The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-01-06
FATAL FLAMES.
Imprisoned by Flre-Tsrrlble Death Of
Four Unfortuuates Description Of the
Thrilling Scenes OF the COnaasra.
tlon.

New YoBE, January 5.-A fire broke
this morning in the basement Of Turner
Hall, East Fourth street, occupied by
Wm. Winkle as ball room, and when
the flames were extinguished Wm. Gaib,
aged ten years; Louis Schmidt, aged 80;
Henry Gehweler, aged 95, and Teresa
Erhardt, aged 95, were found on the top
floor dead. Winkle and wife were badly
burned and sent TO the hospital. Annie
Baur received internal injuries by jump
ing from the fourth story window and was
badly burned about the hands and face.
An unknown woman had both legs broken
by jumping from the top floor. The dam.
age to the building and stock amounts to
$4,000. The progress OF the fire was go
great that 1t was hardly five minutes after
the first engine arrived before the entire
insideof the premises was alive with flames
The premises, Nos. ~ and 0S, were occu-
pied by Turner Hall proper, and in the
upper stories OF No. u VIM. Winkle, pro-
prietor, resided with his family and EN-.
ployes.
AS soon as the fireman could reach the
roof they cut holes in it and broke in the
skylght, but the fire had already done its
fearful work on several victims, surround.
ed as they were by the flames, and cut of
from all access to safety below by the burn
ing of the staircase. Several persons sus.
tained severe injuries by leaping from the
highest stories on buildings adjacent. One
man, while crying frantically for aid, was
all the while pushing woman, who
seemed TO be resisting, from the fourth
story window. She finally leaped, struck
the ground on her feet, breaking both
legs and arms and almost crushing her To
death. OF the twelve or fifteen persons
sleeping in No. G4, four were burned to
death and five injured. The little boy was
burned to crisp, and others were either
dead when taken from the building or
died before they reached the station house.
The actual cause OF the fire is unknown.
There were no fire escapes attached to
the building. It was not until the thump.
ing OF the hremen's axes on the boards
and tin over their heads echoed through
the house, that the men and women un.
derneath were reused 10 learn their dan
ger. The thick smoke filed their rooms
and the fire shown through the chinks OF
the doors and walls. With cry OF alarm
Mrs. Alinckcl reused her husband and
ran 10 the door OF her room, where slept
her sister and the child. A cry
from within answered her and told her
that they too were awake cropping
through the smoke. The blinded woman
and husband sought the stairway, but
were met by rush OF fire against which
they Intellectually sought to shut the door,
Their clothes caught fire and death seem
cd certain as they turned toward the door
leading to the roof. AS they reached IL the
freman's axes broke through tho ceiling
over head and willing hands helped them
out more or less terribly burned. The wo.
men and men were partly carried and part
directed into the building and the fremen's
work began to tell. But their attention
was demanded i'll another quarter. From
elevated portions Of the central part OF the
building cries OF agony and shouts for
help were heard. The fremen cut
through the roof and sides until they OBJ.
tanned an entrance to the egarret, which was
filed with smoke and charred by the
flames that leaped from rafter TO raiter.
Within the rooms on the east side had
slept Geo. Muller, Ernest and Herman
Ruhl, Louis Meyer, Henry Gehrweiler
and Louis Schmidt, walters. In the west
side bed rooms were Teresa Erpardt,
Annie and Rose Bauer, servant
girls. The floor was one sea Of flames,
In which the terrified men and women
ran wildly about gasping for air and
shouting for help. George Muller, Ernest
and Herman Ruhl made their way toward
the front, and reached the roof more than
half sutFocated, and burned here and
there. Louis Meyer sprang from win.
dow into the yard below, of No. 10 Third
street, a distance OF sixty feet or more,
and was picked up nearly dead. Louis
Schmidt was found after the firemen had
ventured in, crouching in corner, whence
he had been unable to escape, dead and
burned 10 crisp.
Henry Gehrweiler, unable 10 follow his
more fortunate comrades TO the front,
jumped from the window into the yard OF
the Third Street house. He was found
there and taken to the Fifth street station
house where he died. Every bone in his
body was broken.
Teresa Echardt never left her room.
She was found burned to death, her fea-
tion.
SiAnnie Bauer sprang from the window
rather than die in the fire, and was found
in the yard Of the west side OF the build
ing. She was horribly burned, and with
the injuries caused by her fall cannot
live.
Rose, the last OF the servants, sprang
out and, striking an arbor in the yard OF
No. 81 East Fourth street in her descent,
broke both legs, both arms and received
internal injuries.
George Muller, on OF the walters who
escaped, stood in the ruins OF his old
room this morning with moist eyes, sur
rounded by friends congratulating him
on his lucky escape. 81 don't know about
it." he said in German; 81 was aroused
by noise and heat; found the room, the
whole floor, full OF smoke and eos4d-net
see my way; on every side heard cries:
/ gained the roof, how don't know, but /
ieryently thank God for it."
TIIB DEAD.
Louis Schmidt, 80 years old, a waiter,
burned to crisp in the sleeping room;
Henry Gehrweiler. % years, waiter,
jumped from the fourth story rear win
dow, died in the Fifth Street Police Sta
tion; Wm. Geib, 10 years, taken out on
an adjoining building, died before he
could be placed in ambulance; Teresa
Erhart, % years, servant, burned to-
death in her room.
INJURED.
W. winchel, 10 years, lessee of the hall,
severely burned about the.hands. face and
arms; Josephine wincL.el 40 years, wife
OF the lessee, terribly dis6gured by burns
and body badly blistered, there is but
little chance for her recovery; Annie
Bauer, so years, servant, jumped from q
window and internally injured, will prob
ably d. also badly burned; Rose, ser.
want, about 20 years old, jumped from a
window, both legs and arms broken;
Louis Meyer, waiter, sprang from win.
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