The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-01-13


police and night repOI ters and some be-
lated stragglers for home, but the scene
developing before the horror stricken
few was one which none of them will
ever forget. In moment every window
Of the large six story structure was
filled with
STRUGGLING GUESTS
frantically and piteOusly beseeching the
few below for aid, which was impossible
to render. But few of the unfortunate
inmates gained the front entrance on
Michigan street, although many might
have been saved If some immediate at
tempts at systematic rescue had been
made. The halls of the hotel were the
scenes of the widest confusion. Men,
women and children rushed up and down
in the dense, suffOcating smoke, avoid
ing the binding flames and roaring
blaze, and in their frantic efforts, run
ming by the stairways and windows
leading to the fire-escapes, stumbling
over DOdies lying unconscious on the
carpeted walks, only to join soon the
many Frustrated forms whom kind fate
had touched with the dark wings Of that
messenger of death-uneOnsciOus
THE FIRE STARTED
apparently on the third floor of the
doomed building over the entrance on
Michigan street, and before the depart
ment got the steamer fairly in position
flames had enVelOped the whole south
east corner of the building, the frey ele-
ment licking its way greedily and with
lightning rapidity towards the northern
wing. Some blundeTing individual see
ing the reflection Of the holocaust in the
sky, turned in an alarm from box 81,
corner of Eastwater and Division streets,
at $50 a. m, causing the loss of the
work Of one steamer for ten minutes of
precious time, just when the FIRE was at
its worst and every window in the huge
building was lined with shrieking hu-
manity. The multitude, which by this
time had swelled to thousands, stood in
perfect awe, but few having self-pOs-
session and resolution enough to lend a
helOing hand on the canVasses stretched
out to receive those of the despairing
inmates of the burning pyre who risked
the leap down to the stone sidewalk, one
hundred feet below. AZ first there were
only Lieut.. ROckwOOds, Detectives Rie-
man and McManus, Officers O'Bried and
Campbell, few sentinel men stretch
ing the heavy canvass which required
fully thirty-hVe strong men to handle
successfully. A poor fellow stOOn on the
cOrnice Of the fifth story corner window
for twenty long minutes, not daring the
fearful leap. Finally he became bewil-
dered, to judge from his actions, or
dumbfOunded by smoke, and slid off his
perch to the canvass below. The few
who held it could not give it the neces-
sary resistance. The body fell unhin-
dered by the canvass with crash which
sent a shudder through every witness
The shattered body was carried into the
American Express office. lAll the while
hundreds of people had been looking on,
nobody responding to the demands of
officers for aid. Everybody seemed to
be spellbOund.
THE TERRIBLE SPECTACLE
seemed to have paralyzed every bit of
will power. In the sixth story window,
right over this unfortunate, sat the fig
ure of man cfOuched upon window
sill gazing like one absent-minded into
the fiery abyss below, mOtiOnless, but
from time to time sending up heart
rending shrek. Steadily the flames en-
crOached him. He did not seem to mind
it. Then the flames singed his hair,
licked his night clothes. One despair
ing look he gave to the crowd below,
and then tumbled back into the sea of
fire. A man and woman appeared at
a window Of the third story. They were
recognized as Allen Johnson and his
wife. A canvass was stretched below
the windows of their apartment, former
ly occupied by Prof. Hackings and lady
and thousand voices called, beseech-
ing 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 1t and he alighted on the
| ground. His wife followed. Her body
struck the Veranda and fell to the
ground lifeless. Mr.. Allen died shortly
afterwards, and his dead body was laid
| beside 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 unfOrtunates al
one time lay upon the sidewalk in front
of the Chamber of Commerce, clad only
in their night shirts, blood and brains
| OOZing from 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. From there
they were carried off to private houses
Of kind hearted people.
THE SCENE IN THE ALLEY
west of the burning building was sick
ening. AS early as six o'clock the bodies
of seven unfortunate waiter girls
blooming In youth, were stretched upon
| the snow and ice, with broken limbs
writhing in agony until death ended
their sufferings. After almost super
human efforts ladders were stretched
from the roof of the bank building
across the alley to the sixth story Of thu
hotel, and the brave laddies carried ter
girls across the frail bridge, four o.
| them dead. The maze Of telegraph wirI
encircling the building on the sOutl
and east sides playee sad havoc
with the unfortunates who made
the frightful leap for life. Severa
of the bodies were fairly cut deeI
in two of the wires, and then thu
torn and bleeding forms would drop tx
the ground. Others would hit the wire
crosswise, and rebound and be hurled
to the ground with a dreadful crash
To the poor unfortunate waiter girls, al
lodged in the sixth story and the attics
the saddest lot has fallen, OF the sixt.
young girls only eleven were hearl
from as alive as late as yesterday eve
ming.
PROBABLY ONE HUNDRED LIVES LOST.
1t is feared that the estimate of fift,
lives lost, as formed yesterday morning
is far too low, and that fully double tina
number were burned OF smOthered t
death in the blazing pyre.
The police patrol soon commence,