The Washington herald., 1910-12-23

out in just leh a IRE as he had pre-
dieted.
Horan and Engine Companies Nos. IS
and 50 We're the first to arrive A few
minutes later Horan ordered the men
vino We're handling the hose into the box
ike canopy that covered the freight plat
forms ana freight tracks.
Get the water into the basement, or
the whole yards are as good as gone, 80
he yelled
Then the chief sprang upon the plat
form and seized an AK 10 break down the
locked doors 10 the basement.
a moment later there was q violent
wrenching and ereaking, for a fraction
Of a second the roof lifted up into the
sky. and permitted the furnace Of flames
TO be seen by the crowd.
Look out, men. we're-." II was
Marshal Horan's voice that was heard in
his last warning 10 his men.
Before he completed the sentence the
wall upon which they had been playing
the water had lifted up and toppled down
upon the canopy, which, in turn, sank
down upon the flremen below.
Marshal Seyferlich was but a few feet
beyond the range of the falling walls.
where the debris had left of. A fireman
who had been stunned by flying timber
fell into his arms and was dragged back
TO the tracks and beyond danger. Then
Seyferlich ran back 10 the ruins.
Busse Aids in search.
The struggle to recover Horan and his
men was participated in at times by
Mayor Busse, Coroner Hoffman, and Va
rious aldermen, every one a personal
friend of the dead fire marshal They
sent orders or lent a hand in digging into
the debris in an effort TO uncover the
bodies of the firemen.
All efforts to save property that was
but slightly damaged was abandoned from
the moment the lives were lost
Edward Morris. clad in a dripping over
coat. did everything in his power 20 help
in the work of rescue, ignoring the fact
that a fortune in meats was going up in
the smoke that was suffocating the FIRE
fighters.
The one hope that spurred the firemen
on TO renewed efforts during the day was
that men still might be alive in the
ruins.
Once, when Marshal Seyferlich was GER
tain he had heard groan from beneath
the ruins, Mayor Busse, followed by J.
Ogden Armour. clambered over the pile
OF steaming wreckage and with their own
hands endeavored to pull away the heavy
timbers and tore bits of freight cars.
When they failed a wrecking train was
brought into play. the graphing irons
thrown about the objects. and the spot
barred TO the ground.
Find Crushed Helmets.
But he result was only a repetition OF
previous efforts of a like nature. A
crushed helmet bearing the numbe- o.
the Inflated engine company. SO. was all
that rewarded the efforts Of the search
ing party.
The work of the firemen was hindered
by a long string Of freight cars that was
standing on the sidetrack in front
the platform.
A switch engine was hurried TO the
spot, and in spite Of the danger OF falling
walls and timbers was pushed into the
flames and attached TO the cars
AS the cars were started 70 moving
something unexpected happened. The
canopy had been resting on them ard il
collapsed just as fast as the cars were
drawn from beneath it,
The removal of this timber revealed a
sight that brought tears To the eyes OF
thousands Of the spectators who were
perehed about on buildings. cars. ana
Cor tinued on Page 3, Column 3.