Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1909-02-24
TWO BIG MILWAUKEE PLANTS
DEsTRoYED-Loss SAID
TO BE s25o,ooo.
MADISON FIREMEN SEND MES.
SAGE OF SYMPATHY-HAR-
ROWING SCENES.

dre In the big plant or the H. W.
Johns Manville Manufacturing COM
pany, 225 Clybourne street. yesterday
afternoon. An employe of the con
Germ received burns in his attempt to
escape from the burning building
which resulted in his death at hos
pital. The pecuniary loss is estimat-
ed at $250,O0O, covered by insurance
OF this amount $4,000 damage is
borne by the Waltham Piano COM
pany, Charles F. Netzow, president
List of Dead.
James Cunning, assistant chief.
Leonard F. Curtis, pipeman No. A.
John F. Craft, pipeman No. 4.
Joseph Belinski, pipeman No. 49,
Nathaniel j. Whaley, lieutenant
No 4.
Thomas Petchesa, laborer, dashed
from the building a mass of flames
He died of injuries at the emergency
hospital
Firemen Injured.
Jack MCGEE, repairman.
Otto Nimmer, driver No. 10.
Joseph J. Kulas, pipeman No. 10.
Paul Lempke, No. 10.
Michael Keogh, pipeman No 2S.
F. J. Crowley.
o. A. Sullivan.
Michael Tighe.
Others Injured.
George Kalus, laborer.
Henry Davenport, laborer.
Two companies of firemen were sta
toned on a wall and the roof Of the
Waltham Piano company building
!, south of the H. w. Jones-Manville
plant when, without having received
any warning, the rear wall of the
Johns-Manville concern bulged out
ward and crashed down. The fire.
men were caught under the mass of
brick and timber which smashed
through the roof Of the piano ware
house, carrying the firemen to the
floor below. 1t was some time be-
fore the accident became generally
known. Then there was rush to the
rescue. One by one the injured and
dead were dragged from beneath the
mass of debris until all had been &C.
counted for. The injured were then
taken to the emergency hospital and
the dead to the morgue or to their
homes. There were many affecting
scenes at the hospital and morgue.
Chief Cunning and his men were
lost when the roof of the NetzoH
plant caved in, carrying between ten
and Is men to the fourth floor and
burying them in the debris. One aft
er another the >corpses were taken
from the building, charred and black
eped. some bruised and CHASTITY, tell
ing a mute story of martyrdom to
duty which these brave fire fighters
faced unflinchingly though they may
have known that death would be their
fate.
Search Runs for Bodies.
Chief Clancy put every available
man to work searching the ruins
when it became apparent that lives
had been lost and the danger OF the
fire spreading was over. lndescrlD-
able scenes of sadness were enacted
as the firemen carried their comrades
from the ruins. Chief Cunning had
been missed and searching party
was organized. His body was found
buried in the ruins on the fourth floor
of the Netzow plant and it was be-
lieved he was dead. On reaching
the ground it was found that he still
breathed and he was taken to the
; Emergency hospital. He died a few
minutes later. The factory plant OF
the Johns-Manville company adjoin'
ing. which escaped injury, was con-
verified into a temporary morgue ans
the bodies of the dead firemen were
laid under blankets to wait for fur
Their disposition. The injured were
hurried to the Emergency hospltai,
where everything was done to reiieve
them and if possible to save their
lives.
compIicates Rescue Work.
Several of the injured left the hos
initial. after having their wounds treaF-
ed. In these cases the men were
not hurt sesiously, and hurried back
to renew the battle with the flames.
This served to complicate the work
of rescue, and accounting for the fire
men. several of those missing being
IN me hospital at the time OF ac-
counting, or on the way.
The members Of company ~, at
one time thought to be killed by the
crashing of the walls. were found IN
side one of the buildings fighting the