Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1883-01-11


termined whether those establlshmenti
will be saved
From that time the FIRE had Its un
disputed sway inside the bare walls
and toward 6 o'clock the buildings or
the east side, fronting Water street
began to burn. Two steamers were
sent around to East Water street tC
protect the establishments in thai
thoroughfare At this tune all the
stores and offices under the hotel were
enwrapped in flames. The heroic fir,
lsddies of the fire department
fought the FIRE bravely, but all they
could do was to prevent its spread
to the surrounding business blocks
The heat
WAS so INTENSE
that the cupsla of the Chamber OF
Commerce began to smoke as
IT u fierce fire was raging
within. The men and ladder
trucks of l and worked almost like
demons. They had to put ladders
scroOs the alley from the book build.
ing to the burning hotel, and then
crawled across. About FIVE peo.
pie were thus saved by the brave
lsddies. At the morgue a horrible
sight was beheld. The two small
biers were soon filed with bodies,
tightly packed, and then the
BODIES OF GIRLS,
women, men and waiter boys we're
laid promiscuousiy on the stone flags
almost in heap, as the police patrol
brought In the bodies three
and four at time. At $3.50
o'clock seventeen bodies were
laid down In the place, which was
locked up between the trips of patrol
wagons. and therefore no Identification
was possible. The floor of the
general office of the Central DO.
lice station was turned into @
lazaret. The persons fatally hurt
were winding themselves in the
blankets on the floor In excruciating
pain.
II is estimated that fully so people
were killed either by jumping from
the windows or perlshing in the
flames.
In the American express office, on
the corner of Broadway and Michigan
street, Allen johnson, of Alien,
johnson g. Co., commission mer-
chants, room "a, Chamber of Com
merce, and wife were stretched on the
hard floor in all evidently
DYING CONDITION.
The two occupied room on the
third floor and both were forced
to jump from the window.
A blanket was held to
catch them, but 1t proved q weak
check to the force Of the fall. Allen
was badly hurt about the back and
lower limbs, and probably internally.
His cries and groans as he writhed in
anguish were enough to melt the most
heart. Mrs. johnson was
even more seriously injured, and those
trying to administer to her comfort
her death at any moment.
LAo loSe VI ITO ID ohtiuihttu dg lEOul
FIFTY TO SIXTY DEAD,
aud from twenty to thirty wounded.
So far, twenty-three bodies lie In the
and nine more In places near
the ruins. Identification comes slo WY.
Among those known to have been in
the hotel are @. w. Briggs, Grand
Mich; N. Miller, Ripon;
George Youngs, Chicago. l. A. Man
ming, Chicseo; W. D. Lewis, Chicago;
R. N Baker, New Yonk; j.
V. Mahoney, Rock Island,
Ills; nj. j. Hill, Syracuse, N.
Y; A. b. Hendrix, New Haven
Conn: A, j. Gaze, New York; p.
Chicago; S. J. Craig, Des
Moines, Ia; Charles A. Handy, Mil.
waukee; the Tom Thumb party;
Orange Williams, j. A. Prinsen and
wife, Sheboggan Falls; John @. Clarke,
Wausau; Mr.. Rowell. of Sanford &
RoweD, Medford; Ben Tice, chief
clerk; John III. Antisdel, clerk; John
+. Antisdel, proprietor; Banj Mason,
teacher, Milwaukee; D. j. Powers,
Mics Brown, Mary Burke, Mary An.
dersop, Mary Miller, Mary Mcmahon,
Mary Conroy, servants. The follow.
ing are
w. j. Durand, insurance agent;
George G Smith, passenger agent OF
the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern
road; Miss l.. w. Brown, Miss Chellis,
dres ms ksr; Walter and William Gil
liland.
SERIOUSLY INJUREE.
gsOraugs Williams, residence un-
known; BENZ. Tice, clerk of the house;
l.. w. Brown, trainmaster Northwest.
ern road; J. B. Elliott, lawyer. IA
tally--W. r.. Buesenbach, general
western passenger agent of the Mlchi-
gan CsnCrsi road; r ose Burns, Mary
Owens, Nanny Mclaughlin, Kitty
Connors, OF D0y,eeuown, servants. il
can safely be SAID that sixty people are
dead and
THIRTY SEVERELY WOUNDED.
Ta9 mayor called a meeting Of The
chamber Of commerce TO organize 6
a.ivags corps 10 search the rulns
About a week ago the secretary of the
local Board OF Underwriters was sp.
piled to To make rate Oh the build
ing that local agencies might take
risks, 50 far as known, the following
are dead:
Allen Johnson, commission mer,
chant, Milwaukee, and wife; Ktttie
Bailey and Mary Burns, ser
wants; w. A. Hall, miller, La Porte
Ben Van Hosg, fireman, struck by
a falling telegraph pole; Lizzie Kelly,
Maggie Owens, Kate Hall, Annie an d
Bessie Brown, Kate Hauchon, Maggie
Sullivan, Augusta Geise, Mary Me
Dade, all servants; Thos. +. Van
Hoon, Albany, n. Y, j. j. Hiugh,
MnEnn Ill Ii wna nt Il rat haliauan