The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-01-16
Recovery of Two Additional Bodies-The
Total of the Lost Thought to BE More
than One Hundred.
The Head Clerk Declares that the
Fire Was Incendiary.
Tom Thumbs Anxiety to Recover His
characterization of John Gilbert
Jay Gould's Munificence.

to-day. The weather is somewhat mllder
and the work proceeds more quickly. Still
the total result of the forenoon's search is
only two bodies, so badly burned that recog-
milton is impossible. Thus far twenty little
heaps, pronounced by physicians human
flesh and bones, have been taken from the
ruins So far as can be learned, thirty-nine
are still missing.
Christina Hagen, one of the servants re-
ported missing is safe. This makes ninety
six known to have been saved out of III.
Fifty one bodies have so far been recovered
twenty-eght of which are burned beyond
recognition, leaving thirty still missing.
1t is not known, but is supposed
that the register is in the
safe, which will be reached by
the diggers to-day; also, the court in the
centre will be reached, where, probably,
most of the bodies will be found. Excava-
ton reached the west wall to-day, where five
bodies were found, in heap under the SER
wants quarters. Correct estimates as to the
loss of life are impossible to form until the
books of the hotel can be got at. The above
estimate giving fifty-one dead and thirty
missing, making total loss of life of eighty
one is thought to be as nearly correct as pos
sible by all parties.
The afternoon papers made the following
exaggerated statement Taken to the morgue
IS; rescued from the ruins
81; since died, 8; dead not taken to the
morgue s. total, So This does not include
fragments of bodies found. About forty
people reported missing are yet unaccounted
for. which swells the list to ninety. 1t is al
most sure thing that over 100 people lost
their lives by the calamity.
No official investigation will be made into
the origin and causes leading to the disaster
until the termination of the work at the
ruins The bodies will ali remain at the
temporary morgue until that time unless
positive identifications are made. In such
cases the identified bodies will be given to
friends
STATEMENT OF THE HEAD CLERK.
Ben Tice, head clerk of the Newhall made
the following statement bearing on the or-
gin of the fire.
Somebody set the building on fire. Down
near the foot of the stairs leading from the
inside of the hotel to the barber shop was a
little closet, used for storing kindling, sep
arated by only wooden partition from the
shasaff -eeff-.fc elevator. The fire was set in
that closet. OF course it burned through the
partition into the hatchway before it went
far enough in any other direction to be dis
covered The inside of the hatchway was
saturated with oil from the machinery, es-
pecialy up to the third and fourth stories.
The fiames feeding on this oiled wood,
rushed right up the hatchway, bursting out
on the third and fourth stories, where it was
first seen from the outside 1t was this
burning of the oiled wood all the way up the
hatchway that made such dense smoke and
terrible heat. Many of those saved were
terribly burned by the heat, although they
did not come into contact with the flames.
The flames did not reach me, and yet you
can see how l am fixed"
Here Tice held up both his arms above
the bed in which he lay. His hands are so
burned as to be useless for the present and
are kept wrapped in bandages, and he is I'M
able to feed himself. His nose, cheeks and
ears are badly burned, while his hair was not
singed, showing the correctness of his theory
Tice was asleep i'll room in the sixth story
when the fire broke out.
John Gilbert, the actor, is reported better.
He imagines he has been on a big SPREE and
remarked to his physicians this morning
that This drinking whisky is a terrible
thing" 1t is thought that he may not sur
vive the shock of the news of the death of
his wife. 1t will be kept from him as long
as possible.
TOM THUMBS INDIGNATION.
General Tom Thumb has made frequent
calls at police headquarters every day since
the fire, to see if his trunk had not been
found. He would examine closely every
trunk recovered, but has failed to find the
object of his search. His trunk contained
his overcoat, clothing, jewellery and col
lection of old coins.
The General was indignant over the report
that Officer OBrien rescued him and his
wife. Yesterday afternoon he told Chief
Wason that he rescued OBrien, who might
otherwise have persisted He admits that
OBrien awakened him and his wife, and re-
manned in their room about ten min
utes, while they were dressing. but
that whem they left the room he
found the ladders by which they made their
escape, and as he began to descend the lad
der ne told O'Brien that he had better fol-
low him The General and his troupe left the
city this morning, but not until he had
warned the police to notify him immediate
ly if his trunk was found.
BRIEF INTERVIEW WITH ANTIsDELL
The report ahoat to the effect that Land
lord Antisdell had disappeared is wholly I'M
true. He was found this morning at Profess
sor Haskels residence, still suffering from
the terrible shock, but he is not in a dan
gerous condition. "What truth is there in
the rumor that the night-watchman at the
Newhal was instructed that in case of fire
the Office clerk was to be told Of it without
regard to awakening the guests2' asked
reporter Mr.. Antisdel said in
en- impressive, melancholy way
that there was not one word OF truth in it,
that all these stories that were afloat concern
ing him and his actions and intentions were
circulated with view to injure him. At
this point the elder son said it was terrible
that people should tell such things; that it
has a bad effect, and, moreover, it was done
out OF pure righteousness, and did no good.
While the reporter was formulating the next
question the son urged the father to go and
finish his breakfast, saying that he was not
well, upon which the old gentleman disap-
peared
MUST DE WRIT sARKAsTlCAL"
Jay Gould sent a dispatch subscribing $500