The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-12-23
Public to Raise Half Million
for Aid of Families of
Dead and Injured.
MANY STILL LOST
IN SMOKING RUINS
Battle Against Flames Continued
By Firemen, Who Are Worn
and Weary.
CONTINUED from First Page.)

king, doBgedIy rfsked their lives tine
after time today 70 stop the FIRE which
already had cost tWenty-eight lives.
caused the injury Of fOrty-four. and cost
more than a Eliuion dollars damage.
At midnight, when the flames were
thought TO be under control they broke
cut anew and efforts Of the firem6n.
81 SO tired that they could scarcely
drag their grimed bodies around. were
futile 10 check them
High Wall Topples Over.
For z few minutes early today II looked
as though another catastrophe such as
the first which crushed out the lives OF
the chief and his men was about TO
descend on the stalking place Of death,
when a 30G-fOOt wall OF warehouse
No toppled and feu with q crash. A
score OF uremel were working near the
wall and q scream Of horror from the
OnlOOkers warned them
When the dust cleared. their COM
rGdeS fully expected them TO be gone.
But they had ioaped out Of danger aud
Assistant Chief seyferHch, most Of the
hair burned from his head and his uni
form IN taCIers, is leading the fOTIOrn
hope against the flames
We've got the thing beaten" ne de-
claTed 1t may shoulder and fame
for two or three days, but Wen beat X
yet, II II takes al the rest Of the year
times and DrayerfuI At OJheTs-Jhe fire.
men rushed at the blaze Reinforce
mEnTS were called and Chief Sey1erlich
said the flames would be overcome in a
few hours at most
Loved Ones On Scene.
The aII-night vigil OF the wives and
mothers and sisters Of the dead hremen
vas the Unnervinz influence for the
f1renen- Women and children mutely
weeping Tor those whom they loved who
had DerShed II the fall OF the wall. hud-
died around the fire lines, watching the
tlIaUuc struggle With their own sOr-
lows they could be heard praying for
the men who still were r1sICinz their
lives.
Priests and minister's barred from the
danger zone BY the police barriers,
knelt On the frozen ground ard cOnse-
Grated the dead
Every flag n the city today is at half
mast Children In the public schools said
prayers for the heroes Of the disaster.
and men and women IN all stations Of
lie paid tribute tC the men who gave Up
their lives
Hello Girls Heroines.
One Of the pathetic features Of the
fire was the devotion to duty OF seven
telephone girls who stuck to their posts,
while bTOLhGr, STTeeLhearts. and fathers
were killed These girls remained az
their bcCrds and answered call afrer
call answering questions and telling
every inquirer the names Of the dead
dremen-
Mrs James Koran and Mrs William
Burroughs. wives OF the chief and as
sistaut chief. who gave UP their lives,
spent the night at the biers OF their
husbands together. Chief Koran leaves
three children Capt Alexander Len
non, OF Engine Company No. So who
was injured IN the wreck OF the wall.
died at q hospital today. Widows and
orphans gathered at the undertaking
rooms after the bodies were recovered
and the scene was Pitiful-
Former Fire Marshal John Campiou
was urged today as Horan's success
sor- II IS possible he vii be appoint
ed Immediately