Omaha daily bee., 1920-11-01
Find Body
of Fireman
In Debris
Man Trapped by Falling Roof
OF Schneider & Mueller
Warehouse Discovered
By Brothers.in.Law.
His Wife Is Frustrated

The body of Fred Black, city
fireman, was taken at Sunday
morning from the debris of the
Schneider & Mueller Piano company
warehouse, ll08 Douglas street, de-
stroyed by fire the night before.
Suffocation was the cause OF
Blacks death, according to morti-
clans who have charge Of the body.
Six other firemen are recovering
from injuries received when the roof
Of the three story brick building coll
lapsed, pinning them under pianos
William P. Bohan, 2s76 Evans
street, battalion captain of No. s
hose company, who suffered chest
and head injuries, and Ernest New
mouse, battalion chief, 2l03 Maple
street, burned about the legs, are
still confined to the Ford hospital.
Other Firemen Injured.
The following injured firemen were
taken to their homes yesterday:
William J. Dineen, son of Assist
ant Fire Chief Dineen, 275o Burt
street; Henry Goth, pipeman. Engine
Go. No. 3, 1850 Gordon street; James
Matcha, 1858 South Fourteenth
street, No. 3, pipen1an, and George
Bero, 24l3 South Sixteenth street.
A score Of other hrenien barely
escaped injury when the ROOT col
iapsed.
Origin of the fire is still undeterm-
;ned. 1t is likely that an investiga-
ton will be held.
E. E. Hayduk and John Hayduk,
brothers-in-law to Fireman Black
recovered his body after searching
through the debris all night. The
victim was found beneath 10 feet OF
wreckage. He was sitting upright,
on a stair railing, his right wrist
pinned between joists, E. E.. Hayduk
said.
Might Have Been Saved.
"We found him just where we told
the fremen he was last seem, Mr..
Hayduk declared. His teeth were
set and his muscles tense. There
were no bruises on his body to in
dicate injuries. Fred could have
been rescued Immediately after the
roof collapsed"
Mr.. Hayduk showed indignation
at the manner in which flremeh
fought the flames.
Black leaves widow and SIX
children, all under l6. Their little
home at 2752 South Twelfth street
was the scene of pathetic sorrow yes
terday. Mrs. Black Is prostratet
with grief.
The fire IS believed TO have started
in the rear elevator shaft.
Two hours later, while crews OF
firemen on the third floor and the
roof were playing streams OF water
upon the flames, the roof collapsed.
Fatality Described.
! Perhaps the most graphic descrip-
ton of the death-dealing crash was
that given by Fireman Dineen and
Battalion Chief Newhouse. Dineen
was the last man to leave Black
alive.
aBlazek and / had a stream to-A
pether." Dineen said. "We were on
the third floor, near q stairway.
Black left me suddenly. yelling that
he would gather up slack. An IN
slant later the crash occurred. 4
piIe of crates knocked me forward.
i knew then Black had gone
west"
Chief Faiconer rescued Dineen
from possible death from the tongues
Of flame leaping violently about
him. ~e
In the collapse, Battalion Chief
Newhouse was pinned at his waist;
Fire Captain Mike Quinlan rescued
him.
Heard Crash Coming.
II heard the crash coming, New.
house said. IF felt for an instant
like gliding in an airplane. felt the
flames licking at my legs. II It
hadn't been for Quinlan, ! know ]
would have been a goner."
Not until early Sunday morning
was the fire under control. Street
car traffic was tied up for several
hours and Gordon of police under
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