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

utes, burst forth in round after round of APP
plause. Twelve poor waiter girls were res
cued by these brave men. Two brothers
named Clayton rescued four women, carry
ing them bodily out The police rescued
dozen persons There is loud talk of in
cendiarism, in which the chief
concurs, also the police who were first
on the ground. No tangible ground can be
given for the theory beyond the breaking
out near the foot of the elevator and spread
ing so rapidly that the building was de-
stroyed in half an hour. Regarding the orr
gin of the fire, A, N. Tisdell said THE
night Waterman saw the fire first, but
before he could do anything the flames shot
up the elevator. burning on every floor. I
am confident it started in the elevator, but
how it originated | cannot say.
l was awakened by a noise, rushed
out to find the building filled with flames
and smoke and people flying for their lives,
after saving my wife | tried to save the
Others. l met father and mother in their
night clothes and tried to get them to leave
the building, which was fast becoming a
furnace of flames, but father was apparently
out of his head, and said he was bound to go
into the flames to save those in the building
but by force l got him to the street, and
being afraid if left him go he would again
enter the building, | conducted him by force
down Michigan avenue, and when near the
alley some one fell from the upper floor to
to become frenzied A number of rescued
guests say the fire started in the basement
and went through the elevator in all parts
before the alarm could be given. A man
employed in the cooking department
arrived on the scene about 4 o'clock.
He states that at $50 he passed to
the third floor and assisted in rescuing
a 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 pair of stairs, by means of which all
those quartered on the upper floors could
have made their escape However, the
smoke was so dense that those who were not
sutfocated lost their presence of mind.
W. III. Champion, the Old Rogers in ''Es-
merelda" of the Madison-square Theater
Company; Miss Herbert, Miss Dunlap and
w. A. Lovelle arrived on the midnight ex-
press from Waukegan, and went to the
house. Crompton had room No. 319, and
Miss Herbert adjoining. The first he knew
was an indistinct sense of a terrible noise
outside. Before he fully realized what
was going on he was startled by
the knocks of Miss Herbert at the folding
doors between the two rooms He unlocked
it, and she came in at once. Her apartment
was so full of smoke that it was not thought
safe to return. Both started for fire escape
Champion managed to throw on some
clothes, but Miss Herbert had no time to
save anything, Mr.. Champion carrying her
down with nothing on but her night
dress A hack passing near was brought
down, and Miss Herbert was carried to
to Colllns's boarding-housse. Miss Dunlap
and Mr.. Lavelle escaped in a similar way,
but were more fortunate in both getting par
TALLY dressed. One of the most trying scenes
incident to the fire was witnessed at the
morgue. At o'clock fifteen bodies were
laid upon the marble slabs and floor; the al
lotted space was too small to accom-
modate them all, and one of the first bodies
recognized was that of Mrs. John Gilbert,
the wife of Mr.. Gilbert, of the Minnie Pal
mer Company. They were married yester-
day at Chicago, and the bride of a night lay
upon the cold marble, charred and bruised
almost beyond recognition. 1t is said
she was Miss Sutton, of Chicago. The
Minnie Palmer Company and Tom
Thumb Company have cancelled their
engagements at the Opera-house and AGA
DENY of Music, owing to the death of men,
bers of their companies. William f. Cramer,
editor of the Evening Wisconsin, and wife,
who had rooms on TIE second floor, received
serious but not fatal injuries, and he is
now under medical care at the Plankin-
ton. Mr.. Cramer was badly burned about
hands and head. Mrs Cramer's hair was
badly burned, as were also her hands and
feet. The following is the story of a
HAIR-BREADTH ESCAPE
from terrible death, related by Lizzie Aug
land, one of the dining-room girls She
awoke and heard a noise about clock A.
NJ. She awakened her room mate, Mollie
Corners, and the two girls hastily
dressed and attempted to descend by the
stairway only to find themselves facing
sheet OF Hames Miss Corners was terribly
frightened, and screamed out, MY God,
Lizzie we can't get through there" Lizzie
replied, 1--WE must get through or perish"
With this Lizzie rushed through the flames
and succeeded in reaching the
office door where she fell in
sensible. She was terribly burned
about the neck and lower portion of her face,
arms, and limbs between the feet and knees.
Her injuries, though severe, are not fatal,
and she is cared for at the Axtell House.
From Miss Augland, the fate of Mollie Con-
ners is learned. She says that when she
started through the flames, she turned to see if
Mollie was coming, and saw her fall on the
stairway. This leaves no doubt that Mollie
Corners persisted in the burning building.
Another escape to be recorded is that of
a man whose name could not be
learned, who was seen swinging himself
from the fifth floor of the burning building
until his feet touched the window below.
Kicking in the window he dropped and
grabbed the sash, this being repeated until
he reached the balcony, from which he was
rescued with his hands severely cut.
1t is reported on the street that there were
$50 guests in the house last night. If
this be true, the horrors that will be re-
vealed by the removal of the debris
will be dreadful to contemplate. The New
hall was known to every traveller in the
Northwest and every person in Milwaukee
who had resided there for a year
or two as fire trap OF
the worst description, and while
horror and sympathy are expressed on all
sides at the dreadful catastrophe wonder
also prevails to as great an extent that any
travellers or residents could be found to take
up their abode within its walls
1t should have been condemned long ago,
and probably would have been if
it had been different and
smaller establishment and had been
the property of less wealthy
and important personages. A citizens meet