Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1892-01-28
A HOLOCAUST
At the National Surgical Insti-
tute, indianapolis.
Helpless Women and Children
Perish in the Flames.

eued by tile Firemen and Hundreds of
Volunteers-The Number of Dead Esti-
mated at Not Less Than Twenty-A
Large Number Injured-N List of the
Victims So Far rs KnOwn--Causc of the
Fire Not known.
INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 23.-At midnight
| Thursday night fire broke ont in the
office of the National Surgical institute,
at Georgia and Illinois streets The fire
was burning some time before it was
discovered by the officers. and before the
engines arrived. the annex, containing
wards A, b and C, devoted TO the care
of women and children. was in flames.
Escape Cut on.
They ran to the windows, but their
escape was stopped by iron bars across
| the windows. Some gained the fire es-
cape, but We're unable TO descend on ac-
count of the mass of flames issuing from
the lower windows.
Their rescue, the fight with the flames
and the final discovery of the charred re-
mains of the poor, dead children.
wrapped in each others withered arms,
make a story rarely paIalleled in the
annals of Modern cities. It was almost
on the stroke of II when Janitor Gill
gave the alarm of fire: Box 90 was
pulled. This always presages danger.
Or if 52 is called the tiremen expect
trouble. These alarms include the
surgical institute which has been looked
! upon for years as fire trap.
! The first alarm was instantly followed
by the second and third The telephone
had conveyed to the chief the news that
the building of all others where fire was
( dreaded was i'll flames. This meant no
ordinary danger. 1t proved to be a
holocaust. By the time the department
arrived the scene was one to blanche
stout hearts. Poor, helpless cripples
were hanging on the fire escapes, and in
every window the heartreDding cries of
those shut in the burning building min
gled with the shouts OF the firemen and
police.
Heroic deeds of rescue were per-
formed, and for two hours the delusion
was entertained that all the inmates had
been saved. In the Georgia street
annex, third floor, the fire ragged furious
ly all this while and there was a sicl1en-
ing suspicion on the part of those first
at the scene, in that raging furnace We're
Gagged some of the patients who were
cut of by the flames before help could
reach thems Soon after . o'clock this
suspicion became certainty, the fire
having been then.subdued. The police
and firemen made their way into the
/ building. In one room a mass OF roast
ed humanity lay entwined. When
their bodies were disengaged it was
found that there were seven persons in
that mass alone.
| From that hour on up to midday Fri
day other bodies were found, nearly all
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 be-
came difficult task. Many of the dead
were charred beyond recognition.
| The books of the institution were in
the Office temporarily inaccessible. Sew
! enteen dead had been found up to s
O'Clock in the morning and at 8 o'clock
woman and child. wrapped in each
others arms, were discovered in the
annex. Thus the total grew to nine
teen.
Irma Payne, aged eighteen, OF Dexter,
4 Missouri.
Minnie Arnold, aged seventeen, Lam
caster, Mo.
William Ramstak, aged seventeen, of
Milwaukee.
| Mrs. E. Bear and child.
Mrs. Lazarus, Of Chicago.
Stella Spirole. aa
G.. NJ. Ellis, aged forty.
| Kate L. Strsughan, relatives at 1874
Massachusetts avenue. s.a,
! Mrs. Burns and nephew, of st. Paul.
| G. H. Gorman, of Med Mich.
| Hannah Brooke, of Taylorsville. Ills.
Frank Dockendorf, of Saltwater,
| Minnesota. rss - +
Minnie Mcdonald, of Negaunee,
Michigan.
| Fannie Breeden, Of Memphis.
Martie DeClow, age three, Of Farm
ham, Neb., died from burns.
Arthur Bayless. .-s
/ Injured.
Minnie Lazarus, aged seven, leg
broken. ,-t,,. :
Mrs. H. H. Idena and son, both severe
ly injured.
| Mrs. Thomas, 1S4 Massachusetts ave-
nue., burned about the face and body;
in terrible agony.
Fannie Breeden, Of Memphis, burned
in dozen places.
| Mrs. J. R. Guild, of Medaryville,
Ind, internally injured by fall from
ladder, probably fatally.
Mary Stearns, ofssW arren, Ia, terribly
burned about the feet in running out in
to the burning hallway on the third floor.
Clara Morris, home not given, hurt in
in back.
Grant Van Hoesen, of Athens, N. Y,
1 hand and ear burned.
Clarence Mead, of Athens, N. Y, leg
slightly hurt.
William H. Albach, of Dunkirk, N.
Y. slightly burned
Leora Knowles, of Independence, Ind,
back hurt by jumping out of third-story
window.
M. w. Wydner, Troy, O., internally
injured by falling out of window
while trying to escape.
Will Mansfield, Otsego, N. Y, foot
hurt while jumping from roof to roof
till he reached the ground.
Mrs. John S. Stokes, DanviIle, H.,
sprained ankle.
Nellie Mason. of Walworth county,
Wis, jumped out Of a third story win
dow of the front part of the building,
and will die from her injuries,
( Mrs. G. j. Simpson and little girl
were carried out by the fremen and
were seriously burned by the fire.
r. Connor fell from the second to the
first floor and received serious if not ia
tai internal injuries.
w. M. Wldener, of Miami county, O.,
terribly errshed and fatally injured. :.