davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-01-27
AT THE MoRoUEs,
sickening Sights Meet the Gazs-sOme Of the
Bodies Taken Away.

sickening Sights Meet the Gazs-sOme Of the
Bodies Taken Away.
At the various morgues Friday evening
where lay the charred remains of those
who fell victims to the unrelenting flames
the sight was sickeniUg.
At Powers & BlackwelPs on S. Illinois
ST. four black. ghastly resemblances of
human beings were to be seen.
They had changed much since
they were taken out of the ruins.
The remains of Fred Duckendorff of
Saltwater, Mich, reposed at full length
upon an impromptu table. A few feet
away the body OF Stella Spies of McComb,
O., was at rest. Several portions of the
skull had fallen away and the brains
protruded. The different parts OF their
features were like so many cinders. The
body of William Ramstock of Mil
waukee, Wis, was perhaps less
burned than the others, but the
face, which was all that was visible, pre-
sented on awful spectacle. The body
identified as Katie Straughn. who was
resident of Salem. o., was laid to rest in
casket
At Kregelo's morgue on n. Deiaware-st.
five stark, crisp corpses were laid out in
ghastly array. Those that had once been
so full of life Notwithstanding
their physical infirmities and
now reduced almost to einders
were Mrs Jane Lazarus of Keokuk, Ia :;
Mr.. Charles Earl. Shelby, o.; Maggie
Earl, Shelby, o.; Hannah Brook, Taylors-
Vile, ILL., Minnie Mcdonald of Vegaunne,
Mich.
The four bodies that had remained at
Tutewiler's all dayFriday were removed
st different hours at night. Their friends
had been telegraphed for and when they
| arrived they took their loved ones away
for interment. Those bodies were: Irma
| Payne, Dexter, Mimi. Minnie Arnold,
Lancaster, Mo-. Frank Byrne, Newport,
Mimi, and Martie DeClowe of Fornham,
Neb.
Another body-that of Katie Byrne-
was at Blanchard's morgue. She came
| from Newport, Minn. 1t is thought she
was sister to the boy whose body lay at
| Tutewiler's Mr. Blanchard will have the
remains of both conveyed 10 Newport to-
| day.
The body of Hettie Breeden, the beauti-
ful girl who jumped from the third floor
after having sustained horrible in
juries from the flames, was lying
| at Girton's morgue on Indiana-ave.
her mother nad telegrapneu from
! Memphis, Tenn. that she would
arrive on Saturday morning to take the
remains to her home. While the body
was being undressed at the undertaker's 8
the flesh came away with the clothing.
At D. Kregelo & Sons body, supposed
to be that of DR.. Prior, lay, without any
friends coming to identify 1t. The corpse
measured five feet ten inches. The hair
was dark SAd partially singed. The man
| in life wore beard.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-01-27
A DAY OF HORROR
The Work of Rescue and the Incidents
Accompanying Ii.

The Work of Rescue and the Incidents
Accompanying IL.
Ate o'clock Friday morning when
SENTINEL reporter visited the human
charnel house at the corner of Georgia
and Illinois-sts.. better known as the
National surgical institute, the blackened
walls, crystallized with ice, stood out as
menace to passers-bv of the terrible scenes
that were enacted within their borders but
a few short hours before. Engaged in the
alleyway between the main building,
fronting IllinOis-st. and the office an
mex on Georgia ST.. ladder was raised to
the roof of the one-story building back,
and from its roof a detail of police
under command of Capt. Quigev and
Sergt. Laporte, assisted by several firemen
and volunteer corps of citizens, were en-
gagged in tearing away the debris in search
of bodies that were supposed to be To-
Gated in the neighborhood of the dining
room. A SENTINEL reporter mounted the
roof and from window obtained clear
view of the men operating below. Only a
few minutes had elapsed when one of the
workers, who was excavating with q
shovel, came across two human trunks
glued tightly together In the horrible
cooking process they had undergone
Probably the two fell together where they
were subsequently found, grasping one
another in deaths last embrace.
A call was given below for ambulance
wagons and two Immediately pulled up at
the corner OF the alley back OF the fated
building. The remains were taken out
and tenderly wrapped in heavy linen
cloth, placed upon a stretcher lowered
from the root by means of a hastily con-
stucted tackle, then transferred to the
sOmbre black coffins, patterned after the
old style of casket and gently conveyed
by policemen to the ambulances in wait
| ing.
Operations were again proceeded with
and the same scenes were enacted bv tho
workers until five charred and horribly
| distorted human trunks, bearing scarcely
a semblance to human forms were un-
earthed in the lower end of the dining
room upon which the debris from the fall
ing roof and upper floor had fallen.
In the upper portion of the dining room
the tables were set for breakfast, while
| the lower portion was caved in from the
upper floors bearing down upon it. The
picture here presented was graphic one,
reminding the sight-seer of "a banquet to
the DEATH" The search for more bodies
was continued until late in the afternoon,
but the efforts of the men, who dug slowly
through the vast conglomeration of debris,
comprising board partitions. dining tablei
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-01-27
A BROTHERS. GRIEF.
/ Mr.. Beard Takes the Message Announcing
the Death Of Mrs. Laz ,rus.

Mr.. Beard Takes the Message Announcing
the Death of Mrs. Laz ,rus.
Frank Beard q brother of Mrs. Lazarus,
is a telegraph operator in Chicago. About
]: 80 hundreds of messages were flying
over the wires from those whose lives W ere
saved from the awful wreck
Beard received the messages. the GEN
eral tenor of which were: institution
burned. 1 am safe" After about twenty
had been sent Beard asked the operator
at this end "What institution is 1t that is
burning"
The n National surgical institute, was
the local operators reply.
my God" clicked the little instrument,
81 have a sister at that place. Have you
heard anything of Mrs. Lazarus?" The
sender replied that it was understood that
she had jumped with her child from a
window but that both had probably been
sayed.
After half hours suspense, it was
learned that the unfortunate woman was
dying and the local operator called Mr..
Beard and informed him he had bad news
for him. Then he sent particulars. In
another half hour he sent the news of her
death.
A pathetic feature of the affair was that
the brother had raised his hopes too high
on receiving the first news and had wired
q congratulatOry message to his relative.
This was never delivered.
PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 22.-Samuel Laz-
arus, clothing merchant of Dallas. Tex,
whose wife and child were victims of the
terrible fire which destroyed the National
Surgical institute at Indianapolis, is in the
city on business. His daughter Minnie
aged seven, was being treated at the insti-
tute for disease of the spine and his wife
was nursing the child. Mr.. Lazarus first
information of the disaster that has be-
fallen him came through an Associated
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-01-27

elapsed since the flames were subdued
and all the horror of the results
dawned upon the community, that
a public sentiment regarding this dread
full occurrence, has been born and has
rapidly gained strength until even this
afternoon could be heard demands from
many citizens, who, as a rule, seldom ex-
press themselves so decidedly, that the
individual responsible for the awful
catastrophe should be searched ont and
made to answer to an outraged public be-
fore court of law"
Said a leading LAWYER: "a coroner of
this county never had better opportunity
for displaying tact, courage and common
sense than has now fallen TO the lot OF
Coroner Manker. If any criminal respon-
sibility exists the first legal step in discov-
ering the responsible parties must, of
course, be taken by the coroner, and much
OF grave weight rests upon that gentleman
right now"
A short time after the fire had burst
forth from the roof of the Georgia-st
building and had eaten its way into the
old Farmer hotel annex, a SENTINEL re-
porter saw a large number of the smaller
children taken from their cots in the two
rooms on the upper floor bv men who
started back over the route by which they
had come up on the floor and became lost
in their efforts to find their wav down
stairs and out of the building.
The stairs leading down from
the third floor to the second,
consist of two short flights, the first of
about nine steps descending to a contract
ed and narrow landing. a sharp turn to
the right without the utmost care would
cause the average person, having perfect
bodily power even, to break his neck out
right or run the risk of fractures or other
injuries, for right there the distance from
the floor of the landing to the first step
of the lower fight is twenty-nine inches.
A sudden downward step would nine
times out of ten precipitate man to the
bottom. During the fire three men with
crippled children in their arms had TO
stop at this trap, sit down on the floor, let
their legs over the edge and slide until
their feet struck the first step. Again, the
exit from the north and south hall of the
second floor opens on narrow, rickety
stairway that trembled warningly as the
men found their way onto and down it to
the street.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-01-27

Georgia-sts. was standing when I came as
the Farmers hotel. l don't know how
long it had been built before that. l
only know it was not constructed upon
such architectural principles as to
render it q safe habitatIOn. The passage
ways were narrow. the ceiling low, stair
ways steep, partitions wood on the upper
floor, ventilations abominable and the
building, in short, altogether dangerous.
have been through this building many
times since and while there have been
many alterations on the interior, | believe
they have tended TO increase rather than
lessen the danger to be apprehended from
fire and panic. The means of egress from
this building are outrageouslv insufficient
and imperfect. When the old Farmers
hotel was running there was a rather COM
modious stairway leading from the second
floor down to the Illinois-st. sidewalk.
This has disappeared and in place of it 1
believe fruit store is now located. The
building should have been condemned
and the condemnation made to stick years
ago"
Said Abner +. Newland: "There is a
ponderous weight of responsibility to be
fastened upon somebody's shoulders be-
fore this dreadful work has ended 1
believe. in the short t'me that has
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-01-27

TO walk up and down the street from
tho depot to the Grand hotel for the pur
pose of advertisement. Many of these
children were deformed and should not
have been allowed to be exhibited neaI
places most frequented by ladies. The
first time my wife came TO Indianapolis
during the last session she was greatly
effected by the sight of boy who was
carrying his head in brace and little
girl deformed. You could not have
tempted her to walk uD Illinois-st,
from the Grand hotel to the depot after
this. When we went home we had to
dodge around to reach the depot"
Commissioner of Public Safety Cat.
terson, in speaking of the instituts
building, said: six months ago Sterling
X. Holt. then president of the board,
often referred to the unsafe condition OF
this building and wanted it condemned.
Finally we ordered Chief Webster to 60
through the building and make
diagrams and posting his men
80 that the fire department would be pre-
pared when the building took fire. Yes,
the board recommended the condemna-
tion OF the building"
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-01-27
PRESENCE OF MIND.
How Little Florence Gale Succeeded In
Saving Her Life.

How Little Florence Gale Succeeded in
Saving Her Life.
There were noted several very remarka-
bic exhibitions of a perfect presence of
mind and rare self-control on the part of
the child inmates. Florence Gale, eleven
years old, OF Salem, o., awoke to find her
room filled with smoke and the atmos-
phere so hot that it seemed, as she subse-
quently said, "as if some one had poured
hot water all over me-" She awoke her
roommate and then, in her night-dress,
pushed her way out into the hall. She
passed along toward the stairway amid
smoke that was becoming rapidly more
dense. Turning about, she bethought her
self o. her roommate, and started back to
see if she was out, but the flames had
by that time eaten their way
through the partition and precluded
her re-entering the room or even coming
near the door. She then turned again to
retreat. Said she: 81 knew that could
get along all right If got my knee cap off"
She referred to the metal caps fastened
out OF bed l took them off 1t didn't take
any time at all. Then l went out to get
away. When l started back and found l
couldn't get TO the room just made up
my mind not to get frightened and /
didn't. l got down to the second floor
and some man carried me across the street
to the annex, and l stayed there until
came here" The little girl was found at
the residence of Capt. John B, Writ on
Indiana-ave, where she was engaged in
amusing herself in a solitaire game of
''tiddly-winks. She has been here under
going treatment for about eight months
and yesterday she would have formally
been discharged from the institute.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-01-27
HOW SOME WERE RESCUED.
Noble Work of One Little Band-very OAR
ing Work.


ing Work.
Among those who were first to
enter the burning building on a life
saving mission was Merchant Policeman
Breen, Dennis @. 0'Brlen and his brother
Daniel and John Higgins. BY means of
the awning on one Of the stores
in the basement they succeeded in
climbing on to the Veranda from
which they made their way TO the rooms
on the second floor. Some they found
sleeping as TRANQUILITY as if no danger
had threatened them. When the res
cuers rudey woke them up and informed
them that the building was on fire they
became dazed with fear and implored
them to save their lives.
There was not much time for thought in
the panic that soon became general
amongst the waking inmates and
the rescuers seized the poor unfortunates
and brought them in pairs to the Win
dows, where they left them while ladders
were being procured. The scene
was one of wild terror and
supplication. The crisis was one to thrill
the nerves of the strongest man and the
stoutest heart quailed as the smoke spread
itself in thick volumes over the
Railways. But, like soldiers in
battle, the little band, guided
by one common instinct, adapted
themselves to the ordeal OF saving the
lives of those who were unable even
to move in their little beds which
they occupied. These terror-stricken bur
dens they raised up in their arms and
ran with them to the most con-
venient place of exit where they
handed them 10 other volunteers and
again rushed back to ransack for human
beings through the apartments OF the
different wards.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-01-27
ONE OF The HEROES.
He Carried Out Two Children bat Could
Not Save the Third.

Not Save the Third.
Clarence Hill, who works at 80 n. Penn
sylvania-st., was one of the heroes at the
fire on Friday morning. He was one of
the first on the scene, arriving there about
the time the first alarm was given. Mr..
Hill said last night: "I went in from the
Georgiast. side when heard the screams
and made my way to the second
floor and carried out two chill
dren. l also rescued one from the
third floor. l was much exhausted but
made my way back to the fourth floor
where found two little fellows in the
same room. seized one of-them to take
him out when the other begged me pite-
ously to come back and save him. l told
him l would, and when had carried the
first one down and tried to get back, the
smoke was so dense and sitting that it
was impossible. So far as | know the
little fellow was not rescued and must
have been burned. 1t was heartrending
but l was unable to help him. l rescued
five in all"
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-01-27
the BUILDING CONDEMNED.
OniciaIiy Declared Unsafe sOmo Month

Onlcially Declared Unsafe somo Months
The sole topic of conversation in the
hotel lobbies Friday was the surgical in
stitute horror.
George ID. Hill, editor of the American
Farmer of Chicago, was one of the first
to assist the inmates to escape. "I went
ND TO the fourth floor" said he, 'and in a
small room found eight little girls
in cots in room so small
that there was no space left
between them. am surprised that the
CITY authorities allowed the crowding of
children in such manner. took three Of
them with me on the first trip down
stairs. Another man carried two down at
the same time. l went up again by the
stairway. but the smoke compelled me 10
escape bv a ladder with two more OF the
unfortunates. Won't you come back for
me- pleaded the last one. OF course L
did. She could not use her lower limbs.
This little girl had no night dress on,
and sleeping in q cot without one
must have been injurious to her. car
ried her down in a blanket. / am aston
ished that such state of affairs was
tolerated in the capital city of Indiana" "
The drummers were especially severe in
their denounciation of the institution.
An ex-member of the legislature said /;
"If / come back next winter l will en-.
deayor to get bill through providing that
no hospital or dormatory for chill
dren OF any kind shall be
more than two stories high. This
institute ought not to have been carried
on in the heart Of the city in a four
story building. The proper place
for such an institution is the sub
urbs where the children could
get fresh air and grounds and parks to ex-
ercise themselves. But l am told that
this institute was kept near the
depot and the children made
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-01-27

Press dispatch announcing that Mrs.
Lazarus was badly hurt. Nothing was
known at that time of the condition of the
child. Upon being told that his wife was
dead the unfortunate man tainted and
his condition now is pitiable. Since the
first dispatches intelligence has been re-
ceiyed that Mrs. Lazarus died from her
iniuries and that the daughter is in q
critical condition, one of her legs being
broken. Mr.. Lazarus will depart for In
dianaDoiis on the St. Louis express over
the Pennsylvania road at 4 20 this after
noon il his condition will permit of his
travelling. The bereaved husband and
father is at the clothing house of Good
man Bros, where he has been trans-
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-01-27
TWENTY ARE DEAD
As the Result of the Fire
Friday Morning.
Helpless Victims in Man
trap.
Surrounded by Rapacious,
Greedy Flames
Right in the Clutches of
Death.
SURGICAL INSTITUTE FIRE.
A Constantly Expected Catas-
trOphe Occurs.
The Building Was a Veritable
Death Trap
SURGICAL INSTITUTE FIRE.
A Constantly Expected Catas-
trOphe Occurs.
The Building Was Veritable
Death Trap
Where the Helpless Victims
Were Cooped Up.

PirifuI Scenes Attend the Work of
Recovering the Dead-SOme Acts of
Ouirt Heroism-The Full Extent of
the Horror Not At First Realized
The Bodies Identified-An Attempt
TO Be Made to Patch Up the Old
Trap-Four of the Injured Die from
the Shock-Tbousands Gaze on the
Ruins-Latest Developments in the
Terrible Tragedy.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-01-27
i. PRIER, Wisconsin.
Injured

Mrs. II. II. IDENA and son, Grand
Rapids, Mich reported badly burned
JOHN Brown, Athens, o.; injuries
slight.
". VI. TAYLOR, severely burned.
Ruth COLLINS, injured internally.
LIZZIE FISHER, Ontario; a number of
painful bruises
F. H. CUNNINGHAM, Cincinnati; badly
burned.
Tex; leg broken and injured internally.
Recovery not possible.
LEoRA OLDs, Independence, Ind. hurt
in left hip. but injuries not serious.
KATE THOMAS, 1S4 Massachusetts-ave
face badly bruised, but condition not neces-
sarily fatal.
LOUIS VAN VoRIs, Athens, o.; jumped
from the fourth story to the kitchen roof
is badly burned about the head. He is a
paralytic.
NJ. McJosEPH. Des Moines, Ia; not
badly hurt.
ALICE THoRNBEcK, near Columbus, o. !;
arm hurt.
ROBERT CoNNoR, Aubendire, Wis; back
hurt
MAHLoN w. WIDENER, aged thirty-nine,
Miami county, Ohio, cut on the head and
badly bruised.
MAMIE STERN. age eighteen, Des Moines,
Ia, feet badly burned.
ARBA CORNELL, aged thirteen, Sioux
Rapids, Ia; not hurt.
ALBERT EoQUENE NICHOLSON, aged four
teen. Elk Creek. Neb. not hurt.
Mrs. JOHN STOKES, Danville, Ind. not
hurt.
Mrs. G. K. SMITH, aged forty-eight, and
Baby Bessie SMITH, aged six, Elk Creek,
Neb
Mrs. ]. r. GUILD, age forty. and infant,
AVA GUILD, age three. Medaryville, Ind. /;
mother fatally injured.
Miss EMMA Rich. age fifteen, Jackson
vile. Ind uninjured.
Mrs. G. P. CULLoM, age forty-fve, and
ba6y, NEIL CULLoM, age four, Carthage,
Tent; uninjured.
NELLIE MASON, fourteen years, Java,
N Y; burned and collar-bone broken.
CLARA Morris, hurt in back.
GRAM VAN HoEsEN, Athens, N. Y;
hand and ear burned.
CLARENCE MEAD, Athens. N. Y; leg
slightly hurt.
WILLIAM II. ALBAcH, Dunkirl1, II. Y;
slightly burned.
Mas. JOHN S. Stokes, Danville. Ill.
sprained ankle.
Mrs g. J. SIMPSON and little girl.
A lone-dreaded, long-expected fire has
occurred in indianapolis.
The surgical institute burned out al
midnight.
Shortly before IL o'clock Thursday night
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-01-27

operates or carries on such hotel or place Of
entertainment without providing sufficient and
suitable fre-escapes or ladders at convenient
places in the stories of such building above the
second, for the speedy escape of such guests
boarders in case of fire; aud without causing
written or printed notices of the location and
manner of using such fre-escapes or ladders.
to be posted In a conspicuous place in the
room OF each guest or boarder. shall be fined
not more than $50 nor less than s. for each day
NJ suoh failure
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-01-27
A DEATH TRAP

Many Expressions in Regard to the IDsti-
tution's Unsafe Condition.
All day Friday could be heard on
every side expressions of opinion wholly
unfavorable to the structure in which so
many unfortunate, crippled and helpless
persons made their home.
Said George w. Bruce: II have been
here thirty-five years and the institute
building on the corner OF Illinois and
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-01-27
DIR. ALIENS STATEMENT.
He Thinks the Papers Are Treating Him


He Thinks the Papers Are Treating Him
Unkindly.
Dr. Horace r. Allen was seen early Fri
day morning after the morning paper
accounts OF the horrible occurrence had
been published. The doctor was standing
in front of the office building gazing into
the blackened ruins.
Doctor" said the writer, "have you
complete list of the patients recorded yes
terday."
eyes, sir" he answered, ''but it is locked
in the safe. We have made list. how
ever, and checked it, and find but about
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-01-27

MINNIE MCDONALD. aged sixteen,
Negunnee, Mich.
FRED DOCKENDORFF, aged twenty
Eve, Saltwater, M1nn.
HANNAH BROOK, aged sixteen, Tay-
lorsviIle Ill.
FANNIE BREEDEN, aged fourteen,
Memphis, Tenn.
IRMA PAYNE, aged sixteen, Dexter,
Mo
MINNIE ARNOLD. aged seventeen,
Lancaster, No.
WILLIAM RAMSTACK, aged seven
teen, Milwaukee.
MRS. CHARLES E. EARL, Shelby, o.
MAGGIE EARL. aged six, Shelby, O.
MRS. SAMUEL LAZARUS, aged thirty
five. Dallas, Tex.
STELLA SPIES. aged thirteen, Nc
Comb, 0.
G. NJ. ELLIS, aged forty-four, Cslifor-
mia, KY,
KATE L. STRAUGHN, aged nine
teen, Salem. o., relatives at 1S4 Massa-
chusetts-aye.
MISS KATE BURNS, aged forty-fve,
Newport. Minn.
FRANK BURNS, aged fourteen, New
port. MINI.
MARTIE DE CLOE, aged three, Farm
ham. Neb., died from exposure.
MRS. NJ. KLUMP.
ARTHUR BAYLESS.
II. 4. PRIER, Wisconsin.