The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-01-23
Special to the REcoRp-uN1oN.

Special to the RECoRD-UNIoN.
INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 22.-By the burn
ing of the Surgical Institute early this
morning nineteen helpless, crippled chill
dren lost their lives, and twenty other
persons were injured, some badly, most
Of them slightly.
Two hundred and forty-six patients
and thirty nurses, all sleeping in the
two four-story buildings in which the
Institute is located, We're in imminent
danger of their lives. Their rescue the
fight with the flames and the final discov-
cry of the dead children made story
rarely paralleled.
AT $3.50 this morning nineteen dead
bodies were recovered. Some were
killed by jumping, others were suffocated
or burned to death.
When the fire department arrived,
cripples were seen at every window.
Their heartrending cries were terrible.
Heroic deeds of rescue were performed,
and for two hours the delusion was enter
tanned that all the inmates were saved.
Soon after o'clock, when the fire was
nearly subsidized, the police and firemen
went into the building and found in one
room mass of roasted humanity. There
lCs
Nearly all the bodies were found in the
Georgia-street annex.
The list of dead was further swollen by
four who died from injuries received in
leaping from the windows. Identification
IS almost impossible, many of the dead
being charred beyond recognition.
w hat started the fire is not certainly
known, but it began in the office of the
Secretary about midnight. The flames
spread with amazing rapidity, and soon
involved both buildings.
The scenes in Grit1ith's restaurant, at
the Grant Hotel and the Weddell House,
where the injured were taken, were very
sad.
Soon after daylight this morning people
began to gather at the scene of the holo-
causf To picture all that transpired
around and about the burned building
rom that time would be difficult. A
strong guard of police kept back the
crowd.
BY O'clock the news of the fire spread
all over the city, and hundreds Of per-
sons who had relatives or acquaintance
IN the station began to join the vast
crowd. They searched for dear ones
among the dead and the living and the
grief of those unable to find relatives was
heartrending.
While this was transporting, the fire.
men, police and volunteers were prose-
cutting the search in the ruins for more
bodies. In the upper rooms of the east
wing of the building four bodies burned
10 a crisp were discovered.
Then the dangerous task of removing
the debris began.
Many pairs OF braces were unearthed
in the ruins, showing that some of the
unfortunateS In their efforts to escape
mad loOsened and thrown them away.
the body of one of those found was so
badly disfgured that it was hardly recog-
nizable. brother of the victim, little
nj don trrTlT
the remains away.
GRAPHIC ACCOUNT OF THE FIRE.
INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. pa score of
helpless human beings burned to death
That is the record of Thursday night.
At ll:45 at night an alarm was turned in
from the corner of Meridian and Georgia
streets. Being IN the heart of the whole
sale trading district, people naturally ex-
Dected great tire, but when the box at
Illinois and Louisiana streets was pulled
and in a moment the second and third
alarms were heard, it was plain the con-
migration was dangerous one. Every
piece of fighting apparatus in the city was
quickly on the run, and upon their arriv-
q! the hremen were Mortified 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.
institute at the time. The building was
almost totally enveloped in flames, and
the order was to let the building burn,
but save the people.
When the fire was discovered it was
confined to the Georgia-street buiIdino
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 a network
of narrow halls, entrances and stairways.
IN small rooms throughout the building
were from one TO four beds, all occupied
by patients, many perfectly helpless.
" hen they became aware of their 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 untortunateS, and many acts
OF herolSm and daring We're performed.
The Surgical Institute was veritable
fire trap. The stairways We're narrow,
the halls dark, and the whole structure
labyrinth Of rooms. On the third and
fourth floors of the main building and
nearest the alley were the scenes of
greatest fatalities. In one room were two
women, both OF whom persisted. In
another room was man whose lower
extremities were paralyzed. Although
unable to walk, he dragged himself to a
window at the rear of the building and
eight feet to the roof, then to another,
and finally rolled of to the ground,
saving himself from death.
The entire rear half of the Georgia.
street building fell in. The debris COM
pletely filled the first story, and when
the firemen began to search for the dead
they We're compelled TO commence work
on level with the second floor. IL will
be several days before they can reach the
bottom.
The killed are: Kate L. Strong. Salem,
Or; Mrs. Lazarus, Dallas. Tex; William
Romstack, Milwaukee,; Miss Kate Burns,
Newport, Mimi; Frank Burns. Newport
TIinn.; Minnie Arnold. Lancaster, Mo-:
Trina Payne Dexter. Mimi; Stella Specs,
Macombe, Ohio; George Ellis, California,
Ky; Mrs. card and daughter, Shelby,
Ohio; Fannie Breedan, Memphis, Tenn;
Gfortie Dickko, Frederick Doc1endorf,
Saltwater, Mimi; Hannah Brook, Tay-
lorville, H.; G. II. German, Mcdonald,
Mich; Arthur Bayless.
Injured-Fannie Stern, Des Moines,
Ia; Clara Morris, Mrs. Thomas, Indian
apolis; Mrs. j. K. Gid and son, Cedar
vile, Ind; Grant Van Holsen, Athens,
- Y; w. y. Wagner. Troy, o.; William
II. Albach Dunkirk, n. y; Nora
Knowles, independence, Ind; VIII
Mansfield, 0tsego, y. y; Mrs. John
Stokes. Danville, H.; Nellie Mason. Wis
Consin; Mrs. q. j. Simpson and daugh-
fer. r. Connor, Roy Harris, New Or
leans: Minnie Gargarus, Chicago; Mrs.
IN. II. Idena and son. Many of the
sbf are fatally injured.
.ddition to those mentioned, six