Omaha daily bee., 1902-02-05
TEN FIRENEN ARE KILLED
Hurled from Ladder and Buried UlasI
RuinI Of Building.
OTHERS ARE SERlsUsLY HURT At THE FIRE
Structure CoIlapses Suddenly and
Chief of Department Narrowly
Escape Fate of His
Men.

ST. LOUIS. Feb. AT least ten men
were killed and as many more injured at
FIRE which broke out tonight in the fve-
story stone and brick building located at
S14 Chestnut street, occupied by the
American Tent and Awning company. The
building suddenly collapsed. and, although
the dozen men who were caught In
the crash had not been reached by their
hard rd-working companions two hours later.
1t is almost absolutely certain. that they
succumbed.
The dead:
AUGUST THIERRY, first assistant chief,
caught in ruins
MICHAEL KEHoB. assistant foreman Of
Company No. 10, caught in ruins.
DANIEL STEELE, foreman Of No. -
| company. caught in ruins.
WILLIAM DJNDON, pipeman.
CHARLES KRENNING. pipeman.
PATRICK BERGERN, assistant foreman.
THREE PIPEMEN, names unknown,
caught in ruins.
The injured;
Frank Lingo, driver Of No. aerial
/ truck thrown from truck while working
forty feet from the ground seriously in
jured.
| Monroe Moore, inspector for the I'm
perial Electric Light company badly in
jured by falling through a shaft.
Patrick Mccarthy. engineer Company No.
6, caught by falling wall, seriously hurt.
| William X. Julieb, driver, caught by fall
| ing wall, seriously hurt.
William Hogeland, foreman Company No.
10, seriously injured by falling walls.
BuiIding an Old one.
The building in which the FIRE originated
\ was located in the old business section of
the city and was about fifty years old. The
blaze. which proved hard one for the fre
| department TO master, had been gotten
practically under control, when suddenly,
with absolutely no warning, IL collapsed
and came down in a heap, with a noise
that could be heard for blocks. Three pipe
men at work on the second floor had had
difficulty in managing line Of hose and
Assistant Chief Thierry was on his way
with three Of his men to lend them aid
when the building collapsed.
The men went down with tons OF twisted
iron. brick, stone and wooden columns en-
veloping them. Chief Swingley, who was in
front of the building directing his men.
had miraculous escape from death. AS
the front wall fell outward he scurried
across the street and got under truck.
The truck was covered with debris and
partially wrecked, but to its sheltering pro-
lection the chief owes his life.
Frank Lingo. driver OF the truck, was
directing a stream on the FIRE from the
aerial ladder. about forty feet from the
ground. whan the wan fefl portion OF
the debris struck him and he was hurled 70
the ground. receiving fatal injuries.
Chief swingley put his entire force at
work at once in an effort to rescue the
buried iremen, but although the men
- ~ 4.
to reach them at midnight. 1t is a cer-
tainty that all are dead, as tons Of debris
cover them.
Following is a list Of the losses: Amer
lean Tent and Awning company, $25, 900;
Mclean & Tate, loss on building, $35, 900;
Herman Ruppelt, job printer, $4,000; scat
tering $1,000.
Mayor Heads Salvage Corps.
ST. LOUIS, Feb. Sat a. m. this morn.
ing, notwithstanding that superhuman ef
} forts had been made by Chief Swingley and
his men to lift the debris from of theil
unfortunate companions. not a single mar
had been reached. and to all appearances
: not much progress had been made in raisin,
: the immense pile of iron, stone, steel, til
and wood. At this hour the names OF thre,
{ more missing men were given out by th'
( chief, who expressed his belief that whei
) the men were reached most, II not all
Q would be found to be dead.
/, Mayor Rolla Wells arrived on the seem
: at 1890 a. m. and at once pressed all tn
4 stevedores, longshoremen and others o
I that class in the neighborhood into serv
$ ice in the work of uncovering the bodies o
5 the unfortunate firemen.
Taking a stand on big pile Of debris tn
mayor cheered on the working forces In tn
hopes that perhaps a spark Of life remaine
e in some Of the bodies beneath the immens
q pile Of debris.
: The first body taken from the ruins wa
: that Of William Bondon, at 1880 a. m. III
d was barely conscious and badly crushed
a He was taken to the hospital No hopes ar
a | entertained for his recovery.