Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-01-17
TERRIBLE FIRE.
Total Destruction of the kewhaII House,
Milwaukee, Wis.,, with Great
Loss Of Life.
LISTS OF THE DEAD AND KISSING,

(from the Evening Wisconsin, JANUARY l0.]
The Newhall House to-day is moul.
derlng mass of ruins. A few minutes
after 4 o'clock this morning the opera.
tors in the st. Paul train dispatcher's
office i'll the Michel building, across
Michigan Street from the Newhall
House, saw smoke issuing from the
building, out scarcely noticed it, think
ing that it was from some of the CHM
neys. They looked out to see where the
fire was, an alarm having just been
turned in from box 439, corner of VIiet
and Eighteenth Streets, where there was
an incipleut fire of some kind. They
were gteatly astounded few minutes
sattef to hear n general alarm and al
most at tbs sans time sea flames
issuing from the NewhaIl w1ndovs,
apparently about half way up.
Tho alarm was turned in from box
Is, and people who ale posted about
the fire alarm system knew that it meant
the Newhall WAS on fire. The fire
spread with such rapidity that by 5
O'Clock the whole interior of the build
lug was one mass of Kissing flames.
The flames bust from the windows on
all sides OF the house and the water
thrown on the burning mass seemed
only to add fuel to the flames. About
, o'clock part OF the west wall tottered
and fell with a crash. A few minutes
later the whole front and the greater
part OF the wall on Michigan Street,
tumblea to the ground, making terri
tic noise. \ vast cloud Of red hot ashes,
burning brands, cinders and smoke
arose, completely hiding from view the
ruins for a perio>. of four or five min
utes. Then, when this cloud had passed
away, there was nothingle left Of the hand
some Newhall except the north wall,
portlo!,s OF the west and one corner of
the south wall.
The scene was an awful one. The mad
flames were le..ping from the windows
and spread with most wonderful rapid
ity. There WAS a crash and Jam IN the
streets INSTANTLY, putting engines arriv-
ing, ho1ses wildly prancing us the hose
ears alts supply wagons drew mp in the
vicinity, and above all could be heard
The screams OF the frightened guests
who Wcrn making their appearance in
their al ,ht clothes at the windows on all
Il the i'corS, Ia the building every
body = till2i frantic with horror. Ago
;lZtI shrlc"s Ut women a,.t children
'alIly rent the air. PecIic were mally
rushing toward the exits, dense smoke
that suon filed tllt, house from top to
bottom rendering It almost impos-
slhe t. see what vas going on.
Che fire burned SO rapidly that
,a,{np ~ IA,
the alarm was turned in, the whole
building appeared to be enveloped in
flames. Such guests as We're awakened
as soon as the fire was discovered, were
hurried out of the main entrance on
Broadway, and the side entrance on
Michigan Street. They We're placed in
hacks, sleighs aud other vehicles that
CHANGED to be handy and removed to diff
terent places Of safety. Many were taken
direct to the Plankinton House. Those
who were killed outright by jumping
from the 'ull((ipg were taken to stores
near by. to the American Express office,
Mitchell Building, Stanley {, Camps
store, the old dime museum building on
East Water Street, and several of the
bodies were early removed to the
murgy.e.
On the south side of the building and
IL the alley on the west side, there were
the ulo>t heartrending scenes. Men,
women and children appeared at the
windows, vain y beseeching aid from the
crowd below. The waiter girls jumped
from the upper floor. the most OF them
landing in the alley. Seven bodies were
taken out Of the alley at one time. A
rescue party held sheets of canvas and
many jumped from the windows ard
were thus saved. y number missed the
''utstl etched canvas and wera dashed to
death on the pavement A number of
people were seen to tumble out of the
windows in an apparently insensible con-
dltlon. Many women and children
ialtted as they were being removed.
\ scene Of terror reigned during the
whole time the building was burning.
lie wild heartre nding shrieks of women
and the means OF men were heard as
they were taken from different portions
Of the building. The servant girls were
cut oft from all escape when they dis.
covered that the honse was in flames.
I heir screams could plainly be heard by
the people on Alicbi oan Street and the
scene when they began leaping from the.
top windows, about one hundred feet
from the ground. was terrible. Fathers
Kcogh, McGiIl and Smith, and mary
other Of the city clergy, arrived on the
scene at any early hour and busted
themselves administering words of COM
fort t. the dying and MANNED and doing
all that they could 10 alleviate their suf-
ieriug.
THE LAST EARTHLY CAREss.
One OF tue saddest cases Is that Of
Allen johnson and wife. They lad
rooms on the third floor and like the
rest We're driven to the windows. The
men below who held the canvas at the
southeast corner of the building, inc]ud-
Jog Detectives Riemer and McManus,
Lieut.. lockwood, Officer Paikowski,
Roundsman Sullivan, and others,
shouted for him to jump. MIR. John
son kissed his wife, then leapea into the
air, shot downward into the canvas,
:'nt his weight was such that the
canvas was pulled out of the mems
bands and he aIighted on the ground
with fearful force His wife fol-
lowed and struck the veranda. Both
were carried into the American Express
office. Mrs. Johnson was dead and Mr..
johnson died IL the express Office soon af-
ter, his head being held by VIM. Dods-
worth, who gave him his last drink of
water. The bodies we're then taken to
The electric bathrooms at the corner of
Jefferson and Mason Street. but that
subtle current had no effect, life having
gone out too long before. This was the
most affecting scene Of this terrible hol-
ocaust.
FORMER CAPITALlsT.
Thomas E. Van Loon, noticed in the
dead column, is former Albany, n. Y,
ca pitaiist, and bad for eight years resld.
ed with A. E. Foote, in Milwaukee. Re-
Gently Mr.. Foote broke up house keep.
ing and Mr.. Van Loon engaged rooms at
the NewhalI. He was 62 years of age
and was very wealthy.
ESCAPED THE FLAMES.
Mr.. and. Mrs. VIM. E. Cramer occu-
pied rooms On the second hoor, corner
Of Broadway and Michigan Streets, near
the stairway aud elevator. They es.
caped with their lives bnt are both "a,