The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1908-09-01

able, but it is swelled considerably
when all those volunteers are taken
into consideration who helped to fight
| the blaze There were a dozen struc-
lures touched by the fire and it lasted
| for three hours.
| Chief Dilschneider and his depart
ment fought gaIlantly. and while there
was criticism offered from some, parts
of it came from parties who stood idly
by, merely wanting to be entertained
with something thrilling.
The Minas store was a fretrap of
the worst kind, a tinderbox having the
appearance of substantial building
on the outside, but really nothing more
than a veneer structure, in which one
layer of brick covered two frame cot
tages which had been built together
and covered with a tar roof
To put the fire out was an impos-
sibility and all that could be done was
to prevent the flames from spreading.
FIGHTERS ARE WARNED.
| A dozen of fire insurance agents had
| gathered on the scene and when they
| learned that the building was of the
veneer style they were satisfied that
it would have to go up in smoke, and
|
falling walls. That they were correct
in their estimates of the scope of the
fire was proven later when the rear
half of the southeast wall fell inward,
| covering FIVE men.
/ That any one of the fire should have
escaped with their lives is miraculous,
and people who were eyewitnesses are
still unable to account for their mar
row escapes. They remember a hair
| raising sight of a huge pile of brick
quivering as though it were straining
like thing possessed with life. and
slowly bending forward and then CIV
| ing with a snap.
PANIC EXCITED CROWDS.
1t was then that a panic seized the
two thousand people who had gath
cred in the threatened district, at
tracted there by the possibility of some
excitement. They got more than they
bargained for and sooner than they had
looked for it. 1t seemed impossible
that any Of the five should have es-
capped with their lives. Hundreds of
men dreaded the grewsome sight that
would in another minute unfold itself
before them when five people would be
dug out of the ruins battered to a
shapeIess mass. But eager hands
CROPPED through the smoke and with
feverish haste began throwing hot
brick to all sides of them in their
hurry to uncover the victims. The
tumbled wall, partly supported by the
broken timbers, lay like the gable of
roof Underneath were five men.
WHITTON GETS OUT.
| Before their work had fairly begun
Lloyd Wilton, one of the volunteers
who was covered in the debris. emerged
like a man from the grave. He is only
young fellow, but the word dare"
is written in large letters over his
face
t 1t shone through the SCOT and CRIME
2 with which he was covered He made
his own way out of the wreckage
stumbling and falling and nearly over
come with smoke. He ached in every
bone where he had been struck by fly
ing brick, but he seemed none the
worse for his experience He was soor
followed by Ira King, another young
fellow of Whitton's type. He seeming
~ did not realize the narrow escape
. that he had and passed it off with
some joking remark that he did not
want to get too close to brick again
The escape of the two young fellows
somewhat relieved the tension of the
crowd which had now gathered in the
= alley.
MILL WAS UNCONSCIOUS.
The rescuers worked on. Under the
brick they saw a blue uniform, and
a they worked harder STILL enveloped IL
smoke and flying water. Soon they
dragged William Mil, the assistant fir,
6 chief from the debris. He was uncon
scious He is one of the biggest me1
in the department and usually excite.
: very little comment for frailty Blu
: the sight of the fire fighter, limp ant
v dead-like, being carried through a pas
I sage of awed spectators brought fortl
n many a suppressed sigh of pity. II,
v was laid out on grass plot and medi
cal attention was given him.
Tom McQuisten and Clarence Tule,
| were still in the debris, but nobod,
knew who they were The rescuer
worked on, themselves almost overcom
> by exhaustion and soon the limp form
, of McQuisten and Tuley were brough
: out
9 BOTH WE'RE UNCONSCIOUS.
] They were both unconscious Still ,
large part of the fallen wall RENAME,
untouched and nobody knew how man,