Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-01-12
THE MILWAUKEE HORROR.
The Fire Undoubtedly or lncepdfsry
.t Origin. 81


MrLwAUKsE, January ia fo'ce Of one
hundred and twenty-five worknen were
engaged all day at the ruins of the Inflated
"Newhall," searching for bodies, bat none
were found up to7P.M. The remainder Of
the walls were pulled down, because they
endangered the worknen. The north wall,
which is PARTITION wall with the adjoin-
ing building, might tumble any moment
The principal topic of conversation while
dwelling on the dreadful holocaust is the
number of times the "Newhalf' has beera
ignited through the instrumeDtality of
malicious persons. A gentlemaH who oc-
cupied quarters in the house said the
building had been set on fire at least four
times during the past Two years. Once fire
was set on q chair placed in the hallin con.
tact with the elevator. On the chaiT had
been piled oiled kindiings. The fire got a
pretty good start. The next time fire was
started in barrel in finder which stood in
the hall on the first floor against the elsya-
tor. This time also the house had 8
Marrow Escape.
The next time hole was torn through aie
plaster in the wall at the bottom of the
elev ator and mass of infammable staff
inherited which was fired. This fire was ex-'
tinguished with the greatest difficulty.
Still another time fire was started near the
bar room, on the first floor adjacent to the
vest side of the elevator shaft. These all
had an undoubted incendiary origin. They
were started at night near the elevator so
as TO preclude the idea of saving the house,
but each time luck held sway, and the
blazes were blighted with each recurring
FIRE. The regular boarders would say some
one had a spite against the building, and
would yet burn it. They would avow the
intention of leaving, but as time would
elapse these ideas would be erased only to
recur with another attempt to burn the
building. This time the Ere tiend was sue.
cessful, as there seems TO be no doubt OF
incendiarism.
VIM. Mckenzie, nightwatchman at the
botel makes the following
Important stateRent;
On the night of the fire 1 had made my
rounds as usual, visiting the different lodg.
ing floors and basement rooms, and moth
ing unusual was observed. The bar room
was open until . o'clock in the morning,
and at that time nothing like smoke was
detected. At $3.50 o'clock in the morning
T. i. Elliott came in Oh . late train.
l was in the office. He asked me
if the elevator was running. I told him
would take him up and did sOr letting him
out at the third floor. Then | went up to
the top floor taking railway conductor
up from the third to that. l looked
around the halls and got into the elevator
half past three o'clock. As got into the
ELEVATOR | noticed a very little smoke. |
immediately started down to see where 1t
came from. By the time | reached the
office floor the smoke was so dense could
go no further in the elevator. Throwing
open the door
IRushed Out,
started for the stairs shouting to the night
clerk that we were on fire down below. By
the time i reached the bottom of the eleva-
tor shaft the smoke was so dense and sti-
fling that knew something must be done.
called to the engineer who was in the en-
gine room, and told HIM to rouse the ser
wants. Then started back to awaken the
people, for knew there was no chance to
stop the fire alone. BY this time 1 reached
the first floor above the office and had
raped at Mr.. Cramer's door. The heat
then cracked the glass doors to the eleya-
tor, and in a moment afterwards the flames
poured out. In the meantime, | rushed
into the bank building, aroused as many
dodgers in that portion as | could andaf-
forwards rendered what help | could in
saving the people. II might have
caught in some of the shops in
the basement that back up to
the bottom of the elevator, put on the bot
tom floor of the hotel part there was moth
ing that could possibly bum that way that
could have been smouldering throughout
the night. This is shown 10y the fact that
so many were around until such a short
time before the actual blaze occurred. !
don't know that the fire was inCendiary.
but thele is very queer leok to II.