Rensselaer Republican, Volume 22, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 February 1890 — DISASTER AT WASHINGTON. [ARTICLE]

DISASTER AT WASHINGTON.

Skim tUnriMts of Secretary Trasf ~s T By Parish te Their BsmiagHam. A terrible calamity Flatted tbs bonne hold at Secretary Tracy, at Washington, on the 3d, whereby three persons load theta Uvea and three others were badly Injured The bonne is a three story and brisk, si tasted an I street, and baa —md Persons passing the hones at 7 otaioek saw smoke issuing from the front windows nod atonoe raised an rial hi ot Im. The Re and police departments reapondadfyreaapt. iy. It was soon discovered that tbs home was aU ablaas inside and the main stairway was burnt, thus cutting off tfnumnri cation with the sleeping apartments on the second and third Haora. Several streams of water were played an the flames and every effort wao made to eheek the Are and raoeuo Abe inmntoa. A scene of 41 rlitint ninfiuinn nisusiVmlgiii it wao knows that all tha mom hems of the family warn in the hoaas. The icemen behaved like heroaa in the smargsnijj and went through Araaad smoke in jpaarohhsg for them in the different apartnmnta. Mm. Wiimerding, toe Secretary’s daoghter,and Miss Wilmerdinn, forced their way through the biindflig smoke and Jumped from the seoond story front. Laddera were raised for them but in their excitement they failed to see them. Mrs. WU> merding broke her left wrist and vgas severely bruised. Her daughter was badly injured about toe lower limbs but broke no bones.

While this sad soene was being enaoted in toe front of toe house firemen were engaged in the task of removing other members of the family from toe rear. Ohieff Engineer Pariah found his way into Man. Tracy’s bedroom, and found her lying cm her bed overcome by smoke. He carried her to toe window, and with the assistance of others carried her almost lifeless body down a ladder, up an alley aad to toe house of Mrs. Bheim an Eighteenth street. She was then entirely unconscious, although •very effort known to medical soteaee waa used, it was impossible to save her life. She died within a few minutes after her rescue. She was not burned, but died from suffocation. Almost at toe time two more bodies were token from ton burning building. One wao that of tbs Secretary’s daughter, Miss Marjr, a young lady about fourteen yean of age, sot the Ether was one of the servants. Both bed. tee ware burned to a crisp, and were umreeegnisable by their features. Mtas Traoy’s body was distinguished from the other only by the superior texture of what remained of her stockings. The oharrafi remains were taken to an undertake!** establishment in the vicinity, where they were joined soon after by toe remains of Mrs. Tracy.

Secretary Tracy himself had a most wondrous escape and ia now lying in a somewhat orecarious condition at the residence of Hon. J. C. Bancroft Davis on H street near Eighteenth street. Like toe others, he was over-come in his sleep by the smoke which filled toe house and rendered him completely helpless. He was discovered in this condition and with considerable difficulty was removed to a place near one of the windows. Cries for a ladder were , quickly answered and many willing hands were raised „to assist him to the ground. He was at once re moved to a neighbor’s house and was soon surrounded by phyßioians. He was suffering from aphyxia . The doctors applied artificial means to induce respiration, and snoceeded after an.hour’s work in restoring him to semi-consciousness. It was then thought safe to remove him to Judge Davis’s house. He improved slowly from that time on and soon regained consciousness, recognizing the friends who oalieed to inquire in regard to his condition Among the first of these were the President, the viee-Presldent and several members of tbe Cabinet. The full extent of this terrible affitotien is withheld from him for the present. His flmt inquiry upon recovering oonsetousnoss waajin regavd to toe safety of his family. He is gradually gaining in strength. His friends are vsfiy sanguine of his reeoverv.

The houa« was completely gutted by the lire. The walls are standing, but the Interior presents a pioture of ruin aad des olation. The residence of W, S. Cox, of the District Supreme Court, which adjoins it on the left, was also badly damaged by water. The President remained with Secretary Tracy until 2 o’clock, when he went to the White House. He reported that Mr. Tracy was resting as comfortably as oould be expected under the circumstances. About 11 o’olock Mr. Traoy recovered oonsoious ness and asked President Harrison where Mrs. Traoy was. The President oould not answer the question. Mr. Traoy, evidently feeling that her escape was almost impossible, asked, “Is she dead!” Still the President oould not answer the question of his friend, and Mr. Traoy, apparently realising the truth from the President’s hesitenoy, at onoe swooned and remained nneoaeoious for half an hear. Recovering be asked for his daughters. The President told the Secretary that his daughter Mary was dead, and again Mr. Tracy swooned.