Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-12-05

dressed and when found had some
clothing left on one Of his arms.
After awakening several Of his frat
ernity, he made a dash to the lower
floors, where the fraternity records
were kept, hoping that he might be
able to save them. But, the brave
attempt Of the young man from East
Surrey proved fatal for himself, and
only the charred remains of his body
were found to tell of the heroic
struggle that he had made against
the terrible heat and flames, to Sc
cure the treasure Of his fraternity.
The other body which was found in
the morning, was burned past rec
ignition. but as the three other bod
les have been identified beyond all
doubt and as only four Of the boys
were reported missing it must be
that of Warren l.. Frye, Of Revere,
Mass.
Within Few Feet Safety
The body of Wardwell was just
inside the main door and had he
been able to withstood the strangling
smoke and the awful heat for a frac-
ton of a second longer would have
gotten out into the open air and
his life would have been saved.
Many of the Fraternity boys
showed acts of heroism William ].
Brown of Lowell, Mass, captain of
the 1922 football team was one of
The first up the ladders on the east
side of the building and although
the ladders were heated to almost
a red heat by the great fire raging
within the bowels of the building
he stuck to his post and scanned
through the windows trying to see
if any OF his buddies were left in
there that lie might be able to rescue.
Brown became near being another
victim Of the awful tragedy as he
stuck to his post until the smoke
nearly overcome him, and had to be
helped down the ladder.
Fine Work Firemen
The firemep of Waterville should
be highly commended for their
courageous activities during the first
several hours OF the fire. and the
new ladder truck. recently purchased
by the city no doubt saved the other
half OF the building which was oc
cupied by the D. U. Fraternity This
truck contains ladder long enough
to reach the entire four stories and
allow the firemen to creap up inch
by inch, dragging a line of hose With
them and holding back the fire in
the top of the building. When they
first reached the top they were con-
tronted by a sheatlring of heavy tin
which their axes failed to cut. In
few moments, however tin cut
ter was sent up to them and soon
they had q stream OF water flowing
into the heart OF the great flames.
After the fire on the interior haC
practically spent itself another lad
der was raised to window that
locked into a window on the top
floor of the burned section which
was the floor occupied by the boys
as sleeping quarters. Two more men
darted up this ladder and reached
the top in safety, although for a
time it looked for a time as if they
were doomed, for as they neared
their destination a large section of
the cornish broke off and fell. crash
ing all about them.'It was expected
by the expectors below who were
holding their breaths that the men
would be knocked from the perch
by the impact of the falling material
which was striking their ladder. A
sigh of relief went out. however as
one man reached the top and throw
ing his leg over the sill while the
other man steadied him, crept
through the window and found that
part of the floor remained firm be-