Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-03-23
WHOLE NO. 1883.
FIRES AND LOSS OF LIFE.
Hotel in Chicago. the New Jersey state
Capitol and Sugar Refinery in
Flames.

| Capitol and Sugar Refinery in
Flames.
| by Telegraph
CHICAGO, March 21st.-At S o'clock this
| evening fourteen tire-engines poured
streams of water into the Langham Hotel
which was mass of flames from basement
to garrett The fire originated in one of the
lower rooms from kerosene lamp which
was accidentally overturned. At the time
the restaurant of the house contained one
| hundred guests at supper, and as many
more were IN the rooms. The people in the
restaurant had no trouble in getting out,
but several persons in the upper rooms had
| very narrow escapes. The flames spread
with marvellous rapidity, and before the
| second alarm was turned in the flames
We're 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 control
Mrs. Bclknap. an elderly lady was killed
in jumping from fourth-story window
into the alley. Subsequently cry was
raised that the walls were falling and that
! the insurance patrolmen We're inside the
/ building. A portion of the south wall was
seen to totter, and then it came down with
a crash. Two members of the fire insur-
ance patrol barely escaped the tumbling
! DTlthS anu tltilDtfN. TWO others were
| pinned fast, but after strenuous efforts they
were extricated, the legs of both being Sc
verely burned. Patrolmen A. Jones and
John Walsh are believed to have been suf
| focated beneath the wall, as no trace of
| them could be found up to late hour.
| Policeman Marks saw two domestics al one
of the second-story windows, after it was
supposed that all the inmates had been
/ rescued. He rushed up the burning stair
! case and few moments later appeared,
! dragging out both of the women, who had
| been rendered unconscious by the smoke.
The hotel, which is total loss, was erected
Immediately after the great fire and while
| subStantia-looking outside, has been called
a firc-trap. IL was formerly known as the
| Burdeck House, then as the Crawford, and
recently as the Langham. Cummings x
! Howard were the owners, and.Shaw q Son
| had leased the establishment. The lauer's
! loss is $4,000; insurance, $1,000. The
! building was valued at $l50,000; insured
for half. Keith & Son, picture frame deal
erS, and Harden'S Hand Grenade agency
suffer a total loss insurance unknown.
! The escape of Mrs. j. A. Murray and
child was marvellous. The lady occupied
a room on the fifth floor, and was unaware
| of the danger till ii was too late to attempt
to descend the stairway. She reached the
| fire Scape, but at each floor found the hole
in the grating too small To admit the pas
sage of herself and infant; she was there
fore compelled four times, with the flames
bursting around her, to seat the child upon
| the platform, lower herself over the edge,
and reach up for the little one. Mrs.
| Murray arrived on the ground without
assistance, and a quarter of an hour after
ward had wholly recovered from the effects
| of her terrible experience. The liremen
never ceased their efforts TO rescue the two
missing patrolmen and, three hours after
the wall fell, the pair were discovered in
| the basement of the building next to the
hotel, buried in the debris They were
taken out alive, and, it is thought, will
eventually recover.
| March 22d-At o'clock this morning,
in the ruins of the hotel, were found the
remains of the two patrolmen supposed TO
have been saved. There are also indica-
tions that number of transient guests and
servants perished
| STATE CAPITOL NEARLY DESTROYED.
| TRENTON IN. ~, March 2lst.-Two expio-<
sions were heard in the Quartermaster-
| Generals office on the first floor, at the
northwest corner of the State House this
morning. The explosions were followed
! by flames which shot through the win
| dows. In ten minutes the apartments
were in ruins. The flames followed a steam
| pipe to the floor above and quickly set fire
to the offices of the Clerk in Chanccry. and
| from there the conhagrahon extended to
! the Geological Museum, on the third floor.
| In this there were many valuable State rel
| les, but the most valuable were sent to the
| New Orleans Exposition month ago.
| The battle flags were rescued by the fire
men at the risk of their lives. The sword
and saddle of General Keaney were de-
stroyed The fire then-moved back toward
| the dome, and it looked as though the Su-
preme Courtroom and the Legislative cham
| bers would have to go. The books and
documents were removed hastily from the
offices OF the Comptroller, State Treasurer
and Secretary OF State. The fire was finally
| checked at o'clock, although the
| engines are still playing ON the
ruins, in order that access may be had to the
chancery vaults, where exceedingly val
| liable papers relating to thousands of eS-
tates, are kept. The vaults are not burned,
but are believed to be fall of water, which
will cause almost rs much damage as the
| fire. The loss will not fall below 100000.
The part destroyed is the facade of the
original State House, built in 1895. Only
the portion containing the Quartermaster-
Generals office and the Chancery office
was completely destroyed. The other de-
partments were somewhat damaged by
water. The ChaDcery and Supreme Court
rooms and Senate and Assembly Chambers
remain intact. The entire building was
worth $500, 900 There was liberal insur-
ance on the structure. The explosion in
the Quartermaster's room is thought to
have been caused by confined gas, which
in some way became ignited.
A SUGAR REFINERY BURNED.
BosroN, March 21st.-The Continental
Sugar Refinery storehouse, south Boston.
with 10000 barrels of sugar was burned
this morning The building was opposite
the Boston Machine Works, burned last
night, and the fire probably started from
sparks lodged on the roof Loss $100,000
insurance $4,000. Loss by burning the
machine works, $25, 900; insurance, S120,000.