Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1883-01-11

| uipOoNeIl VI tue ute tne DullulUE wa
total loss, At $50 o'clock tn
Broadway front # the building, un
supported by rafters from within, CAV,
out and came laundering to the pave
ment. Shortly after that the tot
tering walls of tn, southeas
corner of the building fol
lowed, tearing q heavy telegraph
pole to the ground, which felled Ber
Van Hsgg, truckmsn of the hook ant
ladder company No. 2, beneath itI
weight. Poor Ben, a favorite In tn,
department, received fatal injuries
He died Ina few hours after, faithful
to hts post until death. Chief Lippert
had telegrsphed to Chicago and r ,cin,
for help, also TO the soldier home foi
the steamer of that institution. Gen.
Sharpe, governor of the soldiers home,
failed TO reply. Chicago and Racine
responded at once. Three steamers
left Chicago at 5:50. AT Highland
park, about twenty-five miles north of
Chicago ne relief train was counter
mandeo Chief Lippert. The fire
having its sway in destroying the
Newha rouse, and being under con-
troll as as surrounding establish
ments 70 concerned. The Racine
relief l. IN was also countermanded.
When became known among the
merchaIos gathered In front of tho
chamber of commerce that Gen.
Sharpe nd not sent the soldiers kome
engines, remarks not exactly in the
Lord Chesterfield style could be heard
on all sides.
DEEDS OF HERoISM
recorded are worthy of unqualified
praise. @. A. Ryemer and Herman
Strauss, of truck 1, appeared on the
roof of the bank building at critical
juncture, directly opposite the ser
wants quarters, ladder in hand. For
moment the unwieldy thing poised
In mid air, and then descended with
crash through u window of the hotel.
1t formed bridge acress the alley,
and before it became steady In posi.
ton the men had crossed Into the no.
tel. Then, amid the cheers of the
multitude below, they dragged the
helpless creatures across the slender
bridge until fully q dozen were res
oued, all of them in night clothes.
Many were badly frozen before taken
to shelter. A woman In bead faint,
unable to help herself,
WAS DRAGGED ACROSS IN SAFETY,
but at one time the whole of her body
was hanging over clear of the ladder,
while the brave man held her by one
of her ankles. The crowd below held
their breath In suspense, expecting
every moment to 500 the ladder turn
over or break beneath the terrible
strain. The man, however, was equal
to the emergency, and by hercule-
an effort pulled her upon the slen-
der bridge, and finally placed her out
of danger, while the crowd, which had
endured most painful suspense for
fully ten minutes, burst forth in round
after round of applause. Twelve poor
waiter girls were rescued by these
brave men. The two Clayton brothers
rescued four women carrying them out
bodily. The police rescued dozon
persons, There is loud talk of incen-
diarisIn, In which the chief concurs;
also the polcs, who were Grst on the
grouni, No ,snalhis ground can be
foand Sor u.o.s' i,gispi. hagpsd break
ing out neas tilo ssItjui s15 aseyssyr
and spreading ~ rsplSiy shAt the
building was destroyed ia half an
heur. Regarding g.
THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRE.
Antiadel said. "The night watcbman
saw the fire fl .st, but before he could
do anything tho flames shot up The
elevator, burning on every floor. am
confident that the ire started In the
elevator, but how it originated cam
not say. / was awakened by the
noise, and rushed out to find the
building filled with flames and smoke
and the people flying for their livec.
After saving my wife / tried to save
others. l met father and mother in
night clothes, and tried TO get them
to leave the building, which WAS fast
becoming u furnace of flames, bu.
father was apparently out OF his
head. He said he was bound to 60
into the flames to gave those In
the building, but by force l got HIM
TO the street, and bsing afraid that ii
/ let him go he would again enter the
flames, / conducted him by force down
Michigan street, and when near the
alley some one from the'upper floor fell
to the ground, few feet awy, and
cause ed him to become frenzied." A
number Of the rtscued guests say the
fire
| STARTED IN THE BASEMENT,
and went through the elevator to al
parts before the alarm could be glvon.
A man employed in the baking de-
parement, who arrived on the scene
about o'clock, states that at 1870 he
passed to the third floor aud assisted
In rescuirg p number Of lodgers. L
is stated on good authority that thoro
was no fire in the roar portion OF the
building, whore there was a wide pGi.
of stairs by means of which all thos;
q1ar5ered on the upper floors could
nave made their escape. However
the smoke was dense, and those wh'
we're not sutfocated lost presence o
mind.
THE FLIGHT OF ACTORS,
w. Ii. Crompton, tho Old Roger
in "E,merada" of the Madison Sauar
theater company, together with Mia
Herbert, Mias Dunlap and A. Layalie
arrived in the city at midnight express
from Waukegan, and went to tn
Newhall house. Nj. Crompton ha'
room 3l9, and Miss Herbert the on
adjoining. The first he knew was a.
indistinct sense of the torrible nois
outside. Before he could fully realiz
what was going on, he was startled b.
/ kuocks of Miss Herbert at the foldini