Evening star., 1927-04-23
PAPER F|RMBEAD
BURNED To- DEATH
Charred Body Found After
Blaze--Iniured FTemen
Are Recovering.

The body OF William II. O'Connor,
80 years old, president of the Cook 4
District Waste Paper Co., who was
burned to death yesterday afternoon
in q three-alarm fre which ragged
through the company's plant at II o
street, was taken to his Baltimore
home this morning.
Garfield Hospital authorities re-
ported that the three members of No.
IL Engine Co, injured when their
hose truck was in collision with a
street car at Sherman and Florida
avenues while en- route to the fire.
had passed a comfortable night. and
were not believed to be critically in
iured. At Casualty the condition Of
John Johnson, colored employe, 20 z
street, northeast, who jumped from q
third story window TO escape the
flames. was said to be slightly i'm.
proved. His leg and arm are frac-
tured and he sustained possible in
ternal injuries.
All three Of the injured fremen,
Lieut.. .. B. Holmes and Pvts. r. w.
II. Fidler and II. NJ. Smith sustained
fractures when the apparatus on
which they were riding was over
turned against a tree after it had
been struck by the street car.
Body Found After Two Hours.
It was more than two hours after
the fire started, at about 3:25 o'clock,
that the body OF Mr. O'Connor was
discovered on the elevator at the third
floor. Firemen had attempted to To-
cate the body earlier, after e. F..
Co 1911 Oniuryy
ager Of the company, had reported
that he believed some one was trap
ped in the building, but were finally
driven out by the intense heat and
acrid smoke.
After the ruins had cooled, firemen
found two empty eXtiuguishers lying
near the place where the fire origi-
mated, in a waste paper bin on the
third floor.
Choking clouds of smoke hampered
the work of the flremen and the
flames We're fed by the tightly packed
paper with which the building was
stocked. Ten streams of water were
played upon the burning building. Po-
lice reserves kept a crowd Of more
than 5000 persons at a safe distance.
Mr.. O'Connor, 1t is believed. was
attempting to save the records OF his
| firm, in an office on the third floor.
when he was trapped by the flames.
Hr succeeded i'm making his way to
the elevator, where firemen found his
body. The rescue squad entered the
building while the fire was at it's
height but the smoke and heat made
the search for his body futile at that
| time.
Mr.. O'Connor resided at $500 Car
lisle avenue, Baltimore, and was
president, also. OF the Thomas Fl.
OConnor Co., wholesale paper dealers
| Of Baltimore. lie is survived by his
widow. Mrs. oliver Hammer O'Con-
| nor: his mother, Mrs. Thomas Fl.
| O'Connor; two sons and a daughter
| Fire Marshal /. 3. Seib estimated
| the damage at $4,000, entirely COW
cred by insura nee. Mr.. Schrumpf.
| the manager, visited the ruined plant
this morning and began to take stock
of the loss. He said the company
would carry on it's business at its
other plant at 1857 Pierce street,
Driver Of Truck Unhurt.
The hose truck of No. IL Engine
Co, which collided with the street
car, was responding to the third
alarm. 1t was damaged $4,000.
Driver Clyde Kennedy was at the
wheel. The hose wagon, siren scream
ing, was going south on Sherman ave.
nue.. 1t reached Florida avenue, started
| to cross the car tracks when the street
car. operated by Motorman James d.
Bettis, Seat Pleasant, Md, struck a
rear wheel Of the heavy wagon, knock
ing 1t across the tracks into the op-
posite curb, where it overturned.
Kennedy was thrown free and
escaped injury, but Pvt. Fiddler was
pinned beneath the wagon. The other
injured firemen were thrown against
the tree. The pumping engine, which
was following the hose wagon, stop
ped while the injured, svfkeAnl laced in
a passing automobile and started 10
Garfield Hospital. - 90. =.