The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-03-27
DEATH IN The FLAMES.
Five Lives Lost in a Chicago HO-
tel Fire.
a Gallant Rescue and a Woman's
Marvellous Escape.

AT about eight p. NJ, the other day, flames
were discovered issuing from the Langham
hotel, Chicago, and in a short time the build
ing was a mass of fire. The flames originated
in one of the lower rooms from a lamp, which
wa accidentally overturned. At the time
the restaurant of the house contained 100
guests at supper and as many more were in
the rooms. Those in the restaurant had no
trouble in getting out, but several persons in
upper rooms had a very narrow escape. The
fire spread with marvellous rapidity, and be-
fore a second alarm was turned in, flames
we're bursting through the roof.
Mrs. Belknap, an elderly lady, was killed
by jumping from the fourth story into an
alley. Subsequently a cry was raised that
the walls were falling, and that Bullwinkle's
fire insurance patrolmen were inside the
building. A portion of the south wall was
seen to totter and then it came down with
a crash.
A search in the ruins revealed the dead
bodies of John Walsh and Frederick Jones,
of the fire patrol. and John Hennessev. n
clerk in the hotel. William Bean, another
hotel employe, was taken out alive, but died
in the hospital. Captain James Shepherd
and James Boyd, of the fire patrol, were Sc
riously injured.
OOOn aIUeT Jne walls 1ell Une wreck TOOK
fire and the firemen turned several streams
on the blazing mass to save their comrades
from being roasted to death, though at the
imminent risk of drowning them. The water
was ice cold and drenched the poor, impris-
oned fellows, chilling them to the marrow.
Mr.. and Mrs. f. Hoole, of Cincinnati, had
a most remarkable experience. Both are
cripples, Mrs. Hoole having been paralyzed
some years ago, while her husband has lost
the use Of his lower limbs. He can hobble
along with crutches with some difficulty, but
she is wholly without the power of locomo-
ton. They occupied a room on the fourth
floor. Mr.. Hoole arrived from Cincinnati
recently and Mr.. c. ID. Martindale,
cashier Of his Chicago house called
to have a business talk with
him. The door leading from the room into
the hail was closed. They gradually became
oppressed with a sense of sutfocation. OPEN
ing the door, they found the hall fillel with
smoke. Mrs. Hoole uttered an exclamation
of horror as she buried her face in her hands
and fell back upon the pillow as if she had
calculated her chances ami lost all hope. Mr..
Hoole was a most frenzied.
"Save my wife, he exclaimed, turning to
Martindale, and let me go. We cannot all
escape. Save her; for God sake, dor
Come along" said Mr.. Martindale; ''IIl
save you both. Don't be frightened"
With this he lifted the invalid woman from
the bed with one arm, and Selling Mr.. Hoole
with the other started for the elevator No
body responded to the call for the car, but it
was aim st opposite the floor and the door
stood open. Depositing his charges on the
seat, Mr.. Martindale seized the rope and
started the car toward the ground. In the
haste and excitement he had not considered
that he was lowering the party into the midst
of the flames. This soon became apparent
from the intense heat. Tongues of fire seemed
to be bursting up the sides of the flue.
Reversing the lever, Martindale drove the
car up to the third floor and sought to escape
there. The door was closed and fastened on
the outside. People above and below were
calling for the elevator. Some one on the
second floor had espied it as it went up and
had begged him to stop. The door stood
hard and firm, and no hand appeared
i Sa the The outs aame, to wert turn ro,r the
below and the elevator was as hot as an oven
1t was n perilous moment. Calming those
who were with him, Martindale threw him
self against the door with all his might from
the other side of the car, and the panel was
broken. Only a hole was made in it, and the
door would not slide. He thrust his COM
panions through and followed them. He then
seized them as before, and bidding them take
courage and be calm, made his way through
the sutfoCating smoke TO the rear stairs. Tha
way seemed clear, and without pausing for
breath be proceeded to descend. He was not
strong enough to carry the entire burden,
but held the two firmly under his arms, drag
ging their legs after him. In this way they
descended the three flights of stairs and es-
capped into the pure air.
The escape of Mrs. J. A. Murray and her
child was so marvellous as to be almost in
credible. The lady, with her husband and
child, occupied rooms on the fifth
floor. The husband was out of the
city. Mrs. Murray was not aware of the
danger 20 herself and child until the halls
were filled with smoke. Awakening the
child, she ran with him to a window near
the fire escape. Bidding the infant to clasp
her tightly about the neck, she began the
descent. At each story there was an iron
grating, with a hole in the centre too small to
admit of the passage through of herself and
child. She was therefore compelled four times
during the descent to seat the child upon the
grating, lower herself over the edge of it to the
rounds to the escape below and reach up for
her boy. She reached the ground without
assistance, md when seen a quarter of an
hour later she had wholly recovered from the
effects Of her terrible experience
The total loss, including the hotel, furniture
and guests possessions, and on the ad Joining
buildings and contents is estimated at S35O,-
0O0; nearly covered by insurance.