Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1883-01-17
A TERRIBLE FIRE.
The NeWhall House, Milwaukee,
Burned to the Ground.

appalling calamity which has occurred I!
here in the burning OF the Newhalf
House at four O'Clock this morning has
resulted in the loss of at least sixty
lives, while at least thirty are seriously
injured Although many hours have
elapsed since the great hotel fell in
blazing ruins, it is impossible to give
anything like a full list of the killed,
missing and injured In the confusion
even list of the saved is difficult to
obtain. The fire is believed. with some
good grounds. to he of incendlary
origin. The building has long been
known as death trap" The Fire
Department could effect little except IN
assisting to save life and preventing
the spread of the fire to neighboring
buildings.
THE FIRE.
Since the ill-fated steamer Lady
f gin carried its hundreds of passen
gers down to graves beneath the waters
of axe Michigan nothing like to-day's
scene of excitement has presented itself
upon the streets of Milwaukee. At
five minutes after four O'Clock this
morning a telephone message was re-
ce;ved at the Fire Department Head
quarters that the Newhall House was
on fire. Three minutes later an alarm
was turned in from box ID and four
minutes after the entire department
as summoned to the scene of destruc
tion Shortly before the Newhall
House alarm part of the Fire Depart
ment was called to a small fire. about
three miles distant, aud tefore the
engines were in working order the
hotel was one blazing pile. The fire
caught by the basement and shot with
lightning-like rapidity up the elevator
shaft, burst forth in terrific volume
from the roof, the flames spread out in
the different stories as they were reach
ed, and 10 few minutes after the first
alarm the h)or on the south end of the
building was n sea Of fire, all burning
at once
DEATH ABOVE AND DEATH BELOW.
Then began the terrible tragedy
Guests awakened from their sleep by
the terrible heat or the bursting of the
flames into their rooms were forced to
tie win -ows, where their heartre1ding
cries rang 10 the ears of the vast con-
course Of people gathered in the street
D Iwerless to render aid. Exit by way
Of the roof was cut off by the fire, and
the two stand pipes, with the fire lad
ders, were not available for the same
reason Men who in the daily walks
OF life have been accounted heartless
and unfeeling wrung their hands in
despair, running about utterly bewild-
cred, eAclaiming "My God My God +!
This is horrible J"
Then black object would appear on
the outside Of the window, driven out
by the smoke and flames. Piercing
screams would rend the air and heavy
thud would announce that human be-
ing had dropped from the dizzy height
to meet death on the pavement below.
At one time there were six persons
hanging from one window sill at the
fifth story, crying in agonizing tones
for the help that could not be rendered.
One after another they loosed their
grip and met their fate
A DESPERATE But VAIN EFFORT.
One man by letting himself down at
arms length from ffth'story window,
put his feet through the window below
and reached the fourth floor in safety.
The operation was repeated until the
third floor was reached each point
gained in his perilous descent being
greeted with encouraging cheers from
the bystanders AS he was putting his
feet through the top Of the second
story window his hands slipped from
the sill above, and, with wild shrek
Of despair, he fell backward, turning
over several times, and, striking the
povemcnt on bis head was mangled
beyond recognition.
JUMPS TO DEATH
Another man jumped from the fifth
story window. struck the telegraph
wires on Michigan street, bounded up
and came down mangled mass Of flesh
and bones. A number Of people drop
ped out Of tho different stories on the
jumping canvas, but in q majority of
cases they were killed outright or sus-
tanned injuries from which there is little
hope Of recovery.
During the progress Of the fire two
men appeared at q window in an upper
story and as they looked down upon
the scene below the floor Of the room
gave away and with an agonizing
shrek they fell backward into the
vortex of flames
TOGETHER IN DEATH.
Mr.. Allen johnson and his wife
sprang- from fifth story window He
was caught in the jumping canvas, but
sustained injuries from which he died
this morning. His wife struck on the
telegraph wires, bounded over and was
also caught, but was 80 badly injured
that she only survived her husband
aboct an hour.
SERVANTS DASHED TO PIECES.
" bile these horrors were happening
on the Broadway and the Michigan
sides Of the burning building still
greater was occurring in the alley at
the rsar. The servants quarters, where
eigbty-six Of them were lodged, were
in the northwest quarter Of the build
ing, remote from the place in which the
fire was raging; but all means Of escape
by the stairways were cut or by the
flames. Az the terrible roaring and
cracking Of the flames came TO their
ears they became panic stricken, and
eight Of them followed each other, leap
ing from the dizzy heights to the
ground in the alley The jumping
canvas was held for them, but it was
powcrless in the conflict with death
and was clotted over with the victims
blood.
THE HERO or THE FIRE.