River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1892-01-07
persisted BY FIRE.
Lives Lost in Burning Buildings at Chi
cago, Nashville. Tenn, Hanford, Cal
and Columbus, q.

Lives Lost in Burning Buildings at Chi
cage, Nashville. Tenn, Hanford, Cal
and Columbus, q.
CHICAGO. Jan. a.-Early this morning
a fire occurred in the Waverly hotel at
262 Clark street and resulted in the
death of two persons and the serious
injury of two more. Paul Wood, an
artist aged IL years, was crushed TO
death while attempting to escape in
the elevator John Meredith was suf-
located in his room on the second floor.
Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Il. Wood, parents
of the dead boy, were badly crushed
in the elevator
The fire originated in the rear of the
restaurant on the first floor. Before it
was discovered by the cook or walters
it had gained a good start and large
volume of thick smoke was rolling
up the elevator shaft. Clarence Lati-
mer, the night clerk, first discovered the
blaze lie at once began awakening
the guests. His cries of fire
were followed by the utmost
confusion. Men, women and children
ran here and there in their night
clothes, screaming with fright FL
nally some of the cooler headed opened
the windows and let the dense smoke
clear away. After a time the inmates
became quiet and returned to their
rooms and put on their clothes.
After the smoke had cleared away
the firemen found John Meredith on
the second floor overcome by smoke
and dead.
When the first cries of fire were heard
Harry Wood, brother of the boy who
was killed, was talking in the restau-
rant with George Hinman, the head
waiter. He went to awaken his
father, mother, sister and brother,
who were sleeping on the fourth floor.
He knocked on the doors and fastened
back They did not come down as
soon as he expected and he started
up after them the second time. AS he
passed the second story he spiod the
elevator and getting in he ran it to the
top floor. Cropping his way through the
smoke he arrived at his fathers room
and succeeded in getting his father and
mother into the elevator. They were
closely followed by the brother and
sister. Just as they were starting
down ]. +. Smith jumped into the ele-
yator and, according to Harry Wood,
seized the lever and prevented him
from controlling the machine. When
the ground floor was reached he
jumped out, closely followed by
his brother The elevator began
to ascend then and Mr.. and Mrs.
Wood were caught between the floor
and the top of the door They were
severely crushed The elevator then
began to descend and it was then that
| Paul Wood lost his life. 1t is supposed
that he was overcome by the smoke
and fell unconscious into the pit of the
/ elevator shaft. When found he was
1 terribly crushed between the elevator
and the floor. His clothes were torn
/ into ribbons. Mrs. Wood was carried
/ to drug store.
! NASHVILLE, Tenn, Jan. 4.-Ten
years ago in May the most disastrous
1 fire that Nashville has ever had oc-
Cured around the corner of College
and Church streets Saturday night
another fire burned over the site of the
fire of ten years ago, causing loss OF
s475, 600. The fire started in the rear
of the store occupied by Webb, Steven
son Il Co. house furnishers, at $40,
and was not gotten under control until
10 o'clock p. m.
Three coiored firemen lost their
lives. They were fighting the fire at
/ the time, standing on a three-storv
building occupied by Phillips Burtoff
& Co. They were pouring a stream Of
water into the building of A. j. War
rem, when it toppled over upon them,
crushing them all to death. Their
names are as follows: Capt c. c.
| Gowdy, Stokes Allen and Harvey
Ewing.
There is but little doubt that the fire
was of incendiary origin, as, while
fighting the fire. one of the firemeu
saw an unknown white man deliberate
ly set fire to Atwen & Sneed's building
and immediately jump from the second
story and run away in the darkness
HANFoRD, Cal, Jan. 4.-Fire which
broke out early Sunday morn
ing destroyed IS, 600 worth of property,
caused the death of four persons and
badly injured six others The fire orig
mated in the sick-room of o. d. Reed,
in the two-story frame lodging house
1 of Mrs. Kate Jacobs. Lou Woodward,
who was watching with Reed, was
/ pouring oil into coal oil stove when
the can caught fire. Failing to extin-
guish it with blankets she threw the
blazing can into the hall, where the
I flames rapidly spread. The lodging
house, with the Methodist church and
an adjoining dwelling, were entirely
! destroyed. Three men were burned
to death They were Elmer E.
/ Spofford, of Chester, n. H.; +. b.
! Tucker, of Sacramento, and f. w. Fos-
ter, of the Star Nervine Company.
Many of the inmates jumped from the
| second-story windows, receiving more
or less severe injuries. r. c. Ham
mond, printer, was badly burned and
hurt by jumping and died few hours
afterward. Five or six others were
bruised and burned, but viii probably
/ all recover.
COLUMBUS, o., Jan. 4. "A building
| formerly occupied by the Booth Car
| riage Company burned Saturday night.
II was occupied by the Payntel
Manufacturing Company and the
| Mccall Iron Fence Company.
/ Several firemen were injured by fall
| ing wall. Andrew Kerins, Jr., aged IS,
died from a fractured skull. Philip
/ Kersch and c. II. Klinger received Sc
we're wounds and will probably die. The
/ others escaped with scalp wounds.