, 1892-01-31
NEAR TO DEATHS DOOR
Miss Grace Chafin's Thrilling Ex-
p~erience at indianapolis.
She Arrives Home and Tells How
She Escaped,
While a Score of Her Companions
Met Death.

Miss Grace Chafin, daughter of Mr..
and Mrs. j. F. Chafin, corner of Eigh-
teenth street and Capitol avenue, and who
was undergoing treatment at the National
Surgical institute at Indianapolis at the
time it was burned. a few days ago, ar
rived home Yesterday afternoon.
Accounts of the tragic and slckening
circumstances attending the fire were
graphically heralded throughout the
world by that great dispenser Of news. the
Associated Press, at the time the fire oc-
Cured. THE LEADER gave the shocking
details of the fire that morning, mention
ing the names of the twenty victims who
found a horrible death by both the mon
ster fiery fiend and the clouds of strang-
ling smoke.
Miss Chains name did not appear
among those who were dead or injured IN
the Associated Press report, but MIR. INT
Mrs. Chafin Immediately wired their
daughter, and were 80 uneasy they almost
forgot their own names, until they were
assured by their daughter that she was
safe, and not a hair of her head had been
injured.
Upon the reception of this dispatch the
parents joy knew no bounds. They wired
Mise Chafin to come home at the earliest
moment. AS soon as she could arrange
for her departure the young lady boarded
a cannon ball train and came directly to
Cheyenne.
When Miss Chafin arrived yesterday
at home, after having been absent sixteen
months, an enthusiastic reception was
rendered her by her brothers, sisters and
parents.
Her friends also, who are legion. were
if possible. equally as glad OF their Young
friends escape and return and all the
afternoon Miss Chafin received storms of
congratulations. For everyone OF these
she gave such a polite. dignifed and
courteous thank YOU that everybody
recognized instantly that though she had
the misfortune to pass through a disaster,
national in its dire results, she had not
only escaped injury, but lost none OF her
old friendship. A reporter for The
LEADER called at the Chafin residence
o after Miss Grace's return. Not
w~ithstanding she had only left the train
a few minutes before. after a ride of
more than 1000 miles, she didn't seem
the least fatigued, and with a vivid I'M
~agination she %recounted her awful ex-
perience during the fire as if it had only
occurred a few minutes before.
Il was on the third floor" she said,
''and when l awoke l was almost choked
to death with smoke. The patients bad all
been removed from the floor above me
and the most OF the building was Quilted.
Means and screams of those who
we're in the throes of death rang out
upon my ears while Hay there and didn't
know hardly what to do.
About that time some powerful man,
whom / do not know, came rushing into
my room. He had no time for prelimi-
naries of course, as the building was then
falling in. He threw a great. heavy coat
around me and carried me to the ground
aud to safety.
Il had a large number of friends
among both the patients and the ser
wants. The fact is that ono of the colored
men came up and, at the risk of his life.
placed all of my wardrobe into my trunk
and carried it out Of the building. No.
| did not receive any injury and never
lost a dollars worth of anything"
Miss Chafin talks excellently and told
of her heroic efforts to help her com.
pauions in a decidedly graphic manner
and to use her W words Is as happy as
| she can be-"