Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-02-22
A HORRIBLE CREMATION
over Fifty Persons Meet a Most Fear
ful Death in the Flames.
Hotel in Hartford, Conn, Wrecked
by the Explosion of a Boiler.
The Work Of Recovering the Bodies
Continued All Last Night.

/ PARK Central hotel, Those who hur-
rled 10 the spot found = high p1le
/ of stone and brick and splintersd
timbe:s, from which white clouds of
| steam rose up, streSkeG sud hlackened by
STeathes of smoke, that rapidly grew
more dense. Then tongues of flame
/ leSped out here and there, graausl,y
growing stronger, until the rain was a
roaring heeP. Cries and means came
from the pile which made the hystand-
ers sick with horror. The fire depart
ment WAS soon on the scene, and many
streams of water were directed upon the
flames rs daylight came on. The helpless
at the ruins could see behind 1t the annex
to the building, in which the servants
of the hotel were, and which
was spared. Portions of tiers % the
rooms at the rear of the main building
had remained standing, but the parti-
tions were torn away and the rooms
opened TO the air. The floors of many of
them ha~ partly given away, and tumbled
the occupants and furniture uuou the
confused ruins below. The frlShteued
employees were safely taken from the
annUN by ladders. Finally the flames
were mastered by the fireman and sank
down from sight within the rains where
the water yet hlssed and steamed among
the hot stones and brick A.
soon rs the ruins sutll GENTLY
cooled, hundreds of willing hands set
about the tercu'eau task of removing
the immense ma's of masonry, aud the
enormous thUOug which had by this time
gathered, waited and watched with
breathless suspense. The first persou
rescued was George GAINS, q colorsd
porter, who died soou after heinz taken
out. Helen Lspor,, Jenny D.oGer and
Jacob b. Terulu were taken our and found
20 be ouly slightly iujured. Rachael
Cramer Jumped from 81 window, breaking
her ley. AZ . O'Clock Har-
rrs SytN', Il traveller from
PhIlRdrlpuIu, was rescued from
beneath mass of timbers. wth but
slight injuries. Near hIm was found the
dead body of ID wight Ii. Buell. who had
evidently been sutr ,cated.
BY tins time the crowd of spectators
had Increased to such proportions as TO
greatly impede the work of the roscuers.
Accordingly the mlntia was ordered out
TO aid the police, and rendered excellent
service durIng the day and night, keep
ing the crowd within houlis BY noon
kilograms OF anxious inquiry were pour
ing IN from every part OF 'he country,
ana friends of those supposed 20 he III
the ruins were arriving ON every train,
together with an immense crowd of
curious people from the surrounding
town. The lower floor OF large wool
Warehouse was made a tempo AIRY
morgne. The bodies were taken these IA
fast rs recovered, and au opportunity
was offered for Identification by trier d..
Those not identified were taken in charge
10y the city. The injured w,re promptly
sent to the hospital. The recovery of
the bodies was slow, owing to the i'm
mense accumulation OF the dubri-, but at
nearly regular Intervals one or two bodies
were found, during the afternoon. They
were recovered IN the order OF tho
nst given. This catastrophe was
devoid of the harroging details
of the hair breadth escapes, and the
thrilling resoues attending au uucon-
rolled cotnagration, One terrible crash,
smCke, hlmes. quick rushing streams of
water, and all was Oyor. For this reason,
the disaster IL overwhelming, and the
! mag guitude OF the calamity cannot he
realized; in fact, it's extent Ii not yet
known, rs the register OF the hotel has
not been found. Mr.. Perry, the night
clerk, Is buried in the ruins. From the
best estimates that can be obtained from
the landlord and others, 1t Is
probable there were not far from
90 people in the hotel proper.
OF these, perhaps five may have escaped
uninjured amid the confusion of the
carly morning hour, which would leave
forty five unaccOunted for. Ten are in
the hospital, and uP to this writing (mId-
night sixteen dead bodies have b ZEN
taken from the RUNE, leaving nineteen
still missIng. But there may be more
than this. The cause of the disaster vas
undoubtedly the explosion of tho boiler
in the basement. No engineer Wa on
duty at the time, it being the custom tor
| he night engineer TO bank his fires and
| go TO be bed. His engineer, Alex. lhuor,
WAS arrested this afternoon on an IN
! dietment for manslaughtrr. IT. ha7 been
! conjeotUred that Games, the cOlored pOr-
ter, may have started the pumps, throw
! ing cold water III the OverneHtcd boiler
| thus causing the explosion. But this is
only con lecture, and Gaines Is dead.
| The force of the explosion was terrible.
| All the people in that part Of the oity
| were awakened by the shock, and huge
| stones were scattered and iron pipes bent
and twisted. The windows in the ad-
| joining buildings and across the street
were demolished, and pane5 OF glass
| smashed two blocks away. 1t ls believed
| tonight that Mrs. Weston, of Springfield,
WIS In the hotel with her five child
| rem and servant. She had
not been seen. If this proves true, the
! aggregate loss Of life would be raised by
! the addition OF seven v'ctIm7. The eK-
| periences OF the survivors we're remark
! able. Walter NJ. Gay occupied a room
! adjoining Landlord Ketcham's. When
/ l. -. ,ut r.. D. "A
| ing with him. When 1t became
stationary he found himself pinned down
! by the ceiling and timber5 in such man
ner that he WIS enable to move. He soon
! head the voices OF Mr.. and Mrs. kstch
! gn, and converted with them concerning
the chances of escape. Before they were
rescued, the water poured into the ruins
by the fremen had nearly covered his
face.
A com plete list OF the bodies taken out
no to midnight, j. as follows: ID. Wight,
! Ii Buell., George Gains, (co'ored porter,)
/ Geo. EEglsr, of Hartford, John W. Hyus-
man, commercial traveller, Of Boston, j.
! G. Hill, commercial traveller, Buffalo,
Louis II. Bronson, Sec'y. Hartford S Owe
! Co, his wife and child, Gee. KetchUm,
| brother Of the landlord, EIdie Ketchum,
! aged IL, son Of the landlord, George W.
! Roo, a commercial traveller from Boston.
| A. II. TillesoD, commercial Traveller from
! Cincinnati, MsIiroIllisu G4lOdy, pro
/ prietOr Of the Hartf0rt HerOld, and his
J wife. Mr.. Andrews f. Wr ting, and two
unknoEn men. The victims at the hos
pitaI are all doing well, and most of the
injuries will be superficial, although all
are suffering from chill and exposure.
Some of the bodies of the dead are
much dirfi2Gred and burned, but the
faces of most of them were not injured,
and wore a life like expression Electric
| lights nave been pat in around the ruins
and the search will be vigorously pushed
| q night.
LArEE-At 2 q. u. the Inst Of aeod has
| been increased to twenty-five. Eighteen
| injured are in the spital, and ten per
sons are kDoxn TO be in the ruins.
Cyclone in Alabama.