Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-01-28
DEATH IN AWFUL FORM.

City--Nfneteen dead Bodies Recovered
and More Supposed to be in the Ruins.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND, Jan. 22.-On,
of the most appalling fires in the histor,
OF Indianapolis occurred last night. The
National Surgical Institute, one of thu
most famous institutions of its character
in the United States, burned to the
| ground.
The fire started at midnight in the
Office building. The origin is claimed
| to have been from the spontaneous com
button of some chemicals, and in Il
minutes the whole lower floor was en-.
veloped in flames. The attendant barely
awakened all Of the patients.
In the halls and upper rooms pande.
monium reigned. Shrieks for help wen
up as the inmates realized their terrible
situation. In few moments white and
thoroughly frightened faces appeared al
the windows of the large building, and
the lips could be seen beseeching succoI
from those below, yet their voices could
not be heard. Prayer after prayer went
up from the unfortunate creatures
already the victims of cruel circum.
stances, that they might not perish in
the flames after suffering the most terri
BILE pains from their Affections.
The police and firemen and attendants
all worked diligently and in perfect
accord, and many were the patients
taken from the upper floors by means
OF the ladders and carried to places OF
safety. The citizens turned In to helm
in work Of rescue. An immense crowd
gathered about and great anxiety was
felt, for it seemed improbable that
everybody could have gotten out of the
burning mass alive.
THREE BODIES TAKEN OUT.
At 4.15 three bodies had been taken
out of one room of the ruins. Six more
bodies are believed to be in this room
and an unknown number in other parts
OF the building. At least 1876 persons
were taken from the building and
carried to adjoining stores. At Wedde's
restaurant, where 70 or 80 of the
patients were carried, the sight pre-
sented, as one entered and looked upon
the indiscriminate suffering cripples,
many of them maddened by excitement,
pain and anxious friends, was one that
almost defied description.
One of the most pitiful cases was that
of little 8-years-old Ethel Plat daughter
of James M. Plat of Pinkneyville, Ill.
Little Ethel was found in her bed on
the third floor, half stranglod with
smoke and helpless from spinal trouble.
Wrapped in blanket she was taken
up in the arms of fireman, carried
down to the next floor, through dense
smoke and past roaring flames to a
window, and as the crowd gathered
below and extended their arms she
was thrown out. With broken leg
she was taken across Illinois
street, placed on a table and covered
with blankets. She suffered terribly.
screaming from her fearful agony.
When raised she cried out, ooh, please
don't lift me, you will kill me; oh, my
leg is broken. l want mamma; oh, /
want my mamma. Mamma just left me
last Saturday and went home because
she was SICK" murmured the child.
Wont you please telegraph her to
come backP l cannot die until | see
my mamma"
A missing woman, Mrs. DR.. Button,
the lady physician, was last known to
be in room ", caring for sick boy. Up
to l.3O a. m. she had not been found,
and 1t is feared she has been overcome
and persisted.
TEN BODIES RECOVERED.
At 4 o'clock this morning 10 bodies
had been recovered from the ruins; six
of them were identified as follows:
Stella Spies, aged ID, McComb, o.; Win
kamstack, aged 10, Milwaukee, Wis;
TRINA Paine, aged II, Minnesota; Minnie
Arnold, aged II, Fred Drockenderff,
George Ellis, aged 50, Hughena Mclean,
aged 81 OF Caldwell, Ind, is missing and
thought to be dead.
DEATH ENDS HER suFFERINes.
Katie Strawn, the young girl who was
SO horribly injured, died at o'clock at
the annex. There are undoubtedly a
large number of bodies still in the ruins,
but at this hour the number cannot be
estimated. The work of rescue is going
on steadily and it now bids fair TO be
the greatest catastrophe Indianapolis
has ever suffered. The injured will
probably number 80.
10 VICTIMS BY 10 O'CLOCK.
10a MP to this hour, 10 bodies
have been taken out of the ruins Of the
National Surgical Institute, burned last
night.
HOW THEY NET DEATH.
Some of the victims were killed by
jumping, but the others were suffocated
or burned to death. The injured are
Minnie Lazarus, aged Z, leg broken and
in critical condition; Mrs. II. II. Idena
and son, both severely injure6; Mrs.
Thomas, burned about the face and
body, suffering terrible agony; Annie
Breedon, burned in a dozen diffelE
ent places; Mrs. ]. r. Guild, Mediary-
vile, Ind, internally injured, probably
fatally; Mary Stearns, terribly burned
about the feet; Clara Morris, hurt in
back; Grant Van Hoesen, hand and ear
burned; Clarence Mead, leg hurt; Will
liam II. Albach, slightly burned; Leora
4 back hurt by Jumping from
the third-story window; M. w. Widner,
internally injured by falling out of the
window while trying to escape; Will
Mansfield, feet hurt in jumping from
the roof; Mrs. John S. Stocks, sprained
ankle.
Nellie Mason jumped out of third
story window and will die. Mrs. G.. j.
Simpson and little girl were carried out,
by the firemen, but they were badly
burned. Il. Conner fell from the second
to the first floor and received serious, if
not fatal, injuries. W. III. Wiener was
terribly crushed and fatally injured.
Roy Harris, New Orleans, was hurt, but
not seriously.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND, Jan. 22-The burn
ing of the National Surgical Institute late
last night was attended by the loss of over
20 lives and the serious injury of many
other persons. There were 3l6 inmates.
all told. in the building, which was
affair. Most of the Inmates 4
were helpless cripples. Many of the win
dows were grated so as to prevent the
younger inmates from falling out. These
gratings were responsible for the loss of
more than one life. The loss on the build