is supposed to have started
in the rear of the fourth story. The
fremen had entered window and were
at work On the fourth floor when the
roof collapsed, tearing away the top
iioor and the one on which the firemen
were engaged, burylng them beneath
the wreck.
The alarm was sounded at $685. The
building was Allied with the most in
iiammnble materials. 1t was Joined
on the east by a three story tenement
and ON the west was separated by a
narrow alley from a similar structure.
while In the rear OF the tenement
houses on South Margin street was q
narrow light wall. So quickly did the
flames spread to the fourth and fifth
stories that within n few minutes the
three upper stories rear and the third
story front were a seething furnace of
flames. and there was no prospect that
the firemen would be able to save any
thing above the second story.
The fight was made at the start by
the stairways, but soon the firemen
were driven back by hot air explosions
and Il suffccating smoke. and were OBJ
llged to fight from the other side. Two
ladders were raised on the front as
were also several of the longest ex-
tension ladders, while streams were
carried through the South Margin
street tenements from the back win
dows, of which Hoods were poured into
the fiery furnace.
The fire was nearly under control at
engine No. were on the fourth floor.
and engines 3S and 80 on the second
when the roof collapsed carrying down
portions of all the floors through the
basement and burying the firemep. be-
meath n great mass of debris. a
hasty canvass Of the department
showed that ten men were mlsaing.
The first man to be taken out was Ed
ward s. Hay, who was found about
forty feet from the front of the build
ing on the extreme westerly end.
pinned between the timber about mid
way between the first and second
floors, having fallen from the fifth
floor. As he was taken out he said to
those who were revlving him; Don't
bother about me. Get the other fell
lows that are in there"
Captain Garritty was found within n
few feet of Shay, pinned under some
heavy timbers and was brought out
in semi conscious condition. Tim
Roy was pinned under some timbers
,hlch held his legs in such a manner
that the timhers had to be sawed
through before he could be released.
Next Phil Doherty. OF engine No. Z.
was taken out. He was apparently
the worst injured OF the lot. His left
leg was utterly useless
Lieut. Mccarthy of Protective /. was
struck in the leg by falling bricks
when the floor fell