The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1883-01-19


MILWAUKEE, Wis, January 10.
The Newhall House, the six-story brick
building, corner of Michigan street and Broad
way burned to the ground this forenoon The
fire was discovered at four a. m In less than
half an hour the whole building, long desig-
mated as death-trap was enveIoped in flames.
Scenes of the utmost terror prevailed, the in
mates of the doomed building jumping b,
dozens from the upper stories, covering the
stone sidewalks with lifeless bodies. The
shrieks Of the unfortunates filled the air, in a
heart-rending manner, people below being IN
able to render any aid. Quhe number of the
terrified guests and employees of the hotel APP
peared at the windows, and, seeing the dis
lance to the ground, fell back to perish in the
flames
The employees of the hotel, which acommo-
dated 500 guests, numbered eighty-six, mostly
lodged IN the sixth story. Exit by the way of
the roof W as cut off by the fire, and the two
nd-pipes, with fre-ladders, were not avail
able for the same reason. A very few were
saved by jumping on canvas.
All the stores and Offices on the ground
floor, with contents, were destroyed. A num-
Der of wholesale establishments on East Wa
ter streetwere damaged.
A SEA OF FLAME.
At five o'clock this morning the doomed ho-
tel presented a sight which wild never be for
gotten by those who beheld it. The whole in
side of the building was one mass Of roaring
flames, and a perfect shower Of sparks and
cinders was blown by brisk southeast wind
over the northern part of the city. The sky
was illuminated as bright as day, and the hiss
ing and roaring of the devourfng element
could be heard for blocks. The large, heavy
cornice on the southeast corner of the build
ing came down with fearful crash, burying
under its ruins Ben Hall, a fireman of steamer
No. 4. He was quickly gotten out from among
the red-hot plates of the galvanized iron of
the cornice, and it was found that he was Sc
riously but not fatally hurt. The sixth, fifth
and fourth floors broke through at once, and
carried everything with them to the ground
floor. A huge bulk of flames shot up about
fifty feet high when the floors came down,
and an agonizing shout from the multitude
went up.
From that time the fire had its undisputed
sway inside the bare walls and toward six
o'clock the buildings on the east side, 'front.'
ing on Water street, began to burn. Two
steamers were sent around to East Water
street to protect the establishments of that
thoroughfare. At this time all the stores and
offices under the hotel were enwrapped in
flames.
The fire was extinguished at 9:15 a. m. Near
~ one hundred lives are thought to be lost.
HEROIC FIREMEN.
The Fire Department fought the fire heroic
ally, but all they could do was to prevent its
spread to the surrounding business blocks.
The heat was so intense chat the cupoIa of the
Chamber of Commerce began to smoke as if a
fierce fire was raging within. The men of hook
and ladder trucks and2 worked almost like
demons. They had put ladders across the al
ley from the bank building to the burning ho-
tel, and crawled across. First Edward Riem-
er and Herman Strauss, from truck ]. The
latter carried an unconscious girl right out of
the flames across the dangerous and flimsy
passage-way. John Bornlesser, A. A. Worth,
s. E. Nodine and Garrett Green of truck No.
q followed, and about twelve people were
saved by the brave ladies.
AT THE MoRGUE AND POLICE STATION.
At the Morgue horrid sight was beheld.
The two small bierg were soon filled iYita
bodies, tightly packed, and then the bodies of
girls, women, men and waiter-boys were laid
promiscuously on the stone flags, almost in a
heap, as the police patrol broughtin the bodies
three and four at time. At $3.50 seventeen
bodies were laid down in the dreary place
which was locked u p between the trips of the
patrol wagon, and, therefore, no Identification
was possible. The floor of the general Office
of the Central Police Station was turned into a
| lazaret, persons fatally hurt winding them
selves in the blankets on the floor in excruci-
ating pain.
THRILLING ESCAPES.
/ Edward Pollock, of Lancaster, Wis, was a
| guest at the house. He occupied a room on
the fourth floor Of the Broadway front, nearly
over the balcony. At about 1886 he was
awakened by the breaking of glass in the
transom over the door, and the fierce flames
through the opening. He Immediately gath
cred up his clothes as far as possible, and,
| stepping out on the balcony, he put on his
| clothes and swung to the balcony beneath,
| where half dozen others were gathered.
Here sheets and bed-clothes were tied to-
| gether, and the ground reached by the rope.
Mr.. Pollock was at one time representative
of the Sentinel at Lancaster, and came to Mil
Waukec to buy the outfit for new paper at
his place. He said to reporter of the Sen
ti1aeJ that the fire seemed all above him when
| he first awakened, and an instant after the
flames had engulfed everything.
Another escape to be recorded is that of a
man, whose name could not be learned, who
was seen swinging himself from the fifth floor
of the burning building until his feet touched
the window below. Kicking in the window he
| dropped and grabbed the sash. This was re-
| peated until he reached the balcony, from
which he was rescued with his hands badly cut.
Cashier Condee, of the Manufacturers Bank,
accompanied by his son, reached the fire short
| ly before five o'clock, and entered his office
He rescued from his safe box containing all
| the valuable papers, checks and cash. amount
| ing to $660,000, which he carried to the door,
but was in a considerable state of excitement,
/ until two volunteers assisted him to carry it
across the street to the American Express Of
fee, where it was put into safe quarters.
SPECIMEN HORRORS.
At one time there were six persons hanging
/ from six ndow-sills at the fifth story at the
same time, crying in agonizing tones for
| the help that could not be rendered them, and
one after another loosened their grip and met
| their fate G&A CH
/ Mr.. Allen Johnson and his wife sprang from
| a fifth-story window. He was caught in the
/ jumping-canvas, but sustained injuries from
| which he died. His wife struck on the tele-
graph wires, bounded over, and was also
caught, but was so badly injured that she only
survived her husband about an hour.
| One man, by letting himself down at arms
| length from fifth-story window, put his
| feet through the window below and
reached the fourth floor in safety. The
| operation was repeated until the third
| floor was reached, each point gained in his
perilous descent being greeted with encourag-
| ing cheers from the bystanders. As he was
putting his feet through the top of the second
| story window, his hands slipped from the sill
| above, and with wild shrek of despair he fell
backwards, turning over several times, and,
| striking the pavement on his head, was man
gled beyond recognition.
| Another man jumped from the fifth-story
window, struck the telegraph wires on Michi-
| gan street. bounded up, and came down a
mangled mass of flesh and bones.
| number of people dropped out of the diff
| ferent stories on to the jumplng-canvas. but
in majority of cases they were killed out
right or sustained injuries from which there is
little hope of recovery
During the progress OF the fire two men APP
peared at window in an upper story. and.
as they looked down upon the scene below.
the floor of the room gave way, and, with an
agonizlng shrek, they fell backwards into the
vortex of flame.
BRIDAL COUPLE.
One of the saddest facts in connection with
this awful catastrophe is the fate of Mr.. and
Mrs. John Gilbert. Mr.. Gilbert is connected
with the Minnie Palmer Company, playing the
part of the gambler in my Sweet
heart" Monday, in Chicago, Just be-
fore leaving for Milwaukee, Mr.. Gilbert