Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1885-04-01
DEADLY FLAl1Ea
The Langham Hotel, chicago, II
Ruins-Four Lives
lest.


n lnAammable Structure NJ i Rapid
Blase ~ Their Fe1l
Werk.
tChicago special
Another sacrifice Of life and property has
been added to that long list Of disasters
from fire which goes far to mako the meth
DDS Of Chicago building reproach. Once
more has the wretched shortsightedness
which too frequently prevails IN the cree
ton Of buildings intended for public occu-
pancy contributed to = fatal asd sterling
disaster, and the unequaled combination Of
. wooden elevator shaft and i she'll like
building has within . few hours reduced Z
valuable and imposing property TO : black
ened ruin.
At FIVE minutes to I o'clock last evening
. general alarm from box No. 40 conveyed
the information of some serious con1agra-
tion in the very heart Of town. It was soon
learned that the Langham Hotel was in
flames, and o general rush was made to the
scene Of the disaster. The LAnRhAm Hotel
il the fye-story and basement preesed-
brick and stone building on the southwest
corner Of Wabash avenue and Adams street
numbers 1893, 201, 2O3, and 0O5 On Wabash
venue and 80, 81, So, and 80 on Adams
street. There was an entrance on Wabash
avenue and ono on Adams street, ~ hotel
bar and restaurant being on the latter
street.
II was built In 1871 by William r. Bur-
dick, a WE'LL known lumber merchant, and
a former County Commissioner. Il was
then named the Burdick House, and for
some years the hotel was run under that
name. Afterward it was partially rebuilt
and improved, and called the Crawford
House. The management Of the Messrs.
Crawford did not last very long, nor Was it
very successful, a good deal Of litigation
resulting among the parties running the
hosel.
Last fall the property was sold to william
B. Howard and Columbus r. Cummings
for the handsome sum Of $3.50, COO, and
recently Messrs. O.. N. Shaw & Son
leased the hotel and expended nearly
$500 in improvements, fittings, and
fixtures. Messrs. Shaw 4 Son came here
from Bar Harbor, Me-. where they
had for years kept hotel, and the Langham
Hotel, under their management, seemed
fairly ushered into a career Of permanent
prosperity at last. The new management
Of the house had recently put everything
in first rate shape. and the hotel was run
ming more satisfactorily than ever before in
its history. About 1G2 guests were living
at the house at the time, and OF this num-
Der thirty were in the restaurant at supper
when the fire broke out. Those employed
in the hotel numbered fifty persons, Of
whom fifteen were chambermaids. These
gills were all on the topmost floor of the
hotel. and escaped with great difficulty, the
smoke rolling up the elevator shaft and
stairway in such dense masses that escape
was nearly impossible, and suffocation
minutes after the sending Of the first alarm.
The progress Of the fire was extraordinary
rapid, and within three minutes from the
discovery Of the flames the upper floors
were so dense with smoke as to render es-
cape almost impossible. From the first it
was seen that the entire building was
doomed. The whole place looked like o
huge bonfire surrounded by q brick wall,
go completely was the light wooden struc.
ture Of the interior within the power Of the
flames. From the main floor to the lofty
cornices. both ON the Wabash avenue and
Adam street fronts. the flames leaped to the
sky, carrying everything before them, as
though the interior Of the building was but
80 much dry finder. The thousands who
had gathered around the corners Of Wabash
avenue, Adams and State streets were in an
agony Of fear and apprehension respecting
the tate OF those within the building early
after the commencement Of the blaze, so
apparent was it that all retreat from the
upper floors must have been cut Of.
About half an hour after the fire broke
out, Kanute Thine, Capt. Edward Shepard,
Patrick Muilens. Edward Jones, and John
Walsh, of Bullwinkle's insurance patrol,
went into the store Of F. r. Hilger. No. 207
Wabash avenue, for the purpose Of cover
ing the goods. A young man, said to be
named Burns, apaper-hanger, accompanied
them. While they were engaged in their
labor the south wall of the LAngham Hotel
toppled aud fell upon the building, which
is but two stories in height. The roof was
broken in, as was the upper floor, upon
which they were at the time. They were
precipitated to the floor below, and buried
beneath a mass of debris. The ere was
quickly communicated to the infammable
material of which the floor was composed.
As soon ~ it was possible to do
SO, o large force Of hremen went
to work to clear a passage to the
rear of the building where the men we've.
Capt. Ed Shepherd and two Of his men,
Patrick Mullens and X. Thine. we're soon
reached and rescued. Shepard was badly
bruised and nearly suffocated. Thine also
suffered from cuts and bruises and from
inhaling smoke. He will be able to be mp
aud around again in o few days, il is said.
Nullens was the most fortunate Of the three
named. He sustained but slight injuries.
At 1l:40 the fire patrol succeeded in ex-
Treating William Burns from beneath the
debris. He was removed to No. All Wa
bash avenue, and DR.. Housewife vas
called at once. He rendered the man such
assistance AZ he could and had the patrol
wagon called and Burns sent TO the hospi-
tai. When the injured man was taken into
the store he revived sufficiently to give his
name and residence, but almost immedi-
ately relapsed into an unconscious state. He
revived again and Was conscious whom re-
moved, but his injuries were pronounced
fatal. He was bruised from head to foot,
both legs were broken, the pelvic bone was
crushed, and it was apparent that he was
injured internally. Burns Is married. He
is q paper hanger, and went into the build
ing to save his tools and render such assist
ance ~ he could in preserving the property.
After Burns was taken ont, Capt. Bull
winkle and his men returned for Inc pur.
pose Of extlicsting John Wash and Ed
bodies were found near the spot where
Burns was discovered, but both were fest
under the heavy debris. A careful examina-
ton showed both to be dead.
The estimated loss is $3.50, 900, with
about STAG, 900 insurance.
scenes and Incldeuts.
Mrs. Murray and child, also guests Of the
Ee
efforts Of the boy who runs the elevator.