Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-07-14
Fire Chiefs Body
is Found in Ruins

Continued From Page, One
ion. lie and his driver were close to-
gcthcr when the walls collapsedS The
driver, Thomas Evans. suffered frac-
turcd wrist but escaped being buried in
the walls.
Stevenson was in the building to find
il it was safe for his men to enter. He
screamed for them to run when the
walls collapsed but could not get out
himself.
Three official investigations to de-
terminc the source of the fire and to
place the blame for the cave in OF
walls that resulted in the death OF
six iremen and the injury Of thirty
one others have been begun.
One is being directed by the cor
oner. one by the fire marshal and one
| by the chief of the bureau of building
inspection. POTASH Brothers, owners
of the bag and burlap warehouse in
which the fire occurred, also are in -
vestigating.
The two brothers were in Atlantic
City yesterday and could not be reached
to throw any light upon the subject.
/
were reported out of danger last night
William Heiser. hosPman, Engine Com
pany No. 20. and William G.. Perria
hoseman. Truck No. Z, are still in the
Roosevelt Hospital. Their condition,
it was said is critical.
The work of clearing away the wreck
age of water soaked bags. timber and
crumblcd walls will not be ended until
tomorrow night, it was estimated.
While the tiremen piled the miscellane-
Gus litter into n heap, hundreds of
curious persons, many of whom were
friends of the missing fireman, watched
in the hope that he might taken out
alive from the ruins.
In their investigation the authorities
will seek to discover whether the floors
! of the burlap factory were overwcighted
! Coroner Knight said an examination by
| him disclosed the building was sub e
Stantially built. 1t is possible. accord
| ing to Ross Il. Davis. deputy fire chief
that the floors may have collapsed.
| bringing down the walls by the over
weight caused when the bags became
soaked with water.
| Funeral arrangements were made
yesterday in the homes of the firemen
who lost their lives. Lieutenant
Thomas Kelly, IS Laurel street, and
| I1uTTN ]" 'Iduup, OF Y
| Bristol place, will be buried Wednes
Brown street. will be buried on Thurs
! day. All were members of Fire Com
pany No. 81.
Mrs Mary Stevenson. wife of the
missing fireman. was not told of heI
! husbands disappearance until late
yesterday. Until then it had beer
hoped he might be rescued. William
a son, insisted in joining the search fol
his father when he learned he was
buried under the ruins.
Fred TcnCr was held in Si0O bal
yesterday. charged with stealing silver
ware during the blaze.
Tcncr, who lives at 113 West Jcffer
son street is attached to Truck Com
pany No. . at Fourth and Race streets
His accuser is Harry Ernst. who testi.
fed at a hearing in the Third stree
and Paramount avenue station that thu
man took the silver from ms nome. Gil
North American street. which adjoins
the structure destroyed by the fire.
After Magistrate Dcitz had held thu
defendant in S40O bail under a charg,
of larceny the prosecuting witness an
nounced his intention of dropping tn,
case" Tcner said last night he hat
"Settled' with Ernst and that "nothin:
further would happen in the case.
Ernst's sudden change of heart occurred
after repeated visits paid to him b!
the police.
Harry A. Mackey, chairman. toda.
detailed Harry Myers. chief adjuster'
and William r. Smith, resident ad
juster of the Workmen's Compensation
Bureau. to assist the families Of the vic
tins of the warehouse fire to obtail
! immediate relief under the workmen
compensation law. The families of tn
| dead men are entitled to relief unde
the workmen's compensation law, ir
respective of any benefits from publ
or private funds.