Omaha daily bee., 1920-11-02
Post Aioitem Over
Body Of Fireman
Killed in Blaze
Six Other Firemer Injured in
Schneider and Mueller Fire
Reported on Way to
Recovery.

Accidental is the verdict given yes
terday by Fire Warden ]. {, Trouton,
following an investigation INTO the
cause of the spectacular fire which
destroyed the warehouse of the
Schneider & Mueller Piano COM
pany. ll0S Douglas street, Saturday
night, in which Fireman Fred
Black, 2752 South Twelfth street,
lost his life.
Damages of the fire will total
100000, covered by insurance in
half a dozen different companies, &C
cording to Manager w. Seibert.
The six fremen who were injured
IN the battle with the flames were re-
ported recovering yesterday.
Recovering in Hospital.
Battalion Capt. w. P. Bohan, 2576
Evans street, and Battalion Chief
Ernest Newhouse, 2l03 Maple street,
are still confined to hospitals but are
recovering. William J. Dineen. 259.
Burt street. Henry Goth, $3.50 Cor
don street, and James Matcha, 1888
South Fourteenth street and George
Bero, 24l3 South Sixteenth street,
were removed to their homes Sun
day.
Post mortem over the body of
Fireman Black was ordered yester-
day by Deputy County Attorney Paul
Stcinwender, in an effort to deter
mine whether he was suffocated or
killed instantly. DR.. Charles Shook
will conduct the post mortem.
Blacks body was unearthed from
the debris of the fire at 7 Sunday
morning. The position of his body
near a stair railing showed escape
had been impossible.
County Makes Probe.
Upon the outcome of the post
mortem will determine whether an
inquest will be held. County In
vestigators Michael Dempsey and
Carey Ford are investigating the
fire for the county.
Fire Chief Salter laid the cause of
the collapse of the floor, pinning
Black in the burning debris, to
overlooking of stock in the building.
Funeral services for Fireman
Black will be held tomorrow at 2
p. m. i'll Bohemian Turner hall, Thir-
teenth and Martha streets. He had
been in the service seven years and
was SO years old.
HIS violent death leaves a widow
with six small children, all under
II. His body will be buried in the
Bohemian National cemetery.
Four Claim Recovery.
Four men claim to have recovered |
his body from the debris Sunday. !
Capt R. w. Oliver and Joe Forman,
Engine Company No. 3, and E. E.
Hayduk and John Hayduk. brothers.
ln-law of the dead fireman, claim to
have found the body.
Saturday nights blaze marks the
fourth for the Schneider & Mueller |
company within year. Total losses
aggregate $35S,500, according to
Manager Seibert.
On February 2 the fve-story brick :
structure at l3ll-l3 Farnam street,
owned by the estate OF John Mich !
olas Brown and occupied by the
piano company, was destroyed by
hiS. iS loSS ~ tliS oHh
contents was estimated at $l58,000,
all covered by insurance.
Two later fires in the debris of
this location failed to increase the
damages, Manager Seibert said.
The a1alue of the building de-
stroy,d Saturday night was placed
at $35,G00 and the contents $l65,0OO. ,
Damage Due to Collapse.
Most of the damage was due to
the collapse of the roof and the |
third floor. Otto Coeller, in charge |
of the warehouse for the piano COM
pany, is known to have been the |
last person to leave the building
Manager Seibert said Coeller locked
the warehouse after workmen had |
departed at + p. m. The fire was
discovered two hours later.
Firemen searched the ruins fov
the body of Black all night Chief
Salter declared, after the city build
ing inspectors had declared the walls
safe.