Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-01-11

his wife, then
LFAPED INTO THE AIR
and shot downwards into the canvas, but
his weight was such that the canvas was
pulled out of the hands of the few
who held it, and he alighted on
the ground with deadly force. His wife
followed. Her body struck the veranda
and fell to the ground lifeless. Mr.. John
son died shortly afterwards in the express
office and his body was laid beside that of
his wife until they were borne away.
About dozen persons jumped from the
Michigan street front.
EACH LEAP MEANT DEATH
or shattered limbs, and not less than four
unfortunates at one time lay upon
the icy sidewalks in front
of the chamber of commerce,
clad only in night shirts, blood and brains
oozing from the wounds through which the
bones protruded. Some were carried to
the express Office, others to the ground
floor of the Mitchell building, where cots
had been hastily arranged and from there
they we're carried off to the private
houses of
KIND-HEARTED PEOPLE.
The scene in the alley west of the burn
ing building was sickening. As early as
6 o'clock the bodies OF seven unfortunate
waiter girls, once blooming in youth, were
stretched upon the snow and ice with
broken limbs,
WRITING IN AGONY,
until death ended their sufferjngs. After
almost superhuman efforts ladders were
stretched from the roof of the bank
building across the alley to the sixth story
of the hotel and the brave freladdies car
ried ten girls across the frail bridge,
four of them dead. The maze of telegraph
wires encircling the building on south and
east played sad havoc with the unfor-
Inmates who made
THE FRIGHTFUL LEAP FOR LIFE.
Several of the bodies were fairly cut deep
into by the wires and then the torn and
bleeding forms would drop to the ground
with dreadful crash. To the poor I'M
fortunate waiter girls, all lodged in the
sixth story and the attics, the saddest lot
had fallen. Of the sixty young girls only
eleven were heard from as alive as late as
this evening. 1t is feared that the esti-
mate of fifty lives lost as formed
this morning is far too low and
that fully double that number
BURNED Or sMoTHBRED TO DEATH
in the blazing pyre. The police patrol
soon commenced their dreadful work of
gathering the dead and wounded. The
former were taken to the morgue, which
was filled, the latter to the Central police
station, where they were cared for by ply
sicians. From 5 o'clock the interior Of the
building was one mass of flames. The up
per floors soon giving way and carrying the
lower floors with them,
A LAUNDERING CRASH
was heard for blocks, and then the
fire shot up fully fifty feet,
sending shower of sparks
and cinders over the whole northern
portion of the city carried ahead by brisk
southwest wind. Had it not been for the
| thick coat of snow on the roofs, many a
building north of the hotel would be
MASS OF sMoLDERING RUINS
to-day. Long after the flames ragged
in the interior, Miss Chillis
head dressmaker at T. A. Chapman
& Co.'s,was seen at window on the fourth
floor. She was recognized by her
friends below and implored to make the
leap upon the canvas, but she re manned
standing at the window of the burying
| room until flames enveloped her and she
| sank back to be seen no more on earth. In
three-quarters of an hour after the dis
coyery of the fire
THE BUILDING WAS TOTAL LOSS.
At $50 o'clock the Broadway front of
the building, unsupported by rafters from
within, bulged out and came laundering
to the pavement Shortly after that the
tottering walls of the southeast
corner of the building followed,
tearing heavy telegraph pole
to the ground, which felled Ben Van Haag,
truckman of the hook and ladder com
pany No. 2, beneath its weight. Poor Ben.
favorite in the department, received
fatal injuries. He died few hours after,
FAITHFUL TO HIS POST
unto death. Chief Lippert had telegraphed
| to Chicago and Racine for relief, also to the
Soldiers home for the steamer of that in
stitution. Gen. Sharpe, governor
of the Soldiers home, failed
to comply with the request
Chicago and Racine responded at once
Three steamers left Chicago at $50, num-.
bers 5, 10 and IA, together with two men
each from companies 1, 2 and and 1000
yards of extra hose. At Highland park,
| about wenty five miles north of Chicago,
THE RELIEF TRAIN
was countermanded by Chief Lippert,
the fire having had its sway in destroying
the Newhall house, and being under con-
troll as far as surrounding establishments
| were concerned: The Racine relief
| train was also countermand-
ed. When it became known
among the merchants gathered in front
of the chamber of commerce that Gen.
Sharpe had not sent the Home engine, re-
marks not exactly in Lord Chester6eld's
style could be heard on all sides.
DEHDs OF HERoIsM
were recorded worthy of UNQUALIFIED praise.