St. Joseph County Independent, Volume 18, Number 52, Walkerton, St. Joseph County, 15 July 1893 — Page 6

HOBBOR AT THE FAIB COLD-STORAGE BUILDING WAS A DEATH-TRAP. Seventeen Firemen Cremated in the Burning Building — Imprisoned by Flames They Leap from One Death to Another Below—A Sickening Sight. In Graves of Flame. The World's Fair has received a baptism of fire and blood. Seventeen firemen were killed outright, others will die, and still others are seriously, injured including a number of spectators, while property inside the grounds to the value of $250,000 has gone up in smoke. Shortly before two o'clock on Monday afternoon flames of fire wore discovered darting out from the cupola of the cold storage building, 200 feet above the earth. The entire brigade of the World’s Fair fire department answered an alarm. The grourfhs were thronged with visitors, the heavens were blue _ above, a..brisk north wind swept over the park, and the gaudy engines and carts seemed but to add to the holiday appearance of the scene. It was as if the fire department was out on dress 4- _ az ——

— — A —---7- Ji Jk ’J HE BURNED COLD STORAGE BUILDING.

parade, and none of the thousands saw any menace in the little blaze away up at the crown of the big white building. Fire Marshal Murphy, who was among the first at the blaze, ordered his men to the row of long windows near the top of the tower and went up himself. But there was great difficulty in getting up hose or getting a stream | A Wess pgr £342®£ : I^'3^ t ® & id JJg^ to death. to bear on the flames, which all the while were spreading swiftly down the tower. One big gust of wind after another swept down great sheets of flame, until the fire finally eaught at the windows where the men were standing on a foothold not more than two feet wide.

It was then that the most awful catastrophe met the eyes of the thousands of moaning, horrified spectators who, now aware of impending danger, stood in the avenues below watching the flames eating their way down to the men. The poor fellows op the window ledge were helpless. Their hands were full of hose and they had not noticed the flames so close. Suddenly there was an explosion—the ammonia pipes had burst — and flames belched everywhere from the windows of the tower between the unfortunate firemen and the ground. Chief Murphy himself had led his men on their perilous climb to the balcony, and when the Are br. ke out below he ordered them to save themselves. They could not go down as they had come up, for the interior of the tower was a roaring crater. They were completely surrounded and burning timbers began to fall from above. The poor fellows huddled together as close as possible at one corner hoping that their comrades below could reach the flames with streams of water or afford some otb -r relief. But it was no u-e. They were surrounded by fire, with the roof one hundred feet or more below them and the tower ablaze nearly all the way down. Futile Efforts to Escape. Some of the men tried to slide down the hose which had been drawn up. The first man who tried descended half way to the roc f. where the flames flew out and caught him,and he dropped, doubtless dead before he struck the roof. Another and another tried it. The dark bodies were seen whirling through the air. The arms were outstretched and the garments were blazing. A rope dangled down from the high ledge. Men with flames biting their very faces fought to reach the rope. Some had fallen over to the roof, eighty fe-t below. One had leaped away cut, his body lurching forward as he shot downward A man was seen to start downward on the rope through the bailing red mass. The rope snapped. His body turned over and over as it fell. From thousands of watching sufferers went up a groan, thousands of groans joined into one, and then there came shrieks as women fainted. For the building ■which had started to burn stood at tho south of the grounds, just west from the central court of honor, and the

multitude saw it all. They saw the dromon leap out through the circling Hames to sure death below. They’ saw the high tower, wrapped in flames, tremble with doom, d men still clinging to that crumbling ledge under the dome. They saw the bodies tumble into the great vat of flame. The crowd sickened at the horrid sight. Women screamed, wept and fainted, children cried and strong men turned away and cursed in a helpless rage. Sixteen men jumped from the burning balcony, and, as the last one sprang out, the tower, completely enveloped in flames, tottered and fell with a crash. The burning mass smashed through the roof, carrying with it the dead and wounded who had not beeil dragged to a place of safety. But the horror did not end here. Three minutes after the fall of the tower the entire roof was ablaze. One hundred men were on it. So quickly did the fire spread that the ladders on the east and south sides were cut off. The only way of escape for the gallant hundred was down a single ladder at the north end cf the building. Deeds of Heroism. The deeds of heroism and courage performed in the few minutes that it took to clear the roof will never all be told. Half a dozen brave fellows with the burning roof sinking beneath their feet rushed to the aid and rescue of Captain Fitzpatrick, who lay moaning, mangled and dying right in the soeth-

ing mass of flame. Many others rushed to save their helpless fellows, who l?y about with cruelly broken bodies, tile result of the leap from the tower. Everyone who was not bu; i d in the burning debris was 1 iwered to the ground by rojies or in strong arms. Then the blistered ht< e; sought i th? north ladder. About them surged the fire. Flames curled I around their legs, stabbed at their 1 faces and licked off their mustacheland eyebrow.-. But here, a; in the • tower, there was no outcry, no struggle for precedence, no eovardiee. Dewn the ladder thev swarmed, by two-ami threes and on both sides. The la-t man had scarcely left the roof then it fell with a r< ar. Ambnlunce-eanie. ly-d',--. lt’q, sUMuikuL o ua... iioslrHs skmc, w-epu liuitit'il iiwuy. All tile stretchers were smeared' with blood. The firemen, maddened by the fate of their comrades, fought in a reckies, spirit of revenge. Soldier- and guard; of a half-dozen nations held baek the insane crowds. As the hospital filled up the building burned. 11. may never be known how many victims lay in ii - fiery depths, A ith the aid of a detachment, of infantry a fire line was formed and a passageway through theerOwd was made for the ambulances. With this arrangement a large space cast 1 f the 64th street gate became jna-tieally clear. On the north’ side stood the line of infantrymen resting on their rifles. On the east ther • were infantrymen and some French and Ru-sian marines. On the south tho lire engines chugged and pofinded. Every few minutes an ambulance would dash across the sjiaee and there would be a flutter of excitement as guides in gray uniforms and guard- in blue lifted something into it. At intervals down the front of the line of soldiers men in

X'j I \ s — o Sa wi . vFa - — * GENERAL VIEW OF THE FIRE IN THE DEADLY CUPOLA.

the hospital service stood grouped around the little red banners which showed their calling. The banners looked like the guidons and added to the strangeness of the scene, which was half military in appearance. Back of the military line the great crowd massed itself and stared with stony faces over at the ghastly happenings across the way. Witnessed by Thousands. Twenty thousand people saw the horror. When the tower fell on the unfortunates on the roof the groan that went up seemed to shake the skies. Army officers, whose faces never

blanched In the face of death, covered their eyes, turned away and shuddered. Bearded men cried out and beat the air with impotent fists. Women swooned, and children stood transfixed with horror. When the terrible tragedy was at its height some one in the crowd shouted: “Run for your lives; the ammonia tanks are going to explode.” A stampede ensued. Those nearest the building turned and dashed at the living walls behind CAIT HTZPATHII K. CHIEF JU 111 Dr. them. Like a torrent the people swept back. Men. women, and children were thrown down and trampled on. For ten minutes the mas; struggled to get away.. Scores were hurt. Aside fn m the awful loss of life the fight with the flames was the most serious the World's Fair Department has had. The fire was an intensely hot one. Firemen, guards and workmen about the building were prostrated by the heat. If the wind had been from the west, instead of the northeast, tho, big Exposition buildings would haviu had the scare which struck along Stonv Islttml <iv„nuo. Some of these builds ings just across the street n.m .. escape. The <•.•ld-storage building was* built up a’m >st against the fence, j i M >re tnan 100 yards of fence were I I burned to the ground, and the hotel I ' buildings opp site caught tire repeat- 1 ' edly. but were saved by the earnest I work of the firem-n. Description of the Balhlln;;. The building was owned by the Hercules le • Company, who held the cold storage concession at the Fair, and covered a space 130 by 2*o feet, it was live stories high and wa a striking structure, with its tall center tower dominating tho entire building. At each corner of the huge building rcso an ornamental tower, rich in ail tho architectural :uh ; nra mt of molded staff work. 115 feet high. Ti e center tower ' shot up 225 feet. It was the imposing feature of the b Hiding. and -ervod the double pur;>ose ' embellishment and hiding the great iron smoke-stack 1 wbich caused the i The b>w< 1 for ; some distance snot up square and with lout a break. A colonnade used a* an |observatbm point was the first thing ;to vary the mon atony. Over the < olonna le v a a bale ny. and al>ov" this still was tin* rounded hood which capped the tower. The sm 4. ' tack rising from the boilers <.m not r a 'll the top of the he si by live feet. Assistant Director of Works G ah; in -ays that a clear space <>f five f< et extended around the stuck. Chief Murphy declare - that the wo<xlwm k came u]» close to the stack. Still anotb Tiersen -aid that there was a clear space ar und the stack, for at s<'m distance from it wa- ch th paints ed to resemble stone work. Three tim s before tiro lias broken out in this towe •. and the insurance companies considered the risk so great that th# policies were canceled. Tr V m-K*. 1 Basil L ick wood, the colored hero' of th • Ford Theater disaster at Washington, l.a-been pro-ent d with a gold wa eh. Edward M. Gadsden. of Georgia, has b -on appointed supt rintendent of th • m ney order service. IN -tofliee Dep irtment. The Arkansas State Bank of Stuttgart. and the Arkansas Farmers' and Trader.-' Bank of Dewitt. Ark. have c'.osrd their doors. The Mayor and Council of Kansas City. Kas., have concluded to order the electric light - turned off on account of the city's poveity. A NEW trial l a- been granted to exCashier Join W. Flood, c nvicted of embezzling $164.000 from th Donohuei Kelly Bank at San Francisco. The firm of Corrigan. Ives a Co., of Cleveland, was placed in a receiver's hands on petition by Judge Stevenson Burke, who cl arged that the active partners have c infracted debts to the extent of v loo.ouO without the consent

of all. contrary to the articles of agreement. Commodore Samuel Ixx’kwood who entered the United States navy oi U-10. when 1, years old, died at F ushmg, L. I. Wm. Harmon, a convicted train r< bber, on his way to the penitentiary leaped from a train near Fort Smith and was killed. C. M. Ziegler, a traveling doctor committed suicide at Wawaka, Ind. Letters in his pockets showed that domestic troubles caused him to do the deed.

Mock trial in the tombs. Conducted by Six Murderers, AU of Whom Were Under Sentence of Death. The most singular trial on record was that held in the Tombs a few /ears ago, says the New York Press. It was a trial by jury in which the court and the council were composed of mco under sentence of death arid literally living in the shadow of the gallows. After the attempted escape of Danny Lyons and Danny Driscoll had been frustrated, Warden Osborne conceived and carried into execution a scheme which made like attempts out of the question. Murderers' row in the old building was vacated and the ground floor of the left corridor m the new ‘ ten-day” house fitted up for the recept ion and safe keeping ot those doomed to death according to law. The warden’s idea was a novel one. He had a sceen of strong wire built from between each cell’s door to the windows on the opposite side of the corridor. This gave each convict a separate space to walk in for exercise. Th? death watch occupied chairs between each screen and the men were constantly in their sieht. Ii also allowed them to see each other and their visiting friendsand to converse when they felt in that mood. The first to occupy the cells were six men convicted of murder in | the first decree and sentenc d to be i hanged in the Tombs. They were j Giblin, Packenham. Carolin, Lewis, ; Nolan, and Carleton. They were all : executed except Giblin, who killed a I baker named Getz. His sentence was commuted to imprisonment for life. Carleton, who was known by the sobriquet of ‘•Handsome Har.y," who shut and killed Officer Brennan, was the last, to be hanged and was the i last one executed in the Tombs. Sunday is always the dullest day in . the Tomb;, for no visitors are admitted, and the condemned were left to their own sad thought;. Giblin proposed that they try one ot their number by jury, ami Carolin, who chopped his unfortunate wife to death with a hatchet, was singled out to Le trie 1. “Old man" Packenham, who killed his wife with a pair of scis-ors. was made judge: Giblin, district attorney; Carlton counsel for the defense, and Lewis and No an the jury. After the consent of Deputy Sheriff Caraher was given the trial proceeded, every part of the judic al program being minutely carried out, even to putting Carolin on the stand to testify in his own behalf. But despite the argument of Carleton that it could only be manslaughter and not murder, the ju:y found him guilty without leaving their seats. Jl’hc effect 011 Carolin, the Deputy Sheriff said, was painful and pitiful to witness. He never ra sed his eyes while “old man" lackenham senten cd him to die on the 20th of August, |s?n. I’ncn that dav he teemed to weaken and tire authorif ties were afraid he would break down i I COH’plelei*-- Emih^i-, I fiHt.a .u.,; LtriHemis with the sisters, who were । daily in attendance, tried to comfort ' and rally him, but without avail. . The verdict of his fellows had aimust ; killed him. Maile Rich by a Weed. A promising indu>t y lias been 1 started in South A straiia in a s me- ' i what curious way. The Central Ag- i j ricu tural Bureau of South AusiraJa ' : was recently notified that a weed of I very pronounced odor and aggres-ive : irowth ha 1 taken po-st's-ioii of about I । , three acres of soil m the southern j portion of the colony. J The settlers in the neighborhood l of the swamp where the p ant had istabli-hed itself were inc hied to . ook with distinct disfavor upon the ' •wee i." which the horses and cattl ■ 1 would not eat. and which spread so ; rapidly. It was presently found,however, that lire weed was no other than the lavender plant which, though of no use as a fodder, was a most profit- ■ able crop.as two orthreetons ofgreen ‘tuff taken from it w.’l yield, when distilled by a very simple process,ssoo worth of lavender oil. In addition it would give LOGO pounds of lavender water, worth Hi cent- per pound.aft’ r the first distil ation, and 3(> cents per lound after further distillation. The teller, who was shrewd enough to make iatjuir.es I eiore rooting up his unknown crop.has decided on theadvice of the Agricultural Bureau, not 1 nly to carefully cultivate what lavender lie has but to plant several a -res more. The soil, of a light,-andy nature, w ith ^l;iy beneath and fairly moist, is em^Tntly suited to the growth, not Ollis lavender, bfft of all scent-producing plants, and many of the colonists are jsoposing to devote part of their land : to such cultivation. Wht-a They Are Not Good. The young man was stro'ling along quietly with the girl in the sweet ; .lune night because neither of them . had anything else to do, when they . passed a sign with an oyster legend ; • on it. , i ‘•Oysters,'’ she said dream ly, as 1. thinking of the winter time. •Yes." he replied, ••and what a l 1 pity oysters are not good in any i month that hasn't, an r in it. Tlie girl sigl ietl :ls siie saw another I sign. ••I-e cream and strawberries.” she murmure 1. Tlje young man started nervously’. “And did you know, Charlie,” she went on, “that icc cream and straw- | berries are not good in those mouths j which have ak or a <1 or a z ?n I thorny’ Then it was Charlie's time to think of the months when ice c.eam and strawberries are not good, and he smiled at the cute creature with him and gracefully capitulated.—Detroit L roe Press. A i ity missionary was asked the cause of his poverty. “Principally," said he, “because I have preached so much without notes.”

A GENEROUS GIRL. A Pretty Story Showing; Her Womevl? Nature. I heard of a pretty little incident theothcr day which I think I have been t ic ! etter for hearing, and will make my readers be ter for knowing. In one of the big city wholesale houses several girls are employed in various capacities. One of them is a bright g>> , jvciy even to an extreme at times, but with a spark of womanliness beneath her careless exterior, whose wages are several dollars a weex higher than those of another, wno is shy, modest, very unassuming and liable to be imposed on bv he 1 - ! more aggressive sisters ■That had been noticed by the first girl when both were new to their places, and the first, out ot her unselHshness, took ih- shy one's part and showed her, now and then, a little sisteily kindness. The other dav their employer called in the seiond girl ai d informed her that h r wage-; would be increased $1 a week. She thanked him and returned to work. That evening as -he was leaving she entered his office and said: “Mr N-—, ’ He looked up. ill Miss referring to the first girl, “have a raise, too?” “I don't know." wj< the replv. “If she i-n't would you mind lettin« me jjo now and j'ive her that dollar She has to board ami lias a harder time than I have. 1 live at home, and—it don't m ike so much difference, a dollar don't, with me, as it does with her.” .Mr. N. looked at the girl a full half minute without replying. Then, I'm glad to say to his credit, he r. se to his feet ad, without saying a word, 1 did himself the ho lor of shaking i P.ands with the young girl, who had I been as unaffeci.ed and simple in her earnest manner a- if she had done the mo-t ordinary thing in th world. Now. isn't that story as >weet as a fre>h pink? There is lots of love, after all. in this world, if we only ta .ea little trouble to look for it.— Cincinnati Journal. Raisiiiir WiTi ks by Gas. The latest method of raising submerged ships ;s by placing .11 them a number of rubber bags and then inflating the bag-; with gas. The idea of this invention was suggested in a singular way. ala ge, wth a number of cattle on I card, was sunk in a collision. No st p- were taken toward raising th- barue, but about two •weeks after 'h? accident it was seen । oatimi down the st.earn with deck out es water. < Inc of thus ■ who saw the s uguiar occurrence made up his mind that he would find out the reason of it. and, aft r investigatiou h Bsc >vered th it the gases of decomposition had bloated the cattle to such an extent that thev acted a- 1 so many air • linders, and had raised the Li it. After possessing himself 1 of this \a liable -eciet he quietly cut caped, the barge -auk out of sight l again. He then engaged a lawyer and soon patented the method of ra slug ships by air cliaml ers For a c.mg time experiment- were conducted 0:1 a small -calc, but with s mewhat dis ouraemg rc-uits. but the perfected apparatus is said to ha\c dune som effective work. It consists of 1 rubber l ags, covered with very strong ■ canvas Leite.l 0.1 the outside with leather straps, and encased in a I water-proof covering of oiled canvas. ! The 1 ability of the 1 ags to break l owing to heavy pressure 11 deep I waler, is -aid to be overcome by two chemicals, which are part of the -e---c.et covered by the patent. The c emicais a e Injected into the la s with the air. and the invent r claims that the r action e :ualizes the pie-s---ure inside and ontsi 'e. The hose connecting the bugs with the air ■ pump at the sur a e is made ,n th • I same n ancer as the bags, ami it is I also subjected to 1 he influence of the : mysterious chemical . The size of ! the pump ami the bags is determine a by the work in hand, the only restr ct on to the u e of the apparatus being the depth at which the diver | can successfully work in placing tnc ; "oliapsed bags in position. A Dream Warning. In 1^77 a tireman was dismissed । from crvice on the Baltimore and • Ohio fast mail, Parkersburg to * Grafton. While at work l iter in rhe I oil region near Volcano he d:cameJ I three nights in sucees ion that his I old eng.neer was going to have a • wreck. He sent word to ’‘Jack" ! about hi-dreams and warned him to 1 be careful. The next day “Jack” had order- to meet a fast passenger | coniine- west at Pennsboro. In lead i of pulling up to the east end of the ’ station to wait for the westbound to I take th •-iding, “Jack” thought of hi- warning and -topped at the west ' cud, am le away. When the westbouml trail tried to -top at the ea t I end the airbrakes failed to work, ami j the trail wa- topped only twenty feet away from Jack’s engine, aft r i the terr.ble u pen eof rever ed en--1 gine, hissing steam, flying and and I whistle-creaming for brake;. Jack’s i warning and sub equent precaut on had saved an awful wreck.—St. Louis Republic. Three Series of Cranks. A French vegetarian society has become divided into three parts. One wing calls itself cerealite, to indicate that it believes only in eating cereals: another will be known as fruitarian, because it thinks fruit the only proper food, and another has been dubbed tuberile, because it believes in eating roots. Each wing thinks that the happiness and stability of the human race depends on the adoption of its views. ONEhalf of the world doesn’t know how the other half lives. It is just as well, perhaps. It saves thousands of divorces and cyclones of family troubles generally.

T—III ■MULLU—a—WM—MB— A SON OF NAPOLEON I. A California ?lan Who Says He Haw the Blood of the Bonapartes. In a little cabin down in the depths of a canyon not many miles from San 1- rancisco lives an old man who for years has gone by the name of Count Napcieon and claims to be a sou of Napoleon I. Though uion his shoulders there rests the weight of 79years, he is still erect, and his air of quiet dignity and self-possession cause; one to wonder if the blood of the P»onapartes really does course through his veins. Count Napoleon tells a most interesting story of his life, which has been full of adventure. “I can well rem -mber,” -aid he, “that waikins through one of the large parks of Vienna with my mother, Marie Louise, daughter of the Emperor of Austria. 1 was abducted. Two men came up, and, grabbing hold of me, hastily carried me to a co .pe, which was rapidly driven off. My mother, after s Teaming for the gens d’ armes, fell in a dead faint. 1 never saw her after that time, for I was taken t> the coast and placed on hoard a vessel In which I was brought to this country. Tills was in the, year isle. ‘•When I reached this country I was first taken to Nobleborough, Me. 1 spent four years there in the house of a I-rench lady. 1 wa; continually’ shadow d and no fewer than four attempts were made to take my life. One night 1 left the house and wandered away in the darkness and never stopped till, worn out, I fell by the roadside. My next recollection was that ot a kind, beautiful face Lending over me as I lay upon a coach. I’oor little fellow that I was. L ss than lu years of age, hunted by assassins, buffeted about in what then to me was a cheerless world, the sight of a friendly face was almost unknown to me. The face wa; that of an angel, I imagine I. I knew when I saw her fciiat I had found a mother, ana was no longer to be a homeless little wanderer. It was a number of weeks before 1 left the sickbed, and i when I did recover James Plunime? and his wife decided to adopt me. They had found me that night lying near the gate in an insensible condition. “I lived with Mr. and Mrs. Plummer until 1 became of age. when I shipped on a whaler from New Bedford. I always had a strong liking for the sea. and for three years crui -ed in Northern waters and visited various foreign countries. In 1542 I deserted the American ship Hibernia at Honolulu* 1 was arrested and served two months of my sentence before I made my escape from the jail a d came to this coast on the American schooner Shark. When off the mouth of the Columbia River the schooner was wrecked and I bad a narrow escape from being drowned. That was September 11, 184fi. I secured employment at Fort Astoria and spent three vears in Orognn beforo I c-nmo tu can 1 rancisco. i came here in 1849, in the brig Sacramento. “When I reached the age of 26 I took the name 1 now bear, but shipped under the name of Henry Seaman. 1 have not been known for nearly fifty years past other than as Count Nauoleon Bonaparte. Many D ople have no faith in my claims, and it may be that 1 can never convince them of the truth of my statements, for I have not many more years to live. But it wi 1 com • out some dav.'* — Credit. । The young man had a very nice gold watch. That is to say, sometimes he had it and sometimes he , didn’t, for he was a young man who ■ wa< not always ahead of the deal On thh occasion he had it. and when the nice old gent, to whom he was talking for a job, asked him what • time it was, he pulled it out to see. ■•That'-; a nice watch you have,” said the old one. “Yes,’ - remarked the young one: , “I am quite proud of it,” and he handed it over to be inspected. , The old 0: e looked it over and • passed it back. ••That watch is a credit to you,sir,” he said, for to the old one it represented so much saved and so much ability to save. I “Yes,” responded the young one I absent-mindedly, “it has been a credit > to me more times than one,” and ' visions of three golden balls flitted ! J through his mind. —Free Press. ’ I — A Maine Posse Resisted. A Maine Sheriff and eight men en- ’ deavored recently to arrest three young men who had been lighting and firing pistols. The mother of one of them made a valiant redstance, and came very near discouraging the ' posse. She struck one man with a b.oe, and when that was taken from her she took an ax and swung it about until she was again disarmed. Then she caught a deputy by the whiskers and pulled some hair out Meanwhi.e she was peppering the air with profanity, but the young men were arrested. Another Canon Ball Story. The negroes in cutting a great tree in a swamp near Snow Hill, Md., the other day, came upon an old canon ball completely ini' edded in the trunk. The tree measured three feet in diameter, and much of its growth had taken place since the ball found lodgment in the trunk. There has been no artillery firing in that region since the revolutionary war. An Interesting Calculation. It has been calculated that twentytwo acres of land are needed to sustain a man on fresh meat, while, if the same amount be planted in wheat, it will feed forty-two peop’e: undet oats, eighty-eight people; under Indian corn, rice, and potatoes, 176 people; and under the plaintain or bread fruit it will feed over 6,000 people.