San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-04-21
ANOTHER CITY
. FIREMAN DIES
FROM INJURIES
Capt. 7. F. Martin Sue
cumbs as Result of Fire
Tower Tragedy.
is SECOND DEATH
Suffered Many Hours From
Burns and Other
Injuries.
Is SECOND DEATH

Capt T. +. Martin, central fire
station, died at the Santa Rosa Hos
= pital early Friday night. making the
second victim of the spectacular blaze
at the exhibition fire tower in the
e Fiesta pageant grounds on Romano
Z street. during Friday. afternoon.
The death of Captain Martin come
at z :0j. just seven hours after he
and Fireman A. q. FURY. of No. is
Company, South Presa street and
Hicks avenue. trapped by flames in
the five-Story tower, were forced 10
leap to their death rather than meet
} their end in the seething furnace. Fire
man Flury's injuries, broken back
and frightful bruises which crushed
! much of his body was first TO die.
. death, occurring at > a. in the after
. noon.
Sorrow prevailed in the ranks of the
entire fire department. when news of
the accident. declared by them the
I greatest catastrophe to ever occur in
! the local department. spread from one
: 10 another Of the fire stations. The
bodies of the fire fighters lie at a
morgue. awaiting the completion of
, funeral arrangements. Fire houses
Saturday morning were draped in
. mourning out Of respect 10 their mem
DRY.
Exhibition for Pension Fund.
What was intended TO be, perhaps.
the most thrilling exhibition fire drill
: staged under the auspices OF the fire
> men for the benefit of the pension fund
for disabled firemen, Friday light as
: Fiesta attraction, was transformed
, into a realistic scene marked by death.
! The trapping of the two firemen &C.
CURED shortly after the noon hour dur
sing a rehearsal, preparatory to com
pleting arrangements for the nights
entertainment.
Captain Martin and Fireman fury
had entered the tower to make last
preparations for the test scene. The
fire suddenly burst upward, trapping
them within and without an avenue of
escape. The tower, Of frame con-
sstruction and filled with hay, satu-
srated with gasoline formed a highly
seombustible substance.
The firemen, it is said, were en-
gagged in replacing dummy" that
was TO have been rescued during the
exhibition fire drill at night. 1t had
.fallen from its position, it is said,
sand IL was this fact that caused them
ito be within the flue-like structure
when the blaze began.
Blinded By the Fire.
Captain Martin sought to escape
sby descending a latter on the outside
sof the structure. Flames cnveloped
him when he had reached point
80 feet above ground. Frightfully
sburneo, his clothing ablaze and
srendered totally blind he fell to the
ground.
A moment later Fireman Fury Is
said to have appeared at the very top
sof the blazing furnace. through which
a draft shot the flames 10 his high
position with great rapidly. Sixty
1.-TWO feet above his companions who
swere unable to lend n helping hand be-
ttause Of the rapid spread Of the flames,
Fireman Fury sought to save his life
by descending hand over hand down
"a rope that stretched from the towers
stop To the stadium nearby. Flames
snapped the rope, the last avenue
lof escape when he had proceeded less
sthan five feet and he was seen TO
shoot downward, the fail crushing
him.
/. Both rere sent To a hospital. That
mo hope was 10 be entertained for
their recovery. fircmen say, was ap-
parent from the first.