The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-01-11

ing in mates of the burning pyre who risled
the leap down to the stone sidewalk, one
hundred feet below.
At first there were only Lieutenant Rock
wood, Detectives Riem and McManus Officers
o. rien and Campbell, and a few sentinel
men stretching the heavy canvass, which re-
quired fully thirty strong men to handle
successfully. A poor fellow stood on the
cornice of the fifth story corner window for
twenty long minutes, not daring the fearful
leap; finally he became bewildered, to judge
by his actions, or dumbfounded by the
smoke and slid off his perch to the canvass
below. The few who held it could not give
it the necessary resistance, and the body fell,
unhindered by the canvass, with crash
which sent shudder through every witness.
The shattered body was carried
into the American Express office. All the
while hundreds of people had been looking
on, nobody responding to the demands OF
the officers for aid. Everybody seemed TO
be spellbound. The terrible spectacle
seemed to have paralyzed every bit of will
power. In the sixth-storv window, right
over this unfortunate, sat the figure OF man
crouched upon the window-sill, gazing like
one absent-minded into the fiery abyss be-
low. motlonless, but from time to time send
ing up heartrending shrek. Steadily the
flames encroaehed upon him; he did not
seem to mind it. The flames singed his hair,
licked his night-clothes; one despairing look
he gave to the crowd below, and then tum
woman appeared at window of the third
story. They were recognized Allen
Johnson and his wife. A canvass was
stretched below the windows of their apart
ment formerly occupied by Professor Hos
kings and lady, and thousand voices called,
beseeching them to jump. Mr. Johnson
kissed his wife, then leaped into the air and
shot downward into the canvass, but his
weight was such that the canvass was pulled
out of the hands of the few who held it, and
L / u.
His wife followed, but her body struck the
yerandah and fell to the ground lifeless.
Mr.. Allen died shortly afterward in the ex-
press office, and his dead body was laid be-
side that of his wife until they were borne
away. About a dozen jumped from the
Michigan-street front.
EACH LEAP MEANT DEATH
or shattered limbs, and not less than four I'M
fortunates at one time lay upon the icy side
walk in front of the Chamber of Commerce.
clad only in nightshirt, the blood and brains
oozing from the wounds through which the
bones protruded. Some were carried to the
express Office others to the ground floor of
the Mitchell building, where cots had been
hastily arranged, and from there they were
carried off to private houses of kind-hearted
people. The scene in the west of the burn
ing building was sickenng. AS early as 6
waiter-girls, once blooming in youth,
were stretched upon the snow and ice with
broken limbs, writhing with agony until
death ended their suffelngs. After almost
superhuman efforts, ladders were stretched
from the roof of the bank building across the
alley to the sixth story of the hotel The
brave fire laddes carried ten girls across the
frail bridge, four of them dead. The maze of
telegraph wires enclosing the building on the
south and east sides played sad havoc with
the unfortunates who made the frightful
leap for life. Several bodies were fairly cut
deep into by the wires and the torn
and bleeding forms would drop
to the ground. Others would hit the
wires crosswise, rebound and be hurled to
the ground with a dreadful crash. To the
poor, unfortunate waiter girls, all of whom
lodged in the sixth story and the attcs, the
saddest lot has fallen. Of the sixty young
girls, only eleven were heard from as alive
as late as yesterday evening. 1t is feared
that the estimate of fifty lives lost as formed
yesterday morning, is far, far too low and
we're burned or smothered to
police patrol soon commenced their dreadful
work of gathering up the dead and wounded
The former were taken to the morgue, which
was soon filled, and the latter were taken to
the Central Police Station where they were
cared for by physicians. From 5 o'clock the
interior of the building one mass of
flames, the upper floors soon giving way and
carrying the lower floor with them.
A laundering crash was heard for blocks,
and then the fire shot up fully fifty feet and
sent shower of sparks and cinders over the
whole northern portion of the city, carried
ahead by brisk southwesterly wind. Had it
not been for the thick coat of snow on the
roofs many building north of the hotel
would be mass of smoldering ruins to-day.
Long after the flames had ragged in the
ha n,al-a
at T. A Chapman & Co.. was seen at her
window on the fourth floor; she was
recognized by friends below and implored
tc make the leap upon the canvas,
but she remained standing at the window of
her burning room, until the flames enveloped
her, and she sank to be seen no more on
earth. In three-quarters of an hour after the
discovery of the fire, the building was total
loss; at $50 the Broadway front of the build
ing, unsupported by rafters within, gave out
and came laundering TO the pavement
Shortly after that the tottering walls OF the
southeast corner of the building followed,
tearing heavy telegraph pole to the ground,
which felled Ben Van Haag, OF the hook and
ladder company No 2 beneath its weight.
Poor Ben, favorite in the department. re-
ceived fatal injuries. He died in a few hours
after, faithful TO his post unto death. Chief
Lippert had telegraphed to Chicago and
Racine for help, also to the Soldiers Home
for the steamer of that institution. General
Sharpe governor of the Soldiers Home failed
to comply with the request. Chicago and
Racine responded at once. Three steamers
left Chicago at $50 A Mos. 5, 10 and n
together with two men each from companies |
1, 2 and 3 and 1000 yards additional hose
At Highland Park, about twenty-five miles |
north of Chicago, the relief train was coun
fernandez by Chief Lippert, the fire having
done its worst in destroying the Newhall
House, and being under control as far as
surrounding establishments were concerned
The Racine relief train was also counter
manded. When it became known among the
merchants gathered in front of the Chamber
of Commerce that General Sharpe had not
sent the Soldiers Home engines remarks not
Il - L..