Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-03-25
ABGDTR9EES RPs&S2 IR.AEs.
Destru ction of the Fangham Hotel, Chica-
go-SeveraI LivOs Lost.

Destruction OF the Eangham Hotel, Chiea-
go-SeveraI Livos Lost.
The Langham Hotel Chicago, was
destroyed by fire on the night of the
21st. The fire originated in one OF the
lower rooms from q kerosene lamp
which was accidentally overturned.
AT the time, the restaurant of the
house contained 200 guests at supper
and as many more were III the rooms.
The people IN the restaurant had no
trouble In getting out, but several per-
sons IN the upper rooms had very
narrow escapes. The flames spread
with marvellous rapidity and before
the second alarm was turned in they
were bursting through the roof. A
general 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. Dense volumes Of smoke and fire
poured up the elevator shafts and
filled every portion of the building.
Guests and servants rushed wildly
down the stairs and into the street
In fifteen minutes the entire building
from basement to roof was q red hot
furnace, and the effect of thirty streams
from the engines, which quickly re-
sponded to the double alarm. seemed
only to intensity the heat. At q win
dow IN one of the upper stories a lady
and two children appeared A ladder
was run up and they were rescued.
Behind them stood Mrs. Belknap, O.
transient guest from the South. She
was frantic with fright, and before the
tremen could seize her, jumped from
the window and was instantly killed.
Two members of the fire insurance
patrol barely escaped the tumbling
bricks and timbers. Two others were
pinned fast, but after strenuous efforts
were finally extricated. The legs OF
both were severely bruised. Patrol
men A. Jones and John Walsh were
suffocated beneath the wall. Police
man Marks saw two domestics at one
OF the second story windows after it
was supposed all theinmates had been
rescued. He rushed up the burning
staircase, and few minutes later ap-
peared, dragging out both women, who
had been rendered unconscious by the
smoke. The hotel, which is q total
loss, was erected Immediately after
the great fire, and while substantial
looking from the outside, has been
called q tiretrap. 1t was formerly
known as the Burdick House, then as
the Crawford and recently the Lang
ham. Cummings & Howard are the
owners. Shaw q Son leased the es-
tabllshment. The latter's loss is $50
600; insurance $4,000. The build
ing was valued at S15O,OOO; insured
one-half. Kietz & Son, picture frames
and Harden's hand grenade agency,
suffered q total loss Insurance I'M
known.
A dispatch of the 22d gives the fol-
lowing additional details wThe fire
which destroyed Langham Hotel, last
night proved much more dreadful in
the loss of life and physical injuries
entalled than was supposed, until a
late hour, last night. Itisnow known
that at least five persons were killed
and four injured. Just before the
south wall of the hotel fell upon the
Faxon building, q number of persons,
besides those of the fire insurance
patrol, were inside the latter building,
assisting to save goods, as no imme-
date danger was apprehended There
IS no means OF knowing just how many
of these volunteer helpers were in the
structure at the time but excavations
have proceeded to q extent which
justifies q hope that all the dead have
been found. A far as known those at
work in the Faxon building when it was
crushed by the falling hotel walls, were
the following: Cap. Edward Shepard,
James Boyd, Knute Thine, Patrick
Mullins, John Walsh, Frederick Jones.
All OF these belonged to the fire insur-
ance patrol. William Bean, a piano
tuner; John Hennessy, clerk. Both
were employed in the building. Mullins
and Thine being nearer therear of the
building, were forced out through one
OF the windows by the rush Of air as
the building fell, and were not danger
ously hurt. Cap. Shepard and Boyd
were pinned down by the falling tim
bers, and were rescued alive, about II
O'Clock. Both were seriously hurt,
but 1t is believed they will recover.