The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-12-23
A Terrible Fate.

A Pittsburgh special to the Chicago Tribune
gives the following particulars of the recent
horrible fire catastrophe near the former city ::
Shortly before four o'clock this morning q
report was brought to the city that terrible
calamity had occurred at a point on the
Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad, seven miles
down the Ohio River. The nature of the dis
aster was not stated, and people could do no
more than guess. It soon transpired, howev-
er, that the report was only too well founded,
and that ten men had been roasted to death
and a great many injured by the burning of q
frame boarding house in which they were
sleeping. They were laborers on the railroad,
and were working at the place indicated,
which is called Gibson's Station. The build
ing was q onestory frame structure, with an
attic or loft. The lower part was used as .
dining-room and kitchen. Into this loft for
ty-three stalwart men retired to sleep last
night, after finishing the days work. 1t was
reached by q fight Of stairs which started
from near the kitchen door. There were no
windows, but, in lieu of them, there were
two small holes in the roof to admit light
and air These were closed at night by a slid
ing door to keep out the cold.
About four o'clock this morning the keeper
of the boarding house, Hugh McCune, got up
to build fire in the kitchen stove, carrying
with him an ordinary kerosene lamp, which he
placed upon q table while he went for kindling
wood. Up to this point all is clear. It is
supposed that, during his absence, the lamp
chimney burst, and by some means threw the
lamp upon the floor, allowing the oil to run
out. This theory is generally accepted. The
stairway was composed Of light, dry, pine
boards, and they were soon ablaze The
flames quickly spread to the loft, where the
unfortunate men were sleeping, all uncon-
scious of the terrible fate which awaited them.
Thedoor Of the loft WAS covered with straw beds
andbedding. The flames made rapid progress,
and soon reached this mass of inflammable
material. About this time the sleepers were
aroused by the cries of the females employed
about the place, and they at once made a rush
for the stairs, but they were confronted by a
wall Of fire which forced them back in dismay.
A rush was then made for the opening in
the roof by the half-crazed men, and a strug-
gle for life took place, each trying to crowd
the other out Of the way, a. only one at time
could be forced through the apertures on ac-
count Of their small size. Some of the Door
fellows, seeing that all could not escape in
this way, caught at any shadow of hope that
offered, and tried to dash down the stairs and
through the flames, only to meet a horrible
death. The men had not even time to clothe
themselves, so sudden was the alarm and so
quickly did the fire make Roadway. Those
who made their escape, however, seemed so
bewildered by the sudden outburst of the
flames and the cries Of their companions that
they rushed back into the burning building,
attempting to save their little property. At
this moment the crash came. The frail
walls, weakened by the attacks of the.
flames, crushed in upon the unfortunates, and
their cries for help we're drowned in the roar
Of the flames. The scene at this moment can
not be described. Shrieks and groans went
up on every side from the poor unfortunates,
who had been burned and scorched in a sick
ening manner Strong men, with great patches
OF skin and flesh peeled from their bodies by
the touch ofthe fire, rolled upon the ground in
their agony. Ten Of the forty-three are dead,
and eight or ten more will die. The injured
are being cared for at the West Pennsylvania
Hospital Many Of the victims leave families in,
doatif,1ta nrysdikiov,