Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-01-18

WINE events IN the rear building were
of far more ugly character, The
hotel. which is six stories in height,
fronts on the west of Fourth street
from Chestnut to Pine; while a wing
runs back from Chestnut and Pine
streets to the debth of half a block.
Thus the main building forms three
sides of a rectangle. The fourth
side is formed by four story building
forty years old, midway Of which on
floor is the boiler-room above referred
to, and the kitchen on the floor above
it. The two upper floors were occu-
pied by the help of the house, some
seventy-fve in number. Alongside Of
the boiler room a narrow stairway ris-
es and winds to the roof. The fire
which started very close to this stair
way was carried up to the roof by the
draft in the stairway and thus not on
ly cut off escape by that means but
also formed barrier which prevented
the men sleeping in the south half of
the building from reaching another
stairway at the north end. Hence,
these unfortunates, almost smothered
by smoke, were compelled to climb
out of the room on frame structure
which abutted over the alley and
thence either to jump or lower them
selves by means Of a pulley, rugged
there for hosting supplies One poor
fellow was seen to start down the
stairway before fire reached the third
floor and an hour later his crisp corp Sc
was found in the kitchen near the
foot Of the stairs. Another employe
who although answering to a call seems
to have been too much Supplied by
smoke to get up, for two hours after
ward his dead body was found on the
smoking mattress of his bed The
female help ali escaped by the stair
way at the north end save one, who
broke her ankle in jumping to the roof
of shed, The fremen made a grand
fight and hose was carried through the
walls of smoke right to where the
FLAMES WERE RAVING.
Notwithstanding the infammable ma
ture of the building they succeeded in
preventing the fire from extend
ing beyond twenty feet from the point
of origin, but in that space it burned
clear through the roof destroying about
ten rooms. The balance of the rear
building was made uninhabitable by
water, but the hotel proper did not
suffer to any extent. The fire, how
ever, crossed the alley, to the furni-
/ ture wareFooms, where the fremen
had another fierce but short fight.
! The damage to the hotel property
is about $40, 900, and to the auction
firm about $40, 1000 all covered by in
surance. This evening workmen en-
gagged in clearing away the debris
found the charred body Of a man a
mid the broken Jimbers at the foot OF
the stairway on the basement floor. Il
proved to be Henry Blanney, an en-
ploye over 60 years old. The other
dead men are Carl Debole, a scullion
and Dennis Repoate, a carver. The
hotel is very substantial structure well
provided with fire escapes and stair,
ways remote from each other and even
had the fire invaded it the progress
would have been slow. There were
two fremen in the building. The
origin of the fire is unknown. The
Planters House was for quarter OF
a century the best known hotel in the
West, and its fame was extended by
Chas. Dickens American notes.
To-day's Sentinel reports only four
bodies found during the search or
Wednesday, and Geo. Scheller has
been taken from the Milwaukee Jail tc
some unknown place by the proper
officers, for safe keeping