The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-06
FATAL BATTLE FOR FlREMEN.
s,v KILLED AND -FOUR INJURED AT
BOSTON.

EInOES
Fhick of Their Fight With the
Flames-First Man Taken Out
Tells His Resources Not to Bother
About Him But to Look After the
other Men in the Ruins.
Boston. Feb. 5.-Six firemen, including
district chief, a captain and lieutenant,
were killed at fire here this morning,
which burned out the interior of a five
story building on Merrimac street, occu-
niea by G. w. Bent & Co., manufacturers
of beds, bedding, etc. The dead are:
DISTRICT CHIEF JOHN EGAN.
CAPT. JAMES EMERY.
LIEUT.. GEORGE GOTTWALD.
HOsEMAN PATRICK H. DISKEN
FIREMAN JOHN j. NIULHERN.
HOsEMAN w. J. WALSH.
Four other men were buried In the
ruins. but they escaped with more or less
serious injuries. They are:
CAPT. JOSEPH E. GARRITY.
HOSEMAN THOMAS E.fCONWAY.
HOsEMAN t. J. DOHERTY.
HOSEMAN EDWARD SHEA.
Lieut.. John J. Mccarthy of Protective
No. was slightly bruised by falling
bricks
The alarm was sounded at 1858 this morn
ing The building was flied with the
most inhamable materials. 1t was joined
on the east by a three-story tenement; on
the west was separated by narrow val
ley from a similar structure, while in the
rear of the tenement houses on South Mar
gin street is a narrow. light wall.
So quickly did the flames spread to the
fourth and fifth stories that within a few
minutes the three upper stories in the
rear and the third-story front, were a
seethiug furnace of flames and there was
no prospect that the firemen would be able
TO save anything above the second story.
fight was made at the start by the
stairways, but soon the firemen were driv-
en- back by hot air explosion and a
suhocatng smoke. and were obliged
to fight from the outside. Two
aerial ladders were raised on the front,
as were also several long extension lad
ders while streams were carried through
the South Margin tenements, from the
back windows of which floods were poured
into the fiery furnace.
The fire was nearly under control at
the time of the accident The men of
engine company No. were on the fifth
on the second floor when the rear section
Of the roof collapsed, carrying down por-
tons of all the floors through to the base
ment and burying the firemen beneath
mass of debris. A hasty canvas of the
members of the department showed that
ten men were missing.
The first man to be taken out was Ed
ward Shea, who was found about forty
feet from the front of the buildings, on
the extreme westerly end, pinned between
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 removing him: do not bother
about me. Get the other fellows out that
are in there"
Capt. Garrity was found within a few
feet of Shay, pinned under some heavy
umbers and was brought out in a semi
conscious condition.
Tom Conroy was pinioned under some
umbers which held his legs in such a man.
ner that the timbers had to be sawed
through before he could be released
Next Phil Doherty of Engine No Twas
taken out. He was apparently the worse
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
The contents of the building, valued at
$1,000, are a total loss. The damage to
lhe building Itself will bring the total Up
70 at least $4,000. This is partly covered
by insurance.
me Evangelical Baptist Benevolent and
MISSIONARY Society and the fremont Tenn
PIE Association own the structure