The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-01-23
Twenty CHARRED BODIES.
The indianapolis Horror Proves
More Terrible Than Was at
First Supposed.
A Score Of Helpless Invalids and
Cripples Burned in Their
Rooms.
HerOism OF Those Engaged In the Work
ef Kescue-ThrilIing Experiences
Related by Survivors.

less human beings burned to death. That
is the record OF Thursday night. At 11:45
that night an alarm wxs turned in from the
corner Of Meridian and Georgia Streets
being in the heart of tho wholesale trading
district. People naturally expected great
fire, but when the box ut Illinois and
Louisiana streets was pulled. and in Il
moment second and third alarms were
heard, II was plain the conhagration was a
dangerous one. Every piece of fire appar-
atus in the city was quickly ON the run and
upon arrival the fremen were Mortified
to see flames leaping from the roof and
fourth floor windows of the National SurRi-
cal institute, located on the corner of Illi-
nois and Georgia streets, with an extension
on the latter street. About $50 crippled
people were in the institute at the time.
The building was almost totally enveloped
in fames and the order was, Let the
building burn, but save the people," When
the fire was discovered it was confined to
the Georgia street building, but soon swept
across the alley and both buildings were
enveloped in flames.
On the third and fourth floors horrible
work was done. The buildings were net
work of narrow halls, entrances and stair
ways. In small rooms throughout the
building were from one to four beds, all
occupied by patients. many perfectly help
less. When they became aware Of theil
peril they were frantic in their efforts to
reach places of safety. Every effort was
made by the fire, police and ambulance
forces to rescue the unfortunates, and many
nka ofh n1,1 do ool
The Surgical institute WAS veritable fire
trap. The stairways were narrow, halls
dark, and the whole structure labyrinth.
The rooms on the third and fourth foorf
of the main building and nearest the alley
were the scenes of the greatest fatalities
In ene of these rooms were two women
both Of whom perished. In another there
was man whose lower extremities were
paralyzed. Although unable to walk he
dragged himself to window Ut the rear oi
| the building and threw himself out. He
/ dropped about eight feet to roof, then te
another, and finally rolled off to tie ground
saving himself from death.
The entire rear half of the Georgia street
building fell ia. The debris flied co M
pletely the first story and when the freme n
began to search for the dead they were
obliged to commence work on a level with
the second floor. 1t will be several days
before they can reach the bottom. The
killed are: Lutte l.. Strong, Salem. Ore;
Mrs. Wazuras, Dallas, Tex; William Ram
stack, Mllwaukee; Mas Kate Burns, New
port. Mimi; Frank Burns, Newport, Mimi;
Minnie Arnold, Lancaster, Mo-; Irmu
Payne. Dexter, MINI; Stella Specs, Ma
comb, O.; Minnie Mcdonald, Negaunee
o.; Geo. Ellis, California, Ky; Mrs. Esrb
and daughter, Shelby. o.; Fannie Breeden,
Memrhis. Tenn; Mortie Decko and Fred
erick Docendorf, Saltwater, Mimi; Han
nah Brook, Taylorville, ILL.,: G. II. German,
Mcdonald. Mich; A. Bayless.
Injured, Fannie Stern, Des Moines, Ia;
Clara Morris and Mrs. Thomas. Indianap-
oils; Mrs. J. Gid and son, Dedaryville,
Ind: Grant Nanhaesen, Athens, N. Y; w.
D. Wagner, Troy, o.; VIM. II. Albach,
Dunkirk, N. Y; Nora Knowles, lndepen-
dence, Ind; Will Mansfield. Otsego, N. Y;
Mrs. John Stokes, Danville, H.; Nellie
Mason, Wisconsin; Mrs. 6: j. Simpson and
daughter, Il. Connor and Roy Harris, New
Orleans; Minnie Gargarus, Chicago; Mrs
II. II. Idena and son.
Many of the above are fatally injured. III
addition to those mentioned, six bodies
have been taken out of the ruins and not
vet identified. Itis not known how the
fire started, but it is supposed by spontan-
eous combustion. Early this morning
| ghouls began work among the ruins and
no small amount of jowelry and valuables
were pifersd by thieves. Detectives Gage
and Kinney arrested man who gave his
name as Russell. They found him rum.
were money and other articles thought to
be stolen from the effects of patients. The
loss to building, furniture. etc., aggregates
| Ahont S4O 900.