The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-10

committee.
 While the announced object of the bill Is to learn the best means of promoting harmony between the two races" Dem ocratic members of congress say that its powers as defined in the bill are practi- cally unlimited and the commission would be able to go into almost any question
 
 totally blind for many years. was In straight jacket, and his hands were man aeled to a oelt that passed around his waist. When the alarm of fire was sound- ed Wattles ran to investigate He found the elevator shaft a mass of flames and ran back to help the Alderman, who, blind and unable to do anything with his hands was almost mad with fear, and was shouting like an insane person. He had groped his way to the door, and by the time his attendant had reached him, had fallen to the floor overcome with smoke. Wattles seized him and tried to drag him dowr the hall to a place of safety, but 1t was almost impossible to do anything with him. Wattles was finally compelled to run for lis life.
 Tore Away Iron Bars.
 He ran to a window on the south side Of the building, across which were iron bars. Wattles managed to tear two of these from their fastenings and with two other men who followed him. climbed out on the sill. There they were seen by the firemen, who called on them to remain where they were and they would save them A ladder was run as high as pos sible and the two men with Wattles were taken down. He became crazed with excitement and sprang for net which some men were holding on the sidewalk underneath. He fell partly in it and partly on the sidewalk and sustain cd injuries which will probably cause his death.
 Kent was lying on the floor of his room aud evidently died of suffocation. His body was burned after death. Three hours after the outbreak of the fire he was found on the floor of his room.
 In a room on the second floor was Dr. William Bunker, of Chicago, who some time ago lost one of his legs in an acci- dent. JIe was in bed when the fire broke out and on going to the door of his room found escape In that direction cut off. Hobbling to the window of his room ne climbed out on the window sill. He was was without clothing and when he saw the great crowd below he crawled back into the smoke and came out again wrap ped in blanket. He was soon taken down by the firemen.
 Wire Screen Held Them. AcrOSS north side was . heavy wire screen and | on the outside of the screen were iron bars running parallel to the sill. The space between the bars was too small to allow the passage of even small boy, and behind them were gathered crowd of men whose numbers were afterward found to be between twenty-five and thirty Escape in other directions was impossible. The one chance for life for that crowd of men lay through that screened and barred window. The men closest to the screen tore and tugged at it in a vain effort to tear 1t from its fastenlngs and the men behind them fought madly to get close enough to the screen to fasten their fingers in it. A numlcr of the men at the window were in a:ght jackets and manacles, and those not being able to help themselves or others were the widest of all In their frantic efforts to break the bars. The crowd in the street watching the desper- ate situation of the men behind the screen was simply an insane mob. It seemed as though nothing could be done and that all of the men would die within six inches of freedom. That any of the men escaped at all, Is owing to the work of w. E. Davis of Cedar Rapids, Ia.. patient in the institution. He induced the men to cease their disconnected pulling at the screen and to unite their efforts. Four men at first took hold of the screen and in almost a minute the crowd behind them pushed them away and before the four men could get to the screen again they were compelled to light with their fists.
 Davis managed to get his men to the window again and after a few desperate pulls they managed to tear down a DOT ton of the screen. Nerved to the work by their success the bodies of the men swayed hack and forth as they put all their strength into one last effort. FL nnlly down 1t came, the men in their des- peration pulling with 1t large pieces of the
 mortur fir which Its sides had been in- cased The screen WAS gone. but the bars had been incased. Then the heavy bars were finally torn away by the united efforts of the men. There was rush for the window and Dr. A. c. Anderson of Chicago was the first man through sprans for Platform. Flo s2rang for the platform of the fire escape in front of the window and man. aged to catch it, and thus was saved. The next man through the window was 6. S. Gott of Lavcrgne, III. Anderson was so much exhausted that he was not able to drag Gott after him, and the latter was so badly burned that he was not able to make the leap himself He crouohed on the WlnuOW s11i While the men on the inside clamored for him to jump Clinton Osborne, a real estate dealer of New York city, was the third man He crawled out beside Gott and told the men inside to grasp his feet. This they did, and telling Gott to take hold of his wrists and drop over the win dow sill Osborne, hanging head down. ward swung Gott to and fro until he had acquired sufficient momentum, and then swung him up and on to the landing of the fire escape, where Dr. Anderson seized and held him, and he and Gott then formed chain. Gott holding to the fire escape, and Anderson, tightly held by Gott with one hand. reaching out to- ward the window so that the men. one by one, as they crawled through, were able to take one step a ledge and make a leap to the platform of the fire escape. down which they made their way to the ground
 Twenty-Five men made their escape in this manner. and when the last one passed under the iron bar the building was a furnace close behind him. He said there were several men lying the floor over come by smoke when he left and they all perished. It is doubtful if enough of their bodies will be found to enable them to be identified.
 Dr. G. Mulford Silvers, chief of the