The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1883-01-18
THRILLING EXPERIENCE.
A Guests story Of Ills Remarkable =
cape from the Newhall House.


A Guests story or His Remarkable Es-
cape from the Newhall House.
Perhaps the man who had the most ex-
citing experience in the Newhall House fire,
at Milwaukee,, Ii Mr. T. j Anderson. sales
man in the employ Of George H. TAYLOR h
Co, wholesale paper dealers, Chicago. I
sat on the window-sill Of my room,s said he,
.and | saw the flames take my bed, my
clothes, the floor sink IN the mass of flame
before escaped by sliding down the
rain-spout which ran along my VIM
dow. / had room Oh the corner
Of Michigan street and Broadway, on the
fourth floor. had played pool with Mr.. /.
A. Brown. Of Philadelphia. until nearly ]
o'clock In the morning, when went to bed
And, poor fellow saw him afterwards go
down to his death in the mass Of flame with
out being able 60 help him. y was rs AWFUL.
l walked W stairs to my room, as the clevn-
tor stopped running ut 1910. On my way up
/ met the only watchman the house en-
ploycd, ana asked him how could escape
In case of fire. He said easy enough. There
were two wavs-one by the back stairway,
Of hall 10 thu front. Browns room was OPP
posite to Mine went to bed after that,
and was awakened by the horrible shrieks
OF burning women and the gfoans Of burn
ing men It was hell itself, so terrible
seemed the sounds The flames were
cracking all around, and / opened the
door A great mass OF smoke and flame
rushed in, and became stified / was un-
able to again shut it and the smoke almost
killed me- had nothing on but gnuze
undershrt | felt my strength leaving me
| was choking sank to the floor !
altogether left me. gathered myself mp as
best could and made toward the window.
By desperate effort succeeded In getting
there sank again to the floor. But raj
lied and attempted to raise the window. II
was SO well balanced that 1t yielded at once
to fny puny effort and went up. | leaned
out and the fresh mir revived me.
was strengthened and consciousness re-
turned looked down below and saw the
firemen and police holding the canvas. They
shouted for me to jump on the telegraph
wires, hut refused. | saw the ladders up
against the building. | sat down on The
window sill and saw everything 90 down,
my clothes. valise, everything, unable TO
save thing. | shouted, begged, ! I'm
plored for those below to save ME They
saw me, hut gave me no helpS saw my
friend come from his room and attempt to
come to me through the mass Of flame, but
/ saw him go down in the vortex Of ilame to
his death OH such sight. II was
too horrible to imagine | saw the tin
sbout 1t was III part covered with Ice.
j
scenti it, and they landed in the Valley OF
Death They lost their hold and fell TO the
street below Ii was the only means of eS-
cape left / seized it with the frantic effort
OF despair Everything inside of my room
was gone caught it in n yise-like grasp
and commenced to slide. Sometimes slid
six to twelve feet and at others q few inches
Blu. kept going down using the ice made
by the hose as faothold and catch for my
hands. which are terrihl, hlistered Went
clean down to the cellar. fifteen feet below
the street but was alive and clad In only
saw two little girls standing in the window
Of the third story. nnd they asked me " save
them, hut ! WIS powcrless to give them aid
and had to see those innocents not over
/ years old swallowed up by the heartless
/ iiames l saw Kelsey. Tom Thumbs col
ored servant, 20 down with the walls He
was cinging to window-sill IN the NTH
story walked out to the front and went
upstairs To the Office where found wom-
mn who was tearing her hair. ] could not
Eec her face and did not know-who she was
spoke to her. Int she took no notice OF me.
| / Iseized her hv the ankles and dragged her
down bodily thus saving her life. l went
across 10 the express office where saw An
tisdel who was leaning over Mrs
johnson. He said: 1 am crazy. lou
rub this woman / want TO go and save my
children was in a position TO be rubbed
myself, being naked and chilly. said 70
fireman standing by: i have lost everything.
He said You're alive Pointing to a man
who was clinging from fifth-etory window,
he said: How would You like To change
places with him. Somebody gave me .
coat. and | walked in my bare feet four
blocks to the piankinton House. ! was
bes.i. myself. Tn the way met a woman
who threw shawl over me. and said, Here,
poor boy take that | cot clothing. such NJ
It was, from strangers ut the Plankinton
never want To 60 through such an experience