The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-01-17
Milwaukee Visited by Terrible
Catastrophe.
The Newhall House a Mass of
Smoking Ruins.
0re Hundred Persons Eitker Burned
or Killed In EndearOrihg
to Escape.
Efss OF tAe Dead an1 Missing-The
Losses and Insurercs-Origin CT
ths Fire-'Ths Newhan."
A HOLOCAUST.

HOLOCAUST.
Destruction of the Ncwhan House. rEsl~au-
kee-One Hundred Persons Perish in the
FLAMES or FataIssTnj around
the Ruins ard sesthe Morgue.
MILWAUKEE, W6s., Jan. 10-TTenty-four
hours have nearly elapsed since the most
terrible catastrophe befell Milwaukee, and
the imraensity OF the dreadfuldisaster seems
toincrease instead of Yane with the floating
tune, and a dread seems to creep over every
one passing he huge pile of smoking ruins
that mark the place where only two days
ago the palatial Newhall House stood with
300 inmates, who awoke yesterday morning
from their slumbers TO stand face to face
with the grim reaper. The snow bad been
falling all night, silently weaving q shroud
for many, how maRy, nobody can ask with
out shudder on beholding what is left Of
one Of the largest hosteIries in the North
west.
Early in the morning at $40 o'clock sn
alarm Of fire vas turned in from box 459,
corner of Welt and Eighteenth streets, and
many q good citizen, counting the strokes OF
the alarm ascertaining the location and
casting a look at the black sky hanging
heavily over the house tops, went to rest
again with a relieved feeling that the alarm
cid not denote q dangerous box, and that
Milwaukee's tried Fire Department would
do its duty; and about half an hour later,
at4:O5 a. m. the Two ominous strokes OF
telephone alarm called the rest of the De-
not engaged at the Vliet street fire up again,
and three minutes later, ST 4:0S, an alarm
from 15 corner of Michigan and Broadway.
rang out, and Chief Lippert hurried from
Eighteenth street to the scene as fast as his
trotter would carry him. And he made
such good time that he could turn in
second alarm four minutes later.
At Alp a. m. the whole Department was
called to the scene of action, leaving the
Chemical Engine to battle with the blaze in
the remote part of the city.
DISCOVERY OF THE FIRE.
The operators in the Train Dispatcher's
Office of the Chicago, Milwaukee and ST.
Paul Railroad, in the Mitchell Building
had seen from their quarters light smoke
issuing fIom the attic of the Newhall
House
1t was scarcely noticed until the general
alarm was turned in, when they saw to their
horror that almost the entire south part of
the Newhall House was enc sea Of flames
There were but few people on the streets, the
police and night reporters and some belated
,siragglers for home. but the scene develop
ing before the horror stricken few was one
which none of the eye witnesses will ever
forget.
In moment every window of the large
six-story hotel structure was filed with
struggling guests, franhcally and piteousIy
beseeching the few below for aid, which it
was
IMPOSSIBLE TO BENDER.
But few of the unfortunate inmates gained
the front entrance on Michigan street, al
though many might have been saved If an
immediate attempt at some systematic
effort had been made.
The halls of the hotel were the scene of
the widest confusion, and men, women and
children rushed up and down the halls in
the dense sufOcating smoke, avoiding the
binding flames and roaring blaze, and in
their frantic efforts rushing by the stairways
and windows leading to the fire escapes,
stumbling over bodies lying unconscious on
the cerpeted walks, only to Join soon the
many .prostrated forms whom kind fate
had touched with the dark wing of that
messenger of death, Inconsistencies.
The fire started apparently on the third
fioor of the doomed building, over the side
entrance on Michigan street, and before the
Department got the steamers fairly in posi-
ton the flames had enveloped the whole
southeast corner of the building, the fiery
element
LICKING ITS WAY GREEDTLV
and with lightning repiolty toward the
northern wing, and some blundenng indi-
vidual seeing the rejecting of the hOlocsus
on the sky. turned in an alarm from box 81,
corner Of East Water and Division streets,
at $40 a. m, causing the loss of the work Of
one steamer for ten minutes of precious
time, just when the fire was its worst and
every window in the huge building lined
with shrieking humanity.
The multitude, which by this tune had
xvelled to thousands. stood in perfect awe,
bat few having self-possession and resolu~
1ion enough to lend q helping hand on the
canTases stretched out TO receive those of
the despairiDg inmates of the burning pyre,
who rfsked the leap down TO the stone side
walk, 100 feet below.
At first there were only Lieutenant Rock
wood. Detectives Riem and McManus, Of
ficers O'Bne1 and Campbell and few Senti-
mel men stretching the heavy canvas, which
required fully thirty strong men TO hardle