Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1885-12-30
Il. w. RANDALL,
A BLAZING TREE
INTERRUPTS THE CHRISTMAS FES-
TWlTiES AT TAC COUNTY HOSPITAL.
Two Hundred and Fifty Persons Receive
Hurts and Burns, but No Fatalities Re
ported-Fire in Massachusetts,
Town-Loss of Life.

CHICAGO, Ills, Dec 2S-After a saw.
ory Christmas dinner, Friday afternoon,
at the county hospital, over 500 of the pa
tients were ushered into the amphitheater
of the building, where Christmas tres
stood. Besides the patients there were a 100
OF more guests, including many ladies and
gentlemen prominent in charities, who were
on hand because they had in one way or
another contributed to the scene. The amphi-
theater is not large room, but Is made to
hold 600 seats by having them ranged tier
on tier from the floor to the ceiling.
At 4:30 o'clock the amphitheater was
tightly packed, hundred little children
being in the audience, and more than
dozen cots standing in the aisles, holding
patients and blocking egress. Just as Santa
Claus, in his conventional costume, was
slowly making his way toward the tree a
little tongue Of flame shot out from one side
Of the tree. In an instant the whole great
tree, reaching to the ceiling was ablaze, and,
owing to the queer funnel-like arrange
ments of the seats, nearly every person
in the hall scorching with the heat. The
resinous tree sputtered and cracked and
sent sparks over the persons of everybody.
A dozen attendants sprang toward the
blaze with sponges, but it was too late for so
poor weapon. Then the fire extinguishers
were hurried in, and they did better
work The great peril was from the panic.
The blaze did not last more than five min
utes, yet screeching women and wailing
children were trampled under foot by the
fugitives. The door on top had been reached
and down its narrow stairway the dense
mass of struggling humanity tumbled and
fell and crawled, the weaker ones going
down and the stronger ones being on top.
few had had presence of mind enough
to lie down under the benches, where the
heat was not so intense, but even they did
not escape entirely. Some had climbed up
to the windows, and a few had jumped
through them. In the rush and crush near
the upper door and down the stairs. quite
number wore injured.
At the hospital it is claimed that at least
25O received hurts and burns, most of these
trivial Among those that were so injured
that their recovery will take some day:
were: Mrs A. A Carpenter, rib broken,
collar-bone fractured, and face and hands
ssorched in the rush; Mr.. A. C. Bartlett, Of
the Hibbard, Spencer & Bartlett company,
painfully burned; Commissioner Van Pelt,
scorched in the face ....
At the foot Of the tree there had been ar.
ranged in order nearly 5000 worth Of pres
ents for the children, large part of which,
as in previous years, had been furnished by
Miss Kate Buckingham and Mr. A. c.
Bartlett, who was injured during the fire.
This array of gifts is now blackened mass
of charred remains, and great grief pre-
vailed among the little folks, who had looked
forward to receiving them. Their spirits
were revived, however, by message. from
Miss Buckingham saying that she would see
that they had their Santa Claus and Christ
mas gifts New Years day. Warden Nc
Garigle said he was willing that they should
have their fun, but without "tree."