The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-01-18
DOWN TO DEATH
Terrible Loss Of Life in q Milwaukee
Hotel Fire.

Terrible Loss Of Life in q Milwaukee
Hotel Fire.
Tho Newhall Elouse Burned with = Less
OF Nearly One Hundred Lives-Horror- /.
81 lex People Leapipg TO Death aud
Desos,red by he Flames Awful Scenes
- Death-Trap. g.
MILWAUKEE,, Jan. 10, 1885,
The Newhall House the leading hotel in the
Northwe-t, was totally destroyed by fire between
four and six o'clock this morning. The property
loss Is now figured at $3.50 Co., covered by 100000
insurance There Is hardly doubt but that the
house was set on fire. There are now twenty-five
bodies at the morgue that have been identified. IT
Is estimated tonight that the loss of life ragates
between seventy-hve and one hundred persons.
sKE1HINe HELL OF FIRE. '''
The 6re caught in the basement and with light.
ning-like rapidty shot up the elevator shaft, and
burst forth In terrific volumes from the roof. Tie
flames spread out in the different stories as they
alarm the foor on the south end Of the building
was sea of fire. Then began the frigh,ful trag-
edy; Guests, awakened wa from their sleep by the
rooms. were forced TO the windows, where th-ii
heart-rending cries rang in the ears of the vas,
were poweriess to render. aid. Men, who ia
the daily walks Of life have been accounted
heartless and unfeeling, wrung their. hands
wildered. e1cl.lning: .My Godi my Godi
this 10 horribleps Then o black object
out by the smeke and flame, a piercing scream
would rend the morning air, and heavy fall
would announce that human being had dropped
from the dizzy height 70 meet death on the pave
ment below. At one time there were six persons
hansing from one wlndow-sill AZ the 6fth story,
crying In asonizing tones for the help that could
not be rendered them, until one after another lost
their hold and met their fate.
AIkAvE STRUGGLE FOR LIFE
One man, by letting himself down at arms length
from q hfth-story window, put his feet through
the window below and reached the fourth door in
safety. Tn. operation was repeated until the third
descen. bsins greeted With encOuragiaE cheers FROM
through the iop Of the second story Hi.dow, his
hands slipped from the sin above, and, with Wild
shrek Of despair he fell backward turning over
eral times and, striking the pavement on bis head.
was msnsled beyond recognition. fN
WAITING FOR OR LEAPINs TO DEATH.
Another man jumped from the 6fth-story win.
dow, struck the telegraph on Michigan street,
bounded up, and came down = mangled mass Of
flesh and bones. A nnmber of people dropped out
Of the different stories on the jumping-canyas bui
sua ned from Wsich there s sops
recovery. During the progress of the FIRE, two men
appeared At q window in an upper story, and as
oft room gave way, and with an agoniz ng shrek
they fell backward In the vortex Of fame. Mr.. Al
len johnson and hi. wife spr4ng from q
jumping canvas, but sustained injuries from which
he died at 6 O'Clock this morning, and his wife
s,o S.dg
soon died. Miss Libbie Chelis was burned to death
in sight of the multitude her clothes having caught
on spike General Tom Thumb and party were
barely rescued, two Of their companions being
among the victims.
BRIDE AND GROIN OF DAY.
James Gilbert, of the Minnie Palmer Company
was married in Chicago to Miss Gertrude Sutton
on Sunday: The bride jumped from window and
was dashed to death and Gilbert was burned tt
Ss edor It hi IL ae
eonsin and his wife, were both fatally burned
Twenty Of the servant girls were burned TO death
| or were killed in jumping from the building
| There were hundreds of the most sickening scenes
Imaginable. Judson j. Hough, of Manora, Ill. wht
had both legs broken, and received other interna
| injuries by jumping from fifth story window int.
the canvas held by the fremen, died at tn,
| Central Police Station. Mr.. Hough was Sihtinl
the family Of Allen johnson.
ANXIOUS SEARCH FOR FRIENDS.
| Fathers Keoyh, McGill and Smith, and many 9th
ers of the Clergy Of the city arrived the
an early hour, and bused themselves administerin
words Of comfort to the dying and MANNED, and do
ing all that they could TO alleviate their suffering
| At the PiankintoR House. Police Station. Morgue
Express Office and Kirby House huxdrrds of peo
s.a sas ed ro the dead
piercing shrek would rend the air, or heav
sigh of rellefescape the anxious inquirer. Most o
| the bodies were soon identified.
| THE SCENE AT THE RUINS
The scene at the ruins is weird in the extreme
heavy snowstorm prevails, which serves to kee
the steam from the water-drenched piles Of brio
and mortar from arising, and nothing can be tee
of the once famous structure but . jet OF fam
blazing out Of mid-air like ball Of FIRE. The pc
lice have extended Gordon along the sidewalks Q
the surrounding blocks, and no one but policemen
fremen and reporters are allowed to pass throuy
the street. The terrible calamity has 30 dazed tn
PEOPLE that, with few exceptions, they stan
like grim specters unmoved, survey 9 the seen
Of the horror. Me.ti gs are being held BY citizen
to devise means OF assisting the unfortunates.
THE LIST OF THE DEAD.
Comparatively few guests were in the hotel III
register was burned, and the exact loss of life
MT determinable. OF the dead 1t the mo gu. tn
patent right solicitor and pstentee, roomtd on h
fourth hoor, and jumped from 4 window; Th ms
E. Van Loone, of Albany, New Yors, aged fort!
window; Msggie Sullivan, domestic; August
Giese, ehambermaid. aged sixteen Miss Mile
seos Of ~ .as st. faul comp.nys passsu
S.en
dorf, domestic parents reside In the city; JUL
Linshan dome tic; Mitchell Buria, domestic, res
denee, city; Mr.. and Mrs; Allen johnson, guest
s the ssy nr Gilbert
Ernest, Of Soul sburs, wisconsin, superb
,sndept tend Of one Of the Chicago, Milwaukee and
; occupid room 1856. He has no family. Captain
p. Vose, Of the United States engineer department
brother Of Mrs. Alexander Mitchell is missin
Mr. Reed was at one time prominently ideDtif,
once prominent in Wisconsin politics, ,er,ing Sc
and and Waite Walter eiliIsna, ' aged Tn fftees "ia az
ly Of Cinci,n.ti; Mary Burke, domestic, is missin
Professor Benjamin Mason, a teacher in tho Germa
American Academy, occupied room GU the four
missing; Lizzie Ovens, waiter, agea twenty on
residence, city; MolIe Con sors aged twenty y-thre
city, Bradford ksoF brother Of H.
he nor the nurse have been seen since the FIR
domestic, missing; Bridget 0'COnnell, Of Ds
neeted with the Chicago, Miiwsafee and St: Pa
Ernest sehleanhacke, bel-boys, missing; Charl
Kelsey. If the Tom Thumb troupe Is missing,
Railway-one named Horr; Mrs. Kelley and h.
daughter Lizzie, domestics, are missing.
THE INJURED.
: Mr.. Wyiie, Of the st. Paul Company's cleri,
: | corps, back broken; T. ,. Elliott jumped from 4
Of his 's .ss back h..sss, ss eaunGs mot.
apea as She du"S
Of the feft shoulder and hip, and received a col
pound fracture Of the kaee Joint. Her death is n
4 ! S4PSCtoo. NC Known Geau anu lulsoI
% far foot up forty II will be impossible for sol
days TO begin q search in the ruins but nearly o
hundred 10 tho accepted number Of lives lost.
knowledge of the fact that dam
constructed by beavers are seldom,
ever, washed away by freshets an
t floods, caused the miners of Oreville
/ CAL, to look with pleasure upon tn
work now being done by number {
t beavers on Feather River. Scientif
1 dam huiIdo,.a ho ua haon nnahla tn cor