Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-01-08
Fatal Fire Breaks Out i'm the Wav-
erly Hotel, Chicago, Mon
day Morning.
One Nan is Crushed to Death i'll an
Elevator, While Another
is SuffOcated.
Dense Smoke Creates Terrible Con
fusion, and the Guests Get
Panic-Stricken.

CHICAGO. Ill, Jan. 4.-Early this
morning fire occurred in the Waverly
hotel at 262 Clark street and resulted
Ia the death Of two persons and the
serious injury OF two more. The killed:
PAUL WOOD, aged II, an artist; crushed
while attempting to make his escape in the
elevator
JOHN MEREDITH, surocated in his room
sn the second floor.
The injured:
SAMUEL F.. WooD, clerk for the firm OF Had
dock, Valette s. R1ckcords, 107 Dearborn street.
and fafner Of the dead boy crushed by the
elevate
MI. SAMUEL f. WOOD leg broken while IN
che cle atOr
Tho tire originated in the rear Of the
restaurant on the first floor. Before it
was q severed by the cook or walters
10 had gained good start, and large
volume Of thick smoke was rolling up
the elevator shaft
Clarence Latimer, the night clerk,
FIRST discovered the blaze. He called
she attention of the restaurant en-
ployc, to it and rushed into the street.
He net a cab-driver at the door and
told him to turn in an alarm Of fire.
Latimer hastened back into the hotel
and Logan awakening the guests.
H ran to the fourth floor and shouted
''Firc. several times and raped at the
door as he went along. The stairway
wind about the elevator shaft, and as
the clerk was on his way to the second
floor he heard people crowding into the
elevator and it soon glided past him.
q
crash. and Latimer, supposing that it
had broken, paid no further attention
and continued to awaken the guests
Followed by the Utmost Confusion.
His cries Of fire were followed by the
utmost confusion.
Men, women and children ran here
and there in their night-clothes, scream
Ing with fright. Finally some of the
cooler headed opened the windows and
let the dense smoke clear away. After
time the inmates became quiet and
returned to their rooms and put on
their clothes
When the first cries of fire were
heard Harry Wood, a brother of the
boy who was killed, was talking in the
head waiter. He went to awaken his
fathcr, mother, sister and brother, who
were sleeping on the fourth floor. He
knock, d on the door 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 spied the
elevator h., - b,
the top floor, Grouping his way
through the smoke he arrived
at his fathers room and sue
ceedcd in getting his father and
mother into the elevator They were
closely followed by the brother and
sister. Just as they were starting
down j. E. Smith jumped into the ele-
vator 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 be-
tween the floor and the top of the door.
The elevator then began to descend
and il was then that Paul Wood lost
his life. 1t is supposed that he was
overcome by the smoke and fell uncon-
sciouS into the pit of the eleyotar shaft.
When found he was terribly crushed
'etwecu the elevator and the door. His
Clothes we're torn into ribbons. Mrs.
Wood was carried to drug store.
After the smoke had cleared away
the tircmen found John Meredith on the
second door overcome by smoke, and
6vat
LATER. ,no nan supposed to be John
Merai,.h. has been identified us Rev. J.
Il. Mr,edith, of St. Louis, a temperance