The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1910-12-23
29 F|REMEN DEAD
IN CHICAGO fire

! names was takeL rom beneath the
heavy iron canops e ich swung me.
nancing above then o
Death Trap catcht Z. Firemen.
Apparently not mott. q. cir danger
the firemen crowded z, sth this
death trap and then WIG, roar of
an explosion and tumblir. IONS of
bricks the chief of the department
together with more than a score of his
aids were lost to the view from. their
comrades.
In less time 1t could take to tell it,
the word spread among the firemen
that their leader had gone down un-
der the ruins and their efforts were
doubled in attacking the furnace-like
building which was now enveloped
from ground to roof by the flames.
AS time wore on and the marshal
was nowhere to be seen 1t was appar-
ent to the men that he was either lost
or had been removed to hospital.
Frantic inquiries were made at all
hospitals and search of adjoining
buildings but he could not be found.
Likewise the other men were missing.
At o'clock there was no trace of
any of the men whom captains of two
or three companies had reported miss
ing.
Falling Canopy Causes Explosion.
1t was stated that the explosion
was caused by the drop Of the canopy
from the bursting of an ammonia
pipe.
The fire was first discovered in the
basement in what is known as the
hide room. A Waterman making his
rounds heard an explosion and imme-
diately turned in an alarm by tele-
phone and then fed from the building.
The long wooden canopy, which play.
ed it's part In forming the death trap
for the firemen, ran along the entire
east side of the building. Railroad
, tracks hindercd the work Of the men
and made it necessary for the fire
fighters to climb upon the platform
beneath the covering.
The canopy itself formed platform
for other firemen, who were fighting
the flames from above It, sending
streams of water into the second
story of the building.
Graphic Story Of Tragic Deaths.
A graphic story of the collapse of
the east wall which carried the men
down to death beneath the wood
covering is told by Lieutenant Joseph
Mackey who was leading company
of firemen from the top of the canopy.
'Mackey said as he looked UP he saw
the walls bulge and he Immediately
shouted warning. At the same time
he jumped from the platform himself
and was followed Immediately by ten
or twelve of his men. None Of these
lost his life but their escapes were
. miraculous.
, 81 knew Marshal Koran and Bur-
, roughs were beneath me with at least
, two companies of men," said Mackey,
: "and l shouted to them that the walls
) were coming down. heard some one
!. from below shout warning and l got
4 my own men and myself out of the
| way. Immediately after l jumped
e heard the groans of the men who had
been beneath me and l knew they
t must be caught. Although nearly all
:. of my own men and myself were more
J. or less hurt, it flashed on us that
t Koran was among those trapped and
}. we bent every effort to save them.
e ut was beyond human power to dc
|. anything for the moment as tons OF
bricks had come down. When the
bodies are found they will be beneath
. this pile of brick and mortar"
Heard the Men Go Down.
S Hope of the firemen and the hun
n dreds of admirers of Fire Marsha
d Koran that the fire fighter and hi:
men had not persisted was practically
lost when Battalion Chief Lacey, whC
is in charge of the stock yards divis
ion, told of hearing the marshal ant
n Burroughs together with eighteen o.
y twenty men go down beneath the fall
h ing wall.
a. Dead Likely % or 80.
IS The first body was taken from tn
It ruins shortly after o'clock. 1t wa
IS that of George Muruwski, pipeman O
1t engine company No. 40.