The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-10-20
TEN MEN Persisted
IN ANGRY FLAMES
Three HurtJumping from Burn
ing Boarding House
FRIDAY MORNING HORROR
Fires Mysterious orieln-Mrs. Wat
ley, the Landlay, Feels Sure II
Was noendIary-clue May
Lead to an Arrest.

Lead to an Arrest.
In the horrible fire which destroyed
Mrs. e. f. Valleys two story franz
boarding house at 1131 Third avenue yes
terday morning. between and o'clock
conductors in the employ of the Birming
ham Railway, Light and Power company
were burned to death. Three others were
badly injured in jumping from the sec
ond floor of the burning house.
The Dead.
w. b. Taylor of Chattanooga, street car
motorman.
w. N. Nichols of Fort Payne, street oal
conductor.
D. B. Neal street car conductor.
G. c. Preston, street car conductor.
Edward Caldwell, Cullman, street car
motorman.
Il. B. Henshaw, Chattanooga, eonduc.
tor.
Gordon d. Burns. Cullman. street cal
conductor.
w. T. Hall, former conductor.
w. B. Livingston, rolling mill man.
Ollie II. hines, Birmingham Paint and
Glass company.
The Injured.
C. E. Hentch, a street car conductor
G. W. Troutman, a motorman
c. E. Kitchens, a street car employee
was slightly injured.
The bodies of Neal and Livingston were
last night sent by Llge 10y to the former
homes of the deceased. Both men were
married.
Six other bodies are being held at 10y S
rooms and two at Shaw s.
pending further identification this MORN
ing by the coroner's jury.
Coroner Paris is also making inVestiga-
tions with regard to the origin of the
fire.
When The Age-Herald went to press
morning seven men were known
to have persisted. When day broke ON the
ruins of the building three more
charred bodies were found in the embers
persons were sleeping in the
house, including Mrs. Watley and hei
two children.
The Inflated Men.
All the boarders might. have escaped
with few moments notice, but owing Il
a mysterious origin of the fire the flame,
seemed all at once to envelope the who'll
house. Some of the Inflated men die,
perhaps without awakening while a hal
dozen distorted bodies bore grim eyidenc
Of an agonizing death
The body of W. b. Livingston. in tn
frame work OF an upper window. mad
black by contrast with the red glare o
the flames was seen dangling, feet fore
most. The crowd in the street watche,
but were helpless. Soon a part of tn,
lower limbs was seen to drop off and TIN
bones of the legs remained hanging owe
the window sill. Then 1t was feared. bu
not known that other lives had been los
ana that nine other burned bodies wer,
lying in other parts of the house.
Many of the conductors and motormel
of the Birmingham Railway, Light an,
Power company had gathered in from
or the burning house. They were certai,
that a number of their fellow employes
tired from their work, were sleep,n,
soundly when the fire broke out.
Mrs, WatleV who with bar tu,a 49,.
children had escaped from the lower foo
OF the house, stood on the opposite sid
of the street watching the fire. She To-
felt certain that many of the boarder
had not got out of the house She her
self had barely time to escape with he
life She said the house seemed To he
when she was awakened to be burning al
over She had no doubt but that II wa
set ON fire. From the rapidty with whlel
1t burned from all sides she believed kero
sine had been used.
Working on Clue.
A clue which seems to bear ont TN
opinion that the fire was of incendiar,
origin is now being worked on. and de
velopments are expected to follow.
The tiremen worked faithfully ON tn
burning house, but the flames had to-
good start to be conquered. The build
ing was almost totally destroyed Moth
ing remains but a few worthless wall
and a couple of chimneys. When tn
blaze had been subdued the firemen bega,
to explore both floors with lanterns il
hand and then the bodies were found
Shaws and Logs ambulances were II
waiting and with the help of the men il
charge the firemen brought out the still
smoking bodies and they were taken t,
the undertaking rooms.
A new boarder. whose name was no
known by Mrs. Wotley is said to hav
gone into the house a few minutes befor
the fire broke out He stated yesterda.
that when he entered he detected tn
odor of burning cloth.
The negro Waterman at the Thirteenth
street. crossing seems TO have been tn
first to see the fire. 1t is said he tried t.
awaken the inmates of the house by lou,
cries.
The house was owned by w. S. Brown
1t was valued at 5000 and was insure,
s,, staOa