, 1885-03-22
A FIERCE FIRE.
A Chicago Hotel Burned to
the Ground.
Many Of the Inmates Escape
with Great Difficulty.
Remains of Two Patrolmen
Found in the Ruins.
Fire in Chicago.

CHICAGO, March 2l.-At 8 O'Clock this
evening fourteen fire engines poured water
into the Langham hotel, which was a
mass Of flames from basement to garrett.
The fire originated in one Of the lower
rooms from a kerosene lamp, which was
accidentally overturned. At the time the
restaurant of the house contained 100
guests at supper, and as many more were
in the rooms. The people in the res
taurant had no trouble in getting out. but
several persons in the upper rooms had a
very narrow escape. The flames spread
with marvellous rapidity. and before the
second alarm was turned in the flames
we're bursting through the roof. "A gen
eral alarm was given half an hour after
the fire broke out, but all the engines
which could be brought to play on the
flames could not get the fire under con-
troll.
Mrs Belknap. an elderly lady, was
killed jumping from the fourth story into
the alley. Subsequently a cry was raised
that the walls were falling and that the
Bullwinkle Fire Insurance patrol we're
inside the building. A portion of the
south wall was seen to totter and then it
came down with a crash. Two members
Of the fire insurance patrol barely escap-
ed from the tumbling bricks and timbers.
and two others we're pinned fast, but after
strenuous efforts were extricated, with
legs both severely bruised. Patrolmen
A. Jones and John Welsh are believed to
have been suifocated beneath the walls.
No trace of them has been found up to a
late hour. Policeman Marks saw two DO
mestics at one of the second story windows,
after it was supposed all the inmates had
been rescued He rushed up the burning
staircase and a few moments later APP
peared dragging put both the women,
who had been rendered unconscious by
the smoke.
The hotel. which is a total loss, was
erected Immediately after the great fire,
and while substantial looking outside, has
been called a fire trap. 1t was formerly
known as the Burdick house, then as
the Crawford and recently as the Lang
ham. Cummings and Howard are the
owners. Shaw and Son leased the estab-
lishment. The ~latter's loss is $50, 700,
insurance So, 600. The building was
valued at $685. O0.
The escape of Mrs. J. A Murray and
child was marvellous. They occupied a
room on the fifth floor, and the lady was
unaware of the danger until it was too
late to attempt to descend the stairways.
She reached the FIRE escape, but at each
floor found the hole in the grating too
small to admit the passage of herself and
infant, and was therefore compelled four
times, with flames bursting around her,
to seat her child upon the platform and
lower herself over the edge and then
reach up for the little one. Mrs. Muir
ray reached the ground without assist
ance, ami a quarter Of an hour afterwards
had wholly recovered from the effects of
her terrible experience.
The firemen never ceased their efforts to
rescue the two missing patrolmen, and
three hours after the wall fell the pair
we've discovered in the basement of the
building next to the hotel, buried in the
debris. They were taken out alive, and it
thought that they will eventually recover.