The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-01-18
A Holocaust.
IN WHICH HUNDRED LIVES WERE LOST
FEARFUL CALAMITY.

t4t ~ IlUNDhED IlN LIS w ENE lItSI-A
FEARFUL CALAMITY.
On the morning of the 10th, the Newhall
House, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which cost
SIT 900, and was built in 1857, was burned to
the ground. There were 200 persons in the
building and some 1T were either roasted
to death, or SO badly burned, or injured by
jumping from the windows as to Gle. The
building was considered very insecure il case
of fire-its construction furnished very limited
means of and but for the extraordinary
exertions of the firemen many more would
have persisted than the report gives. Tom
Thumb and wife, and the Madison Square
Theatre Company were in the hotel, the latter
having arrived during the night preceding the
morning of the fire. The Minnie Palmer
troupe were also III the house. Mrs. John
Gilbert, of the last named company, married
only two days before, was burned to death in
sight of the multitude. Two fire companies
came from Chicago, a distance of 80 miles, in
an hours time.
The scenes at the morgue, where,at an early
hour, thirty two bodies were lying in CHASTITY
heap on the floor of small room,where heart
rending beyond human power of description
A strong police force was necessary to keep
the anxious inquirers in line. Mrs. John Gil
bert's body was positively identified Ii was
a touching scene to see the bride OF night
upon the cold marble floor, charred and bruised
with look OF anguish depicted on her deli
cate features. 1t is said she was Miss Sutton
of Chicago, before she married Gilbert, who is
inconsolable.
The fire department called for assistance
from the Soldiers Home; but General Sharp
refused to send the engine, at which there is
general Indignation. The iremen made super.
human efforts, and eleven waiter girls were
brought safely across the frail ladders stretched
over the alley from the sixth story of the hote
to the roof of the adjoining bank building
The Jumping cloth" did little service. About
dozen unfortunates attempted to jump, but
rebounded from the telegraph wires, perfect
mass of which surrounded the two fronts Of
the building. The appeals for aid were pit
eous, but little could be done.
ION Thumb got out through the front en-
trance, and his wife was brought down the fire
escape by fireman. W. III. Compton, the
Misses Herbert and Dunlap and w. L. Lavelle
of the Madison Square Company, arrived by
the midnight express, and the whole party,
only partially dressed, were saved by the fire
escape. The building has long been known
as death-trap, and it only required half an
hours time to completely envelop it in flames
Ben Hall, fireman, was crushed under the
large, heavy cornice, but was quickly got Out
from under the red-hot plates of galvanized
iron, seriously, but not fatally, hurt. In the
American Express Office Allan johnson and
wife lay stretched on the hard floor, evidently
dying tboth since dead). They were forced te
jump from window on the third floor.
Long after the flames had taken possession
of the interior, Miss Challis, head dressmakel
at T. A. Chapman & Co.'s, was seen at win
dow on the fourth floor. She was recognized
by friends below, and implored to leap upon
the canvas but she remained standing at the
window OF her burning room until the flames
enveloped her and she sank back, to be seen
no more. In three-quarterS of an hour from
the discovery of the fire the building was a
total loss A deed of heroism was recorded
worthy of unqualified praise. Ed. Rymer and
Herman Strauss, OF truck No. l, appeared on
the roof of the bank building at a critical
juncture, directly opposite the servants quar-
ter, ladder in hand. For a moment the I'M
Wieldy ladder was poised in midair, and then
descended with crash through window OF
the hotel. 1t formed a bridge across the alley
had crossed into the hotel. Then, amid the
cheers OF the multitude below, they dragged
the helpless creatures across the slender bridge
until fully dozen were rescued. All were ID
their night clothes, and many were badly fro
zen before reaching shelter. A woman in a
dead faint was dragged across in safety, but
at one time the whole of her body hung over
clear of the ladder, while brave man SHIELD
her by one ankle. The crowd below held their
breath in suspense, expecting every moment TO
see the ladder turn over or break beneath the
terrible strain. The man, however, was equal
to the emergency. By a herculean effort he
pulled her upon the slender bridge, and finally
placed her out of danger, while the crowd,
which had endured the most painful suspense
for several minutes, burst forth in round after
round of applause. Twelve water girls were
rescued by these men. The two brothers Clay
ton rescued four women, carrying them out
bodily. The police rescued dozen persons.
There is loud talk of ncendiarism, and in
this theory the ch1efand the police first on the
ground concur No tangible ground for such
theory can be found, however, beyond the
fact that the fire broke out near the foot of the
elevator, and spread so rapidly that the build
ing was destroyed in half an hour. Regard
ing the origin OF the fire, Mr.. Antisdel said .
THE night Waterman saw the fire first; but
UClOlO uC COulQ oily blluS ZIG HdllICo ouOt
up the elevator, igniting every door. l am
confident that the fire started in the elevator,
but how cannot say. | was awakened by
the noise, and rushed out TO find the building
filled with flames and smoke and people flying
for their lives. After saving my wife, tried
to save others. | met my father ard mother
in their night-clothes, and tried to get them to
leave the building, which was fast becoming
furnace of flames, but father was apparently
out OF his head. He said he was bound to go
into the flames to save those in the building,
but by force got him to the street, and being
afraid that if | let him go he would again enter
the flames, conducted him by force down
Michigan street. When near the alley some
one fell from the upper floor to the ground
few feet away, and caused him to become
frenzied."
A number of the rescued guests say the fire
started in the basement and went through the
elevator to all parts of the house before an
alarm could be given. A man employed in
the baking department, who arrived on the
scene about o'clock, states that at $50 he
passed to the third floor and assisted in res
cuing number OF dodgers. 1t is stated on
good authority that there was no fire in the
rear portion of the building, where there was
a wide flight of stairs, by means of which all
those quartered on the upper floors could have
escaped. However, the smoke was dense, and
those who were not sufocated lost their pres
ence of mind.
A Geographic account to the Cincinnati Com
nercsat Gazette, graphically describes some of
the scenes and incidents connected with the
awful calamity
The operators IN the train dispatcher's office
of the Chicago, Milwaukee and 81. Paul Rail-
road, in the Mitchell Building, had seen from
their quarters light smoke issuing from the
attics 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 front of the Newhall House was
one sea of flames. There were but few people
on the scene, the police and night reporters
and some belated stragglers for home, but the
scene developing before the horror-stricken
few Was one which none of the witnesses
will ever forget. In moment every window
of the large six STORY hotel structure was filled
with struggling guests, frantically and pit
eously beseeching the few below for aid which
was impossible to render. But few OF the I'M
fortunate inmates gained the front entrance
on Michigan street although many might have
been saved if some immediate attempts at a
systematic rescue had been made. The halls
OF the hotel were the scene of the widest con-
fusion. Men, women, and children rushed up
and down the halls in the dense, suffocating
smoke, avoiding the binding flames and roar
ing blaze, and in their frantic efforts rushing
by the stairways and windows leading to the
fire escape; stumbling over bodies lying I'M
conscious on the carpeted walks, only to Join
soon the many Frustrated forms whom kind
fate had touched with the dark wing of that
messenger of death, Inconsistencies.