Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1909-02-26
MEN WHO LOST LIVES WERE UN-
DER DIRECTION OF ASSIST
ANT CHIEF.
OBEDIENCE SAVED SHIELDS.
Left Death Trap Moment Before Walls
Collapsed to Fulfill Order from
Doomed Leader
HAD ORDERED FIGHTERS TO ROOF.


| in the fire department, was responsible
for his own death and those of five fire
men in the fire at the II. w. Johns Man
vile plant on February ID, was the
| testimony of Chief Thomas Clancy at
| the cOroner's inquest this afternoon.
Chief Clancy declared the fremen on
the roof of the collapsed building were
sent there by William Shields, captain
Of engine company No. 4. and were di-
rected on the roof by Assistant Chief
Cunning.
Capt. Shields escaped death, when the
| walls fell, burying the firemen I'M
derneath a pile of debris, by re-
spending to obey an order, which
called him from the building a
| moment before. The order was given
him by Assistant Chief Cunning, and had
Cept. Shields delayed, it is probable, he
also would haze been killed with his
companions. The testimony of Chief
Clancy plainly showed the authority of
the men, and he gave the names of
those in charge of each section of the
burning buildings.
Sent in General Alarm
Prefacing his testimony with his his
tory in the department, Chief Clancy
testified he and Assistant Chief George
14IHhIudu ieSpOuueu W tue IRE can at
1858, and went to the blaze in the fire
chiefs auto arriving in three minutes.
-Four minutes after the first a general
alarm was sounded on order of Chief
Clancy.
Il found flames breaking through the
basement, first and second floor WIN
dows," continued the chief. '"These
were confined chiefly to the east, west
and north sides.
After the third alarm, found Capt.
Shields, whose engine house is close by.
at Sixth and ClybOurn streets. He had
two lines of water on the fire. His men
had entered the first floor, and We're
battling with the flames. l ordered AS
sistant Chief Linkman to the east al
ley and, if possible, to get lines of hose
ON the buildings across the alley. On the
other side of the building the flames
gained 50 rapidly that | ordered the
boys out. Then l authorized Shields to
take charge of the south end. There
was no fire there then, only heavy
smoke. blown from the northwest. [
sent men with Shields to aid him III the
work.
Chief Cunning Reports.
cat this time Assistant Chief Gun
ming reported, and | sent him to aid
Assistant Chief Linkman on the build
ings on the east side. [ clearly remem-
Der, | said, Jim, you go down the alley
with George, and get those boat lines
working to keep the fire from crossing
the alley Then Cunning went
''At this time, Capt. Shields went to
the Netzow Piano company building and
took Co. 10 with him, | understand. |
did not order Shields on the roof, but
told him to watch the building. He used
his own mind, and fought the fire from
his own observations. After that | did
not see him on top of the building.
"Whateyer he did after l told him to
look through the piano building, he did
on his own authority L understood
there was one company on the roof at
the start.
Enthusiasm Proved Fatal.
Later Shields took several men from
No. 4 to the roof to help No. 10 and
then No. IS reported on the roof. I
and Kraft belonged to this company.
1t seems three old men of No. 4 went
on the roof. and Repairman MCGEE,
who was injured, went with them be-
cause he formerly was a member of the
company. He was not compelled to go,
but was carried away by his enthusiasm
to be with his old fellows.
Il did not see Cunning again until
after the north and west walls had col
lapsed. | saw him and Assistant Chief
Lawrence Hanlon standing in the street
in front of the piano factory. l told
them l thought we had the fire under
control.
Ordered Into Building.
II ordered them into the building, to
see if the fire was coming through the
windows. One explained to me that there
was a court inside with windows. |
fear Cunning went inside, and that
HanlOn went to the alley. Once inside,
Cunning probably went up on top OF
the roof This was five minutes before
the wall fell.
Il understand Cunning told Shields
to go down through the building and see
if the fire was breaking through the
windows. Cunning said to Shields, I'll
stay up here awhile
Shields left the roof with Michael
Hanrahan, and scarcely had they left
the building when the wall fell
Shields en- the Stand.
Capt. Shields took the stand and cor
roborated Chief Clancy's testimony re-
garding the directions given by Assistant
bodies of Whaley, Curtiss, Craft and
Cunning in the debris after the wall fell.
He had not regarded the wall as being
dangerous, he said, when he was on the
roof He was ordered down by Gun
ming. He described the work of fight
so thick that the men could not see the
windows and were aware that they were
pouring water through the openings only
by the feel of the nozzles.
Both Chief Clancy and Capt. Shields
said they regarded the Johns-Manville
building as tiretrap, even when 1t was
but four stories high. Capt. Shields
said. however, that he was not alarmed
over the building because it was given
over to the manufacture of asbestos and
freproof products.