The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-03-26
Men and Women Are Trapped
And CreTnated In Chi
CagO Building
FIREMEN FAIL TO GET TO
WORK QUICKLY ENOUGH
Explosion Starts the Fire and Young
Man Who Caused 1t VIII Be Ma
teriaI Witness nt Inquest to
BE Held Later

Chicago March 25.-search of the
wreckage for the remaining bodies Of
those who lost their lives in the Fish
Furniture company fire horror here to-
day was discontinued this afternoon, ow-
ing to the danger from the falling of
walls, but not until after II of the dead
had been recovered and II of these iden-
tilted
While early estimates placed the num-
ber of victims trapped on the fourth and
fifth floors of the Fish building as high
as 20, later and more thorough investiga-
tion indicates with considerable certain
ty that there were only 16 Two of these
escaped with their lives which leaves only
two more to be accounted for.
The search was abandoned for the day
upon the report of Chief Building In
spector John A. Short, who declared that
three of the walls inside of which the
rescuers were working were in dam
gerous condition. If these are still stand
ing in the morning the work of remov-
ing the debris will be resumed.
A coroner's jury which was impaneled
this afternoon viewed the charred and
mutilated exhibits at the morgue, but the
inquest was postponed until April 2.
Young Man Responsible
Leo Stoeckel, clerk of the Fish COM
pany, who by accident is said to have
started the fire, told his story to Fire
Chief Frank Hogan this afternoon The
man is 20 years old and is admittedly
more unfortunate than cu1pable, his at
torney says, and he added that some
charge would be made against him to as
sure his attendance at the inquest
Stoeckel was brought before the fire at
forney with his hand swathed in band
ages as it had been severely burned. He
appeared heartbrolxen and told his story
NftS difficulty. s. y
about S:45 o'clock this morfihg'' said
Etoeckel. Mr.. Mitchell, who is a mem
Der of the firm, gave me three pocket
cigar lighters out of the five-gallon can
and was working on the third when
there was an explosion. A sheet of fame
almost blinded me and | remember only
dimly what happened after that. I did
not fully regain my senses until l had
reached the street. The lighters contained
contrivance to make a spark, but
whether l ignited one of them or not
do not know. I either. dropped the can of
berzine when the flames shot up in front
of me or it was blown out of my hands,
List of the Dead
The identified dead:
Harry Darlington. 40 years old,
painter.
Ethel Anderson, is years, stenog-
rapher
Minor w. Bell, advertising manager.
Rosie Brucke, II years, stenograh-
Mrs. Hannah Burgen. sc years. Wild
ew; forewoman of the folding depart
uent.
Lillian Sullivan, 16 years, folder.
William Green, "a years, clerk.
Ethel Iichstein, Is years, stenog-
rapher.
Harry NJ. Mitchell, auditor of com
pany, member of firm, brother in law
of Simon Fish.
Veronica McGrath. II years, stenogra-
rher.
Gertrude Quinn, 20 years, folder.
The missing:
Mary Wargo, 20 years. folder; Bert
ST. Clair, 2S years, confidential clerk
three others whose names could not
he learned. They are reported among
the missing.
one of the bodies was identified by
Florence Sullivan as that of her sister,
Lillian. She said she recognized n
shoe taken from one of the bodies as
enc which had been worn by her sister
Florence aged IS years, and the
switchboard operator might easily have
shared her sisters fate as she was to
have gone to work for the Fish COM
pany at noon, taking the place of an
other girl, but failed.
Alexander Bush, q street car con-
ductor. identified one of the bodies as
that of Rosie Brunke whom he was
70 have married Easter Sunday. He
recognized her through the medium of
1 number of trinkets including an en-
gagement ring he had given her.
Fish's Experience
Isaac Fish, secretary OF the Fish Fur
riture company, had narrowing ex-
the elevator when the explosion oc-
CURED. The conveyance suddenly came
to a stop between the third and fourth
fioors The door of the car was auto
matically locked but in a frenzy Mr..
Fish and the elevator boy attacked
the framework with stool which was
In the cage and succeeded in breaking
their way out. Running through the
third, second and first floors, Mr.. Fish
Pnd the boy shouted a scarcely needed
alarm and finally emerged into the
street with a crowd of panic-stricken
companions.
The corpses of the victims We're dug
from under tons of debris and were
lowered to the street by means of
ropes. The bodies We're first wrapped
In blankets on the fourth floor and then
stretched out on planks which were
then attached to the hempen lines.
As the first body came down most
away, coming into collision with peo-
pie rushing forward in anxious search
{. for missing associates. Many persons
Mere knocFed down and four women
Nho tainted were carried by police to
Niacent drug stores.
8 j. Viner, designer. who was working
Il the sixth floor, had a remarkable es-
y BE- II thought ! would never get out
4 the place alive" Viner said. II was
5alone in a rear room of the sixth floor
& making designs when heard shouts Of
fire. / ran out and found the whole
nlace black with smoke. and through the
front windows l saw tongues of flames
4 shooting from all directions. / started for
n window where / saw little light. but
must have been overcome by fright for
! r5oment, for recall now that sank
osny knees. crawled to the freight
xyafor shaft and saw that the car was
IN tho basen' ont was 50 dark anl
l. -