The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-02-08

Meares r,,r s1p the ladder 10 help. too, and
s.enned off 70 the roof of the veranda over
the entrance OF the Office 10 steady ms
wife when she came down. she wss very
nervous. and in making the descent
sIipped. fell TO the sidewalk and was
picked up with a sprained ankle and sew
esai bruises.
In the meantime Policeman Gallagher
rang an alarm. which was followed by two
calls for ambnlances.
The scenes at the place before the fire
companies arrived were horrible. one
man, name unknown, sprang from the
third story window and was dashed to
death on the ground below. People
turned faces away. Mortified at the sight.
This was on the Sixth avenue side OF the
building. A moment later another man
leaned from the window on the Fortieth
street side and was instantly killed.
Shortly afterward two women jumped
from the windows on Sixth avenue and
were dead when picked UP. Their poaieS
were taken to the Thirtieth street station
house, aud afterwards, being unident-
fed, removed TO the inorgGe. AT
that hour the known dead numbered
four. Several others dropped from the win
dows or slid down the rope with which
every room in the hotel was provided, and
escaped with severe burns. while many
more had been injured in the same way
while going down the fire escapes. and
were in the hands of ambulance surg cons
from Bellevue and New York hospitals. The
surgeons had their hands full in taking
care of the injured and manned.
All this tirne the fire was raging fiercely,
and ID was evident that the building was
doomed. The structure burned like
kindlinc wood. The work of rescuing the
guests still went on, and many we're taken
from the windows b. iiremen and
policemen. Sergeant Ward and PATROL
. man Phillips, OF fire patrol No.
2, went into q room the on
fourth floor front and rescued Walter X.
Phelps and wife, taking them down the
ladder safely. They succeeded IN saving
Mrs. Samuel knifl, who was abou 10 leap
from one OF the windows on the third
floor.
The guest who probably had the most
marvellous escape was H. l.. Harman. tray-
cling salesman for St. Louis wholesale
grocery house. He registered at the hotel
Saturday night with his wife. He said:
had room on the sixth floor and was
aroused from sleep by loud, cracking noise
and the sound Oi whistle, which ] think was
from one OF the engines on the elevated road.
opened my door and discovered thu stairway
leading to the lower floors in a blaze. then
went 20 the window and opened il. and there
feenled % be rs much smoke on the outside as
fn the hallway, for the room soon flied. Beth
my wife aud would have sufieeatod in the
room had we not taken two towels, which
soaked with water Thess we used ~
keep the smoke ont OF our lungs by holding
them over our mouths and nosfriis. ] tried To
ind the fire escape near the window. bat there
was none, and thought at one time We should
never get out of the room alive. Il was certain
death to jump six stories. and as it was either
that or burn TO death, said to my wife, 'Mat-
tie, am going to shoot you aud XIII myself"
considered il would be better 10 die that way
than to be burned 70 death. As / always sleep
with revolver under the pillow / hurrie 10
the bed 10 get il. By this time the flames were
coming mp through the cracks OF the
floor and through the cracks in the door. Just
rs ] was about TO shoot my wife, the
floor fell with crash, and we went down prob
ably two stories. The flooring stopped opposite
window, and my wife jumped out and landed
the portico beneath. A rope was hanging
out OF this window, and with this assistance /
managed 10 get down another story, but here I
slipped and Tell 20 the portieo beside my wife.
ptChtu Her up, Uut WAS hhab4e 10 carry ueT.
and was almost suffocated. In addition the fall
had injured me was cndayoring TO reach the
ladder when two firemen took her from me, and
how reached the street do not know.
Hartman is confined TO his bed at the
tiedney house. His hands and chest are
severely burned and his hair and eyebrows
singed He was told today that his wife
was being cared for Mt one of the hospitals
and that she was not fatally injured. It
is believed, however, that she is one of the
dead.
There was not even rope fire escape in
the room on the second floor. which Felix
kraemer. salesman for Steinway d Sons.
OF New York, occupied. and had it not
been for kraemer's experience at hotel
fires and ON umbrella, he would probably
be numbered among the victims. lie re-
laies his story as follows:
Had not had strong umbrella, should
either have been burned or killed by jumping. |
have been burned out at hotels three times
new. NJ a FIRE tn WaFFenSburg, Mo, guest
escaped by Using mn open umbrella 10 case his
Hight from the upper story window ! never
forgot II, and always since have been provided
with a strong umbrella fer an emergency. As
soon rs reached the window opened my
strong umbrella quickly and carefully put a
shawl strap over it as To prevent II from turn.
lug insidc-op', then | made the leap ] did not
go sailing gracefully out into the air and land
lightly on tho ground beneath. but landed
without any broken limbs aud am
al right now. The umbrella partially
turned inside out Just before / reached tho
ground aud gei something Of d Jar, bat should
&hink myself lucky Il had cSeaped with
broken leg, for never before SAW Ere barn so
Hereby as The one which consumed the hatel, I
rEn into the uaiee rs soon rs I reached the
ground was the first person q set out Of the
hotel. cannot imGs inc how many euts;s cot
Gus alive saw &eares ANA the night clerk n
tae oiiiee. For tets SAKE I cried, "Wh~
aont you turn in FIRE alarm 2" Twea, 70 the
1eahcy house. registered. secured a suit Of
Clothes Mhich did nA at me and pa
taFned 10 the lyc. Even Al that time
Tie IRE department had net arrived Sen and
Menaen aud children az tie viadovs were
screaming ior some one % save them saw
Two or thEee people jump from the windows. II
was ten minutes after returned te tae fire be-
lore ladder was raised 10 auy of the windows.
ileaFd thefc were more than Tee pvop,e ga the
mouse when gei out, and can not understand
now more Than twenty Of thaa cSrap-d With
TIER lives. II w.ii be Gi;sieal5 matter 10 con-
vlnee me taai many o{ them we're not roasted
thefe vas court in the geag al the hoset. ana
many OF the windows ia the SIDE room, ever.
iooked II Here believe, dozeas OF people lost
their iive-
Further Inquiries were made during the
evening NJ the West Tbirtietb street sta-
ton Tor the following, who are asa8u. the
missing: Kate Reilly, Etzabels bona
noe, Maggie GaIiber, May Ryan ana -lsan
sinith, cham0criaaids; Annie Oua.,a .n.s.
Mrs. Van NormSn, William q. Mclean
and ~'ie, AMI @. 4. Mupav. Among
"'teis inquired after were NJ. aaa Mrs.
i'oe@haFi, permanent guests. who came
from Scotland on visit &, tabs country.
Nr Frcderick I hlmaun ha-i been q rieet
81 'ae hotel for wears, and lived w.tl lis
hfo'hef Simon and mother The .at.e-