Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1885-04-02
MRS. BELKNAP's FATAL LEAP
From the Fifth Story of Chi
cago Hotel to Certain
Death
A Falling Wall Buries Six Men in
Grave Of Superheated
Bricks.
fChicago special


Another sacrifice Of life and property has
been added to that long list OF disasters
from fire which goes far to make 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 a fatal aud startling
disaster. and the unequaled combination OF
wooden elevator shaft and shell-nke
building has within few hours reduced
valuable and imposing property to black
ened ruin.
At five minutes to o'clock last evening
a general alarm from box No. Az conveyed
the information of some serious coniiagra-
ton in the very heart of town. 1t was soon
learned that the Langham Hotel was In
flames, and general rush was made to the
scene of the disaster The Langham Hotei
is the five-story and basement pressed
brick and stone building on the southwest
corner Of Wabash avenue and Adams street
numbers 1919, POI, 203, and 2O5 on Wabash
avenue. and 80, 81, 36, and 3S on Adams
street There was an entrance on wabash
avenue and one on Adams street, the hotel
bar and restaurant being on the latter
street
1t was built in 1871 by William r. Bur,
dick, we'll known lumber merchant ana
n former County Commissioner. 1t was
then named the Burdick House, and Tor
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 IL
very successful, a good deal OF litigation
resulting among the parties running the
hotel. ,.
Last fell the property was sold to William
b. Howard and Columbus II. Cummings
for the handsome sum of $2eO, COO, ana
recently Messrs. o. M. Shaw Son
leased the hotel and expended nearly
| $4,000 in improvements, tittlngs, ana
| fixtures. Messrs. Shaw Il 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 career OF permanent
prosperity Mt last. The new management
of the house had recently put everything
in first rate shape, and the hotel was run
its history. About 102 guests were living
at the house Mt 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
girls were oil 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
seemed imminent for those above, even few
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
| xvara ca Ianca with crnnlya nc IN randar as-
cape almost impossible. From the first it
was seen that the entire building was
doomed The whole place looked like a
huge bonfire surrounded by a brick wall,
so 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 f onts the flames leaped to the
though the interior of the bui ID ng was but
so 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 fate 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 off,
About half an hour after the fire broke
out Kanute Thine, Capt. Edward Shepard,
Patrick MuIlens, Edward Jones, and John
| Walsh, of Bullwnkle's insurance patrol,
went into the store of +. r. Hilger. No. POI
Wabash avenue, for the purpose of cover
ing the goods. A young man, said to be
named Burns, paper-hanger, accompanied
them. While they were engaged in their
labor the south wall of the Langham Hotel
toppled and fell upon the building, which
is but two stories in height. The roof was
broken in, as was the upper floor, upon
| oh Nlaxv ~. he
precipitated to the floor below, and buried
beneath mass of debris. The fire was
quickly communicated to the inhammable
As soon Of the sooT pSs ai
so, large force of fremen went
to work to clear passage to the
rear of the building where the men WERE
Capt Ed Shepherd and two of his men.
Patrick Mullens and X. Thine, were 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 up
and around again in a few days, it is said
Mullens was the most fortunate Of the three
named. He sustained but slight injuries.
At l1:4O the fire patrol succeeded in ex-
| Treating William Burns from beneath the
| debris. He was removed to No. git Wa
bash avenue, and DR.. Rounseville was
Cuueu Ut OuCe. Nc TenueTeu man Suc1
assistance as 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 when 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 paper-hanger, and went into the build
ing to save his toos and render such assist
ance as he could in preserving the property.
After Burns was taken out, Capt. Bull
Wrinkle and his men returned for the pur-
pose of exhicating John Wash and Ed
ward Jones, two of his own men Their
bodies were found near the spot where
Burns was discovered, but both were fast
under the heavy debris. A careful examina-
ton showed both to be dead.
The estimated loss is $3.50, 900, with
about 1920, 900 insurance.
Scenes and Incidents.
Mrs. Murray and child. also guests of the