Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-22
ers continued their iabors with tears
streaming down their faces.


streaming down their faces.
Buildings and Losses.
The buildings totally destroyed at II ~
am. included the beefhouse Of Morris &
Co, with loss to building and stock OF
$4,000: warehouse No. q. loss to build
ing and stock. &5sO.OO; refrigerator stor-
age shed, $4,000
Several other buildings were afire and
the efforts Of the firemen We're beginning
to tell 1t was believed at that hour the
flames soon would be under control.
Mayer Busse has called d special meet
ing of the council for this AFTERNOON to
take such action as is necessary.
The body of Assistant Chief Marshal
William {. Burroughs was recovered at
noon.
Waterman Telephoned Alarm.
The fire was first discovered in the
basement in what is known as the hide
room. y watchman making his rounds
heard an explosion and Immediately
turned in an alarm by telephone and then
fled from the building
The long wooden canopy which played
its part i'm forming the death trap for
the flremen ran along the entire east side
OF the building. Railroad tracks hin
dered the work of the men and made it
necessary for the fire fighters to climb on
the platform beneath the covering
The canopy itself formed a platform for
O'her nremen who were fighting the
flames from above it. sending streams of
water INTO the second story of the build
ing.
\ graphic story Of the collapse of the
east wall which carried the men down to
death beneath the wood covering is told
ny Lieut. Joseph Mackey who was lead
ing company of firemen from the ton of
the canopy. Mackey said as he looked
up he saw the walls bulge. and he inn
mediately shouted warming. At the
same time he jumped from the platform
himself. and was followed Immediately
by ten or twelve of his men. None Of
those lost their lives. but their escape
was miraculous.
Shouted Warning to Chief.
Il knew Marshal Koran and Burroughs
were beneath me with at least two COM
paIies OF men, said Mackey, land 1
shouted to them that the wallis were COM
ing down. I leard some one from below
shout warning. ana got my own men
and myself out of the way
Immediately after / jumped I heard
the SroanS of the men who had been be-
meath me. and I knew they must BE-
caught. Although nearly ali of my men
and myself wee more or less hurt 1t
flashed upon us that Koran was among
to save them.
1t was beyond human power to do
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
Hope of the firemen and the hundreds
of admirers of Fire Marshal ttCran, that
the fire fighter and his men had not per-
shed. was practically lost wnen Bat alton
Chief Lacey, who is in charge of the
marshal and Burroughs. together with
eighteen or twenty men, beneath the fall
ing wall
No Chance of Escape.
Chief Koran was in front of the
pipe1nen. said Lacey. and Boroughs
short distance behind him. directing the
work of pipemen, when the crash came.
l know just where they were and am sure
they had no chance of escape Dozens
of the f1remen saw the same situation and
many of the men ran to the pile. almost
frantic, and began throwing the bricks
away with their hands They were like
so many Goals of fire, and any work Of
that sort was useless.
Il ordered them back to fighting the
flames with their lines of hose In the hone
that the fire might be stopped in time
to find way to rescue the poor fellows
We had all heard go down to what SEEM
ed certain death
I was determined to make every effort
within human power to save the men,
but the condition of the building made it
suicidal for the rest of us to try to
enter it.
Il was in charge Of the firemen fighting
the flames from the railroad tracks.
saw one man fall near where the men
who were caught fell and I ran and.
catching hold Of his legs, dragged him
onto the railroad tracks and saved him.
Then my men and made rush to save
others. but Our way had been blocked by
the falling ruins and clouds Of dust and
debris
First Body Il Recovered.
The first body was taken from the ruins
shortly after o'clock. 1t was that of
George Murawski. pipeman of engine
company No. 80.
1t was estimated at the general fire
alarm office that twenty-elsht or thirty
frernen were dead after two hours fight.
ing to recover the buried men.
The entire crews of engine companies
II and a3 are said to be among the dead.
In addition six members of another COM
pany CD and few of No. 49, Pipe
man John p. Kassenbock, thirty-four
years old, was knocked down beneath a
shower Of falling bricks when a wall
ieil into Loonis street. He is internally
Injured. and was taken to the Engiewood
Hospital
The building In which the fire started
was four-story brick structure. and
covered an area bounded on the east by
LOOMS street, on the west by Bishon
street and on the north and south nv
AID and 44th streets ~
The fire alarm office was notified at q
O'Clock that the bodies of Capt Patrick
2. Collins Of engine company No. "a and
Capt Dennis Doyle Of engine companv
~ had been taken from the ruins.
Patrol wagons and ambulances from all
south Side police stations were rushed
to the scene, and while the fremen bar
tied with the flames the police took up the
work Of searching the ruins for the dead
Spreads Toward Ammonia Pipes.
Alarm was spread late in the morning.
when the hre spread to a three-story
building 300 feet square in which were q
large number of ammonia pipes. Soaked
TO the skin with water and almost worn
out. Assistant Marshal Seyferlich, who
was by this time sure he was first in
command, ran from place to place, direct
ing his men and endeavoring to check
the burning OF the building in which
were the ammonia pipes.
Three members Of engine company 30
all who remained Of the entire crew
which went TO the fire early this morn
ing, were ordered back to their quarters
at $50 O'Clock as unfit for duty. All had
been burned or otherwise injured in try
ing to rescue their comrades.