The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-02-02
A Thrilling Incident Of the Milwaukee,
Horror.

A Thrilling Incident Of the Milwaukee
Horror.
Perhaps the man who had the most
exciting experience in the Newhall House
fire is Mr. T. J. Anderson, of this city,
who resides at the Palmer. He is EN-.
ployed as salesman by Messrs. George
H. TAYLOR & Co., the wholesale paper
dealers, on Monroe Street. He arrived
home last evening and q Tribune re-
porter saw him at the Palmer. 81 sat
on the window-sill of nv room," said
he, land saw the flames take my bed.
NV clothes, the floor sink in the mass Of
flame before escaped by sliding down
the rain-spout which ran along my win
dow. 1 had a room on the corner OF
Michigan Street and Broadway, on the
fourth floor. I had played pool with
Mr.. L. A. Brown. of Philadelphia, until
nearly one o'clock in the morning, when
l went to bed. And, poor fellow, saw
him afterwards 90 down to his death in
the mass of flame without being able to
help him. 1t was awful! walked up
stairs to my room, as the elevator stopped
running at 1880. On my way up met
the only Waterman the house employed,
and asked him how / could escape in
case of fire. He said easy enough.
There were two ways-one by the back
stairway and the other by going through
labyrinth of hall to the front. Browns
room was opposite to mine. went to
bed after that and 1 was awakened by
the horrible shrieks of burning women
and the groans of burning men. 1t was
hell itself, so terrible seemed the sounds.
The flames were cackling all around,
and opened the door. A great mass
of smoke and flame rushed in and / be.
came stifed. 1 was unable to again
shut it and the smoke almost killed me.
1 had nothing on but gauze under.
shirt. felt my strength leaving me
| was choking. l sank TO the floor.
| thought l was gone. But my senses
had not altogether left me. gathered
myself up as best could and made to-
wards the window. BY desperate
effort 1 succeeded in getting there. ]
sank again to the floor. But l rallied
and attempted to raise the window. II
was so well balanced that it yielded at
once to my puny effort and went up. ]
leaned out and the fresh air revived me.
l was strengthened and consciousness
returned. I looked down below and
saw the firemen and police holding the
canvas. They shouted for me to jump
OH the telegraph wires but refused. ]
saw the ladders up against the building.
sat down on the window-sill and saw
everything 60 down, my clothes, valise,
everything. unable to save thing.
begged, 1 implored for those below to
save me. They saw me, but gave me
no help. saw my friend come from
his room and attempt to come to me
through the mass of fame, but 1 saw
him 60 down in the vortex of flame to
his death, o. such sight! 1t was too
horrible to imagine. saw the tin spout.
1t was in part covered with ice. Three
women and one man had tried to de.
scend it, and they landed in the Valley Of
Death. They lost their hold and fell to |
the street below. 1t was the only means
of escape left. l seized it with the
frantic effort of despair. Everything
inside of my room was gone. / caught |
it in vice-like grasp and commenced |
to slide. Sometimes l slid six to twelve |
feet and at others a few inches. But
kept going down, using the ice made by
the hose as foothold and catch for
my hands, which you see are terribly
blistered. went clean down to the
cellar. fifteen feet below the street,
but was alive and clad in only
my gauze undershirt. On my way down
l saw two little girls standing in the
window of the third story, and they
asked me to save them, but was power.
less to give them aid, and l had to see
those innocents not over six years old
swallowed up by the heartless flames.
[ saw Kelsey, Tom Thumbs colored
servant, 60 down with the walls. He
was clinging to a window-sill in the fifth
story. / walked out to the front and
went upstairs into the Office, where ]
found woman who was tearing her
hair. l could not see her face and did
not know who she was. Ispoke to her,
hut she took no notice of me. l seized
FER by the ankles and dragged her down
bodily, thus saving her life. l went
across to the express office, where saw
Antisdel, who was leaning over Mrs.
Johnson. He said: Il am crazy. You
rub this woman, want to go and save
my children Twas in a position to be
-ubbed myself, being naked and chilly.
said to a fireman standing by: i have
ost everything He said: You're alive
Pointing to a man who was clinging
rom a fifth-story window, he said:
How would you like to change places
With him?' Somebody gave me coat,
md 1 walked in my bare feet four blocks
o the Plankinton House. was beside
myself. On the way 1 met woman
Who threw q shawl over me. and said:
Here, poor boy, take that l got cloth
ng, such as it was, from strangers at the
'lankinton. came here to-day, and
Ir. Taylor fltted me out at his own ex.
'ense. 1 never want to 60 through such
n experience again. "-Chicago Trib-
me.
Anthracite Coal