, 1892-01-23
Horrible Details of the Great
Indianapolis Fire.
Heroism of Firemen in Rescu-
ing the Patients.
Sickening and Uncanny Ap-
pearance of the Building.
The Loss of Life rs, of Prop
erty 100000.
A Story of n

helpless human beings were burned to
death. That is a record of Thursday
night. At ll:45 a night alarm was
turned in from the corner of Meridian
and Georgia streets. Being in the heart
of n wholesale trading district, the peo-
pie naturally expected a great FIRE, but
when the box at Illinois and Louisville
streets was pulled and in u moment second
and third alarms w-re heard, it was plain
the confiagration was a dangerous one.
Every piece of fighting apparatus in the
city was quickly on the run and upon ar
rival the firemen were Mortified to see
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.
About $50 crippled people were 10 the
institute at the time. The building was
almost totally enveloped 10 flames and the
order was ''let the building burn, but
save the people," When the fire was
discovered it was confined to a Georgia
street building, but soon swept across the
alley aud both buildings . developed in
flames. On the third and fourth floors
the horrible work was done. The build
ings were network of narrow halls, en-
frances and stairways. In the small rooms
throughout the building were from one to
four beds. all occupied by patients, many
perfectly helpless.
When they became aware OF their peril
they we're frantic in their efforts to reach
places of safety. Every effort was made
by the fire, police and ambulance forces to
rescue the unfortunates, and many acts of
heroism and daring were performed. The
surgical institute was a veritable fire trap.
The stairways were narrow, the halls were
dark and the whole structure a labyrinth.
The rooms on the third and fourth floors
of the main building and nearest the alley
were scenes of the greatest fatalities.
In one room were two women. both of
whom persisted. In another there was a
man whose lower c%xtremities we're para
lyzed Although unable to walk he
dragged himself to a window at the rear
OF the window and threw himself out. He
dropped about eight feet to the roof. then
to another and finally rolled off to the
ground, saving himself from death. The
entire rear half of the Georgia street
building fell in. The debris filled com
pletely the first story and when the fire.
men began to search for the dead they
were obliged to mmcnc work on a level
with the second floor.
II will be several days before they can
reach the bottom. The killed are: Kate
l.. Strong, Salem, Ore; Mrs, Lazarus,
Dallas, Tex VIM. Ramstack, Milwau-
kee; Miss Kate Burns. Newport, Mimi;
Frank Burns, Newport, MINI; Minnie
Arnold, Lancaster. Mo-: lrma Payne,
Dexter, MINI Stella Specs, Macomb,
o.; Minnie Mcdonald. Negaunee. O.;
Geo. Ellis. California, Ky; Mrs. Earb
and daughter, Shelby, o.; Fannie Bree
dan, Memphis, Tenn ; Mortie Dcckko
and Frederick Dockendorf. Saltwater,
MINI; Hannah Brook. Taylorville, Ill. /;
@ II. German. Mcdonald, Mich. Arthur
Bayless.
The injured are: Fannie Stern, Des
Moines, Ia. Clara Morris, Mrs. Thomas,
Indianapolis; Mrs. J r. Gid and son,
Cedarvvillc,, Ind; Grant Van Hoesep,
Clarence Mead. Athens. N. Y; w. D.
Dunkirk. n. Y e; Nora Knowles, indie
neudence. Ind will Mansfield, Otsego,
N. Y; Mrs. John Stokes, Danville. H.;
Nellie Mason. Wisconsin; Mrs. q. j.
Simpson and daughter, Il, Conner, Roy
Harris, New Orleans; Minnie Garearus,
Chicago, Mrs. II. II Idena and son.
Many OF the'above are fatally injured.
In addition to those mentioned, six
bodies have bern taken out of the ruins
and have not yet been identified. Ii IS
not known how the fire started, but It is
supposed to be spontaneous combustion.
Early this morning the ghouls began
their work among the ruins and no small
amount of ~jewelry and valuables we're
p%ilfered by thieves Detectives Gage and
Kinney arrested a man who gave his
Dame as Russell. They found him run
aging among the debris and in his pock-
cts were money and other articles thought
to be stolen from the effects of the
patients. The loss to the building, fur
niture, ETC., aggregates about $40O, 900.
Thrilling incidents at the fire were, of
course. innumerable. When the fremen
nrst arrived a woman was seen at a win
dow GU the upper floor clutching a baby
in one hand and struggling with the other
to raise he sash. She finally succeeded
and her screams fell upon the ears OF
thousands of spectators.
No ladders were at hand and nothing
could be done. The flames were clos
ing in about her. and she looked back into
the furnace OF death, then down to the
pavement below. Suddenly she clasped
the babe to her breast, then tossed it out
OF the window, and gave her life to the
flames within. As the child lett the arms
of its mother Pipeman O'Brlen planted
himself firmly beneath the window and
caught the child, which in a few minutes
was smiling and happy, seemingly I'M
conscious of its surroundings.
The heroism of Fireman John Loucks
will long be remembered. He assembled
an extension ladder to the upper floor and
as he reached the window sill was met by
Fireman Robertson, who had pushed his
way through the smoke with a child In
his arms. Loucks Rrasped the child and
started down, but had descended only a
lew feet when he missed his footing and
fell head foremost. His leg caught in
the rungs OF the ladder and was broken,
but he held the child and grasped the