The Portland daily press., 1885-03-23
RECORD OF FIRES.
Terrible Record OF Death Caused
by a Burning Chicago Hotel.
A Woman Killed by Jumping from a
Fourth Story Window.

! CHICAGO, March 21.-At eight this evening
fourteen fire engines we're pouring water into
| the Lsngham Hotel which was a mass of
| flames from basement to garret. the fire
| originated in one of the lower rooma from a
| kerosene lamp which was accidentally over
| turned. AT the time the restaurant of the
| house contained one hundred guests at supper,
| and as many more in their rooms. The per-
| sons IN the restaurant had no trouble in get
| ting out, but several of those in the upper
rooms had very narrow escape.
Mrs. Belknap, an elderly lady, was killed by
| Jumping from the fourth story into an alley.
| Subsequently cry was raised that the walls
were falling and that Bulwinkle's fire in
| surance patrolmen were inside the building.
| A portion OF the south wall was seen to totter
| and then 1t came down with crash. Six
| patrolmen and two truekmen have since been
| taken out, some horribly mangled.
AS soon as it was discovered that no property
in the hotel could be saved, Bullwiukles fire
insurance patrol FASTENED to prevent DAM
age to property in the adjoining building
six OF his men entered, and Bullwinkle came
out shortly after and was hardly on the street
when the South wall of the hotel fell taking
that OF the adjoining building with it. Two
OF the patrolmen inside escaped, but the others
failed to appear from the ruins. After great
labor the hremen succeeded in reaching and
resouing two patrolmen who were pinned fast
under the bricks and timbers. These were
Capt Shepard and d. Muller and they we're
badly bruised about tho legs, but otherwise
were uninjured. Patrolmen A. Jones and
John Walsh are missing and it is supposed
they are sutfocated or buried beneath tons OF
debris which fell. A very daring act was per-
formed by Officer Marks. Two domestics
appeared, panic stricken, at a window on the
second floor and Marks rushed into the build
ing and shortly appeared carrying both women
who were SO nearly suffocated that it was nee
esssry to place them under doctors care.
All this time an immense volume of water
was being poured into the building, but 1t
seemed to have 40 effect on the flames and
every window frame in the front was case
neDt OF fire, and flames bursting through the
roof lit up the whole of that part of the city.
By the concentrated operations of three or four
hre companies, the adjoining buildings we're
kept from being ignited, bat the damage to the
one on the south side is extensive, owing to the
falling of the wall. The hotel building occu-
pied lot quarter OF block in size ON the
southwestern corner of Wabash avenue and
Adams street. 1t was purchased last May by
Cummings and Howard, and leased to Shaw
and Son The latter had just expended about
$4,000 in repairs and improvements, which
had not baen completed. Their total loss on
improvements and furniture is about $50, 900;
insurance $4,000. The building was valued at
$l5O0O0, and is said to be insured for about
half that amount.
CHICAGO, March 22.-The fire which de-
stroyed the Langham Hotel last night, proved
much more dreadful than at first supposed. 1t
IS row known that at least five persons were
klied and lew injured just before the south
wall OF tho hotel fell on the Faxon building. a
number of persons, besides those Of the fire in
suranca patrol, were inside the latter building
to assist IN saving goods. lt is impossible to
tell how many of these volunteer helpers were
in the structure at the time, but excavators
have proceeded to an extent which justifies the
hope that all the dead have been found. So
far as known, those at work in the Faxon
building, when it was crushed by the falling
hotel wall, were the following: Capt Edward
Shepard, James Boyd, Knuse Thine, Patrick
Mullins, John Walsh, Fred K. Jones, all
OF the fire insurance PATROL William Bean
piano tuner and John Hennessey, q CLERK
all OF whom were in the building. Mullens and
Thine being knear the rear of the build
ing they were forced out through one of the
windows by the rush of air as the wall fell,
and are not dangerously hurt Capt. Shepard
and Boyd were pinned down by the falling
timber and were rescued alive about midnight.
WASH and Jones we're taken out about one
O'Clock this morniag: both were crushed to
death. Bean was alive when found and was
taken to the county hospital, where he died at
O'CLOCK this morning. The body OF Hennes-
sey was recovered at o'clock tonight.
Soon after the Walls fell the reck took fire
and the fremen turned several streams on the
olazng mass TO save their comrades from be-
ing roasted to death, though at the imminent
RISK OF drowning. The water was ice cold and
dgenched the imprisoned men, chilling them
to the marrow.
Mrs. Q. V. Belknap, who was killed by
Jumping from an upper window, was the
widow OF Col. Belknap, who died several years
ago at New Orleans.
The total loss, including hotel and furniture
and guests possessions, and on the adjoining
DnlIdlng and It's contents, is estimated st $780,
oO0; insurance will aggregate $4,000.
LATER.
CHICAGO, March 22.-Two patrolmen sup.
posed TO have been killed by the falling wall
OF the Langham Hotel last night were taken
out alive today after four hours imprison-
ment. They will probably survive their in
Jaries.
A Sugar Mandatory with 10000 Bar
rcis of sugar Burned
BosToN, March 21-At four O'Clock this
morning the Continental sugar refinery store
mouse IN South Boston, was discovered to be
on ire, and despite the efforts of the fremen,
was totally destroyed, including 10000 barrels
OF sugar. The building was opposite the ma
chine works, which were burned early in the
evening, and some sparks probably lodged on
the roof. Loss on stock is nearly 100000; in
sured for $75, 600. The bailding was insured
F3O0O which covers the loss.
The less by the fire which DESTROYED two of
the Boston machine company's buildings in
South Boston last night, is generally placed
this morning at S250,000, ON which there is an
insurance OF $l2O 900. A large quantity of
machinery was in stock and in use, which was
destroy ed, including what was considered to be
the largest lathe in the country