Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-01-12

was started IN barrel o.
tindor which stood in the hall, on the frs
floor, against the elevator. This time also
the house had a narrow escape. The next
time a hole was torn through the plaster
in the wall at the bottom of the elevator
and mass OF infammable stuff inserted
which was fred and only extinguished with
the greatest difficulty. Still another time
fire was started near the bar room, on
the first floor adjacent TO the west side OF
the elevator shaft. These all had
UNDoUBTED INcENDIARY ORIGIN
and started at night, also near the elevator
so as TO preclude any idea of saving the
house. But each time luck held sway and
The bIazes were blighted. With each re-
curing fire regular boarders would say
] some one had a spite against the building
and would yet burn it. They would
avow their intentions of leaving,
but as time would elapse
such ideas would be erased, only to recur
with another attempt to burn the building.
This time the fire fiend was successful. The
building was lily constructed. Only few
weeks ago fire ignited in G. A. Hendees'
room from bad CRATE and burned consid-
erably before being put out. This was
supplemented by another slight fire in Mr..
Hendees' quarters last week, but no special
damage was done.
The morgue continues to attract hun
dreds of curious spectators, all day long
the sidewalk in front of the building
having been crowded with eager throngs
of people. Three bodies remain at the
morgue. That of Ottie Waltersdorf, eight
cen years of age, an employe of the ILL
fated hotel, has been fully identified
by brother residing in this
city. A young Irish girl
supposed to be Nora Flanagan, waiter.
She was recognized by Mary Hardy, of the
Plankington house, bat the lady could not
positively swear to her identity. The body
of an elderly woman, apparently of Irish
nationality and about forty-fve years of
age, is as yet unidentified. The floor of
the morgue presents sickening sight,
covered with masses of clotted
blood and hair and remnants OF
the clothing of the poor victims. A Ger
man woman almost PROSTATE with grief
and despair, accompanied by her daughter,
came to the morgue this morning looking
for the body of her daughter, Anna Berger
man who was employed at the Newhall
washing paint work. Looking at the
bodies, the old woman wrung her hands in
anguish, exclaiming, "Mine God, mine
God, it is NIGHT, it is nicht. Mine
poor girl, she is not here" The
sister Immediately recognized Ottie Wal
tersdOrf as a room mate of the missing
girl. A widow lady, living on East Water
street, between Martin and Johnson streets,
vainly sought for the body of her daughter,
Martha Slessner, aged sixteen years, who
had been employed for about
year in the Newhall house kitchen
1t was pitiful to witness the mothers
grief at the failure to obtain
the slightest clue to her girls whereabouts.
The daughter was the only support of her
widowed mother, and the only relative she
possessed.
1t is impossible for the coroner to de-
termine precisely when
AN INQUEST WILL BE HELD.
1t will not be held until the rest of the
bodies are recovered. 1t could not be done
before. The inquest cannot possibly be held
this week. 1t would be foolish to
attempt such proceeding at this early
stage of affairs. "There are so many
things to look after at present that it re-
quires all my attent ion," said the coroner
THE wATCHMAN's STORY.
William Mckenzie, the night watchman,
said: con the night of the fire I made my
rounds as usual, visiting the different
lodging floors and basement rooms.
Nothing unusual was observed.
The bar room was open until
about 2 o'clock Wednesday merning,
and George Scheller, the proprietor, was
there for about hree-quarters of an hour
after that. L had been down to the wood
room at about . o'clock, and in opening
the door leading to the bar room hall saw
that the place was still occupied, and at
later hour had run the elevator down to
the bottom landing to take up a
gentleman who came from the bar.
Nothing like smoke was detected
then. At $3.50 o'clock in the morning T.
B. Elliott came in on a late train. I was
in the Office, and he asked me if the eleva-
tor was running. told him would take
him up. I did so, letting him out at his
floor (the third). Then went up to the
top floor, taking railway conductor up
from the third to that. I looked
around the halls and then got
into the elevator to go down. This
was few minutes past $50 o'clock. AS I
got into the elevator I noticed very lit
tie smoke. I Immediately started down to
see where it came from. By the time 1
reached the Office floor the smoke was so
dense that could go no further in the ele-
vator. Throwing open the door rushed
out and started for the stairs,
shouting to Tom, the night clerk.
that there was a fire somewhere down
below and was going down to see about
it. By the time I reached the bottom of
the elevator shaft the smoke was so dense
and 80 sitting that I knew something
must be done. called to the engineer
u L.