Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-01-18
Incidents and Descriptions as
Related by Eye Witnesses at
the Burning of the New
hall House in Mil
Waukee.

AS everyone is deeply Interested In
the general news relating to the burn
ing of the Newhall House in Milwau-
kee last week, we have given particu-
lar attention to gathering items Of
interest in regard to the same.
JOHN c. CLARKE.
John G. Clarke, Of Wausau, has
recovered from the effects of the New
hall House fire, but confesses to have
had an experience that all the wealth
of the Indies would not induce him to
pass through again.
JOHN P. STEVENS ESCAPE.
No mention has as yet been made of
John 2. Stevens, travelling salesman
Of Macmillan, Parker & Co., Boston,
Mass, who stopped at the Newhall
House during the night CT the fire.
1t was supposed by several clothing
merchants in this city, who had dealt
with him and who knew where he
stopped, that he had persisted in the
flames. 1t now appears that he escap-
ed, saving his sample case and his
clothes. He occupied one Of the par
loEs on the Office floor, and was there
fore awakened as soon as the alarm
had been given. Mr.. Stevens also
rescued lady whom he found in one
of the Railways and who was faint
with sufocation. He called at the
store Of Zimmerman Bros. at 6
o'clock on the morning of the fire and
then departed for the East.
INCIDENTS.
In connection with the Newhall fire
a sad yet romantic chapter is given of
The life Of John Gilbert and his lovely
bride. Previous to marrying Mr..
Gilbert Miss Sutton was engaged to
Louisville gentleman by the name of
Porteous, who went to her home in
Canada at the appointed time to marry
her, but when there found that she no
longer loved him but had given her,
affection to an actor. This new rev.
olatlon produced change in ME Por-
teous, affections and he found himself
enamorcd with her only sister, whom
he soon after married, and with his
bride went back to Louisville. His
first afianced, no longer fettered by an
engagement with him, soon after went
to her new found love and they were
married in Chicago Tuesday morning
previous to the Newhall fire, which
occurred Wednesday morning, and
at once took the train for Milwau kee
where they engaged rooms in the i'll
fated hotel They were awakened
after the fire had got we'll under way
and it is said that both might have
been saved had it not been for the
determined way in which they chung
together. At last driven to despair
Mr.. Gilbert with his bride in his arms,
jumped from the third story window.
+ She was instantly killed and he serious
~ injured. The body of the dead one,
who is spoken of in the highest of
terms as of a lovely, sparkling dispo-
sitiOn. bright and beautiful. was taken
to the Morgue Mr.. and Mrs. Porteo-
us heard Of the disaster, and seeing the
name of Mrs John Gilbert among the
dead suspected the worse and came on
to Milwaukee, where their worst con-
lectures were confirmed when they
visited the Morgue and found the re-
mains of the one they had both loved
so we'll
Eleven more bodies were found dur
ing the day on Tuesday, being those
of ladies, with one or two exceptions
Supposed to be the hired girls, employ
ed in the house. They were found all
In heap, the remains of most of them
almost beyond recognition. Some
bodies were so badly burned that only
the trunk was left, the head and feet
having feen burned to ashes. 1t is
horrible to relate and more SO to
see these sights.
ORIGIN OF THE FIRE.
NJ. S. O'Brien, who was for some
time commercial editor OF the Even
ing Wisconsin of this city, has been