The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-01-26
THE LOSS IS $25O,OOo
DETAILS OF THE BIG BLAZE IN
 MOBILE.
Richard H. vidmer and Will John son, Negro, Were Crushed to Death by Fall
 ing Wall.

Mobile, Jan. 25.-(Special. .)-Fire was discovered at 80 o'clock this morning Tn the large wholesale grocery establishment of Michael & Lyons, situated at the northwest corner of St. Michael ana Commerce Street. The fire was dis covered by George Robinson, cabman, who was passing Royal and St. Michaei Streets, two blocks away. He imme- diately gave the alarm. The fire depart ment was soon on the scene Almost the entire upper floor seemed to De m flames when the department reached the scene. The fire burned north on com merce Street to the store occupied by the Drago Grain Company, which harro~,s St escaped. It also burned west on ot. Michael Street and included the cigar factory of F. J. Mccoy.
 Two fatalities occurred during the pro- gress of the fire, in the death at aoout ! o'clock of Richard H. Vidmer and VIII Johnson, a negro. At the hour named there were a number of firemen and clti- gems handling a hose at the corner or st. Michael and Commerce Streets in an effort to protect the office of the grocery establishment Chief of Police Soost, an old fire fighter, was there, together with Richard Vidmer and several others, in- cluding the negro. Without warning the south wall gave way and came tumbiing down. And there was run for life among those who had been at the point fighting the fire. All escaped except vidmer and the negro Johnson.
 Hardly had the bricks settled when the cry arose that there were men caught under the wall, and immediately the work of rescue began. The bodies of the negro and Vidmer were soon taken out from under the debris, but while both were alive, both were beyond hope of medical aid. pr. Killebrew was at r Ar.A but soon pronounced both case hopeless vidmer was cut about the head in several places. and the upper part of his body was badly crushed, both arms be- ing broken to pieces. The negro was also crushed to death. Rev. Gardiner c. Tucker. who was watching the fire. offered prayer for the dying men. The body of Mir. vidmer was carried to the ofiice of the Seaboard Air Line, where friends took charge of it and later it was taken to an undertaking establishment.
 The buildings of Micheal & Lyons and Henry Piser, the latter 8 dealer in junk, on Commerce Street, were gutted and the buildings almost totally destroyed. On the St. Michael Street side the buildings occupied by the Mobile Cider and Vinegar Works and the cigar factory of F. J. Mccoy were also totally destroyed. Over Michael & Lyons. on Commerce Street there were a great number of cot ton offices and these were all burned out It is believed that the fire originated fin one of these cotton offices.
 The losses to stocks and buildings will foot up at least a quarter of a million dollars, according to the best authorities.
 The negro who was killed by the fall ing wall, while aiding the firemen here in staying the progress of the fire, was identified by papers found on his person as Will Johnson of New Orleans, and from other papers found 1t was learned that he had lived at 516 Liberty Street in that city. MT. Steve Leonard, him. self, an old volunteer fireman, and who was working by the side of the unfortu- nate negro, when he learned the wall had caught and killed him, began a subscrip- tion to give Christian burial and met with a generous response. He will be buried tomorrow.
 All records of the office of the German consul, Mir. E. Holzbern. who had an office on the second floor of one of the burned buildings, were destroyed.
 Mr. Richard H. Vidmer, who met his death in the fire, was a native of this city, where he was born February 9, 1870. He was a graduate of the Univer- sity of Alabama, and after his gradua- tion, entered the timber business here, which he followed to the day of his death and in which he was very success fuI.
 This morning his remains were removed to the home of his aunt, Mrs. W, A. Christian on Dauphin Way, and all day the house was visited by friends of the deceased. Some difficulty has been ex- perienced in locating his brother, John Vidmer, so the funeral arrangements have not yet been perfected. His brother. Captain George vidmer, U. s. A.. is now en route to the Philippines. the last heard from him being when he entered the Suez canal.