The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-01-23
List of the Victims of the Ter
rible Indianapolis Fire.
THE BUILDING A oEATH-TRAP.
Victims Found Huddled Together.
Dead, in the Little Rooms.
A Mother Tosses Her Babe to . Fireman
and Herself to the Flames-How n
Para1ytic Escaped-A Rock Island
Train Derailed Mt Blue Island. Ill.


INDIANAPOLIS. Jan. 22.--A score of help
less human beings burned to death. That
Is the record Of Thursday night. At IL :45
O'Clock fire alarm was turned in from
the corner of Meridian and Georgia streets.
Being in the heart of the wholesale trad
ing district people naturally expected a
great fire, but when the box at Illinois
ana Louisiana streets was pulled, and in
moment second and third alarms were
heard, 1T was plain the conhagration was
dangerous one. Every piece of fire
nghtlng apparatus in the city
was quickly on the run, and
upon arrival the firemen were
horrlfied to see the flames leaping from
the roof and fourth floor windows of the
National Surgical Institute, located on the
corner of Illinois and Georgia streets, with
an extension on the latter street. About
go cripples were in the institute at the
time. The building was almost totally en-
veioped in flames. The order was: Let
the building burn, but save the people,"
When the fire was discovered it was con-
lined 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 their
peril they were frantic in their efforts to
reach places of safety. Every effort was
made by the fremen, police and ambu-
lance forces to rescue the inmates, and
many acts of heroism and daring were
performed.
The surgical institute was veritable
fre-trap. The stairways were narrow, the
halls dark and the whole structure laby-
rinth. The rooms on the third and fourth
floors of the main building and nearest
the alley were the scenes of the greatest
fatalities. In one room 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 at the rear
of the building and threw himself out
He dropped about eight feet to a roof,
then to another and finally rolled off to
the ground, saving himself from death.
The entire rear half of the Georgia street
building fell in. The debris completely
filled the first story, and when the tiremen
commenced searching for the dead they
were obliged to commence work on level
with the second feor. 1t will be several
DAYS before they can reach the bottom.
The killed are:
Lutte L. STRONG, Salem, Or.
MRS. LAZARUS, Dallas, Tex.
WILLIAM RAMsrACK, Milwaukee.
MISS KATE BURNS, Newport, Mimi
FRANK BURNS Newport, Mimi.
MINNIE ARNOLD. Lancaster, No.
IRMA PAYNE, Dexter, Mimi.
STELLA SPECS, Macomb, o.
MINNIE MDONALD, Negaunee, o.
GEORGE ELLIS, California, KY.
MRS EARB and daughter, Shelby, o.
FANNY BREEDAN. Memphis, Tenn.
MORTIE DECKO and FREDERICK DOCK
ENDORF, saltwater, MINI.
HANNAH BROOK, Tayloryille, Ill.
c. II. G0RMAN, Mcdonald, Mich.
A. BAYLESS.
The injured are:
FANNY STERN, Des Moines, Ia
CLARA NORRIS, Mrs. THOMAS, Indianapolis.
Mrs. j. GILL aud son, Dedaryyille, Ind.
GRANT VAN HoEsEs. Athens, n. Y.
CLARENCE MEAD, Athens, N. Y.
w. ]. WAGNER, Troy, o.
W. H. ALBAoH, Dunkirk, N. Y.
NORA KNOWLES, Independence. Ina.
WILL NJ MANsFIELD, Otsego, N I.
Mrs. JOHN STOKES. Danviile. III.
NELLIE MASON. Wisconsin.
Mrs. q. J. SIMPSON and daughter.
r. CoNNoR, Roy HARRIS, New Orleans.
MINNIE GARGARUs, Chicago.
Mrs. Fl. II. IDENA and son.
Many of the above are fatally injured.
In addition TO those mentioned six bodies
have been taken out of the ruins and are
not yet identified.
1t is not known how the fire started, but
il is supposed to have been from spontane-
Gus combustion.
Early this morning ghouls began work
among the ruins, and no small amount of
iewelry and valuables was pilfered by
thieves Detectives Gage and Kinney ar
rested man who gave his name as Rus
sell. They found him rummaging among
the debris, and in his pockets were money
and other articles thought TO have been
stolen from the effects of the patients.
The loss to building, furniture, etc., aggre-
gates about $4,000.
Thrilling incidents at the fire were, of
course innumerable. When the firemen
first arrived a woman was seen at a win
dow on the upper floor clutching babe
in one hand and struggling with the
other to raise the sash. She finally sue
ceeded. and screams fell upon the ears of
the thousands of spectators. No ladders
were at hand and nothing could
be done The flames were clos
ing about her, and she looked
back into the furnace of death, then down
to the pavement below. Suddenly she
clasped the babe to her breast, then tossed
it out of the window and gave her life to
the flames within. AS the child eft the
arms of its mother Pipeman o'Brien
planted himself firmly beneath the win
dow and caught the child which in
a few minutes was smiling and
happy, seemingly unconscious of
the surroundings. The heroism
of Fireman John Loucks will long be re-
membered. He ascended an extension
ladder TO the upper door, and as he reached
the window sill was met by Fireman Rob
ertson, who had pushed his way through
the smoke with a child in his arms.
Loucks grasped the child and started
down, but had descended only a
few feet when he missed his
footing and fell head foremost.
HIS leg caught IN the rounds of the ladder
and was broken, but he held the child and
grasped the Ladder with his hands. AS he
hung there the spectators turned away.
thinking he would soon be obliged 10
loosen his grasp and fail. In moment,
however, two other hremen reached MIN
and carried the injured man and child
safely 70 the ground.
Fireman Connolly went TO a second
story room, where he found a number of
female patients. lie took one under each