The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-08-15
Several Persons Burned
to Death.
MEN CRAZED WITH FEAR.
The Awful Tragedy That Grew Out Of
the Lax Fire Ordinances
of Chicago.
Special to THE MORNING CALL.

CHICAGO, Aug. IA hotel fire. result
ing in the death of a number of guests.
occurred this morning in a three-story
structure on Madison street. near fltth
avenue. A man jumped from the top
story Of the building and was k'lied. ana
about halt dozen others were suf"cated
and burned to death. The building was
dilapdated structure. and occupied as
restaurant on the ground floor and sepa-
rate hotel on the upper floors.
Thirty guests were in the building when
the fire broke out and those who perIshed
were caught like rats in trap ana were
unable to make their escape
When the fire was gotten under control
and search Of the premises completed 1t
was found that five people had been
killed outright and two others so severely
injured that they died this afternoon at
the hospital. The dead are:
Harry Godfrey. the seven-year-old son
Of Jay Godfrey, of Buchanan. Mich.
Edward Short, aged 26, Of Lafayette.
Ind.
Mrs. Fannie Reed. recently from New
York, a widow. aged q.
Philip Cronberg, aged q, of Little
Rock, Ark.
William Ullery Buchanan of Michigan,
aged II.
An unknown man. aged about So. may
be c. A. Taylor OF Ho, Springs. Ark. and
there is another unknown man about 90
years old.
The injured are: Jay Godfrey and
wife. Mrs. F. A. Coons and 15-year-old
daughter Flora, Grace Godfrey, 0. Palmer,
F. Meyer, r. E. Morton Of Syracuse, n. Y.
None Of these suffered more than painful
bruises and cuts. Two unknown men.
however. were removed to the hospital un-
conscious and have not been identified.
They have not recovered.
The origin of the fire is mystery, but
it is supposed to have been caused by the
Ovprturning or explosion of a stair lamp.
The night clerk had just gone to the wash
room to clean up. preparatory to leaving
his watch. when he heard slight noise
outside the office. BY the tine he returned
to it the place was filled with smoke, and
he bad barely time, after shouting fire a
few times. to escape down the stairs.
Edward Short and one of the unknown
dead would have been saved had they
Obeyed the firemen, who were getting the
ladders IN position while the men were at
the windows. and shouted to them to keep
cool. The men seemed crazed with fear,
however. and jumped from the third floor
to the f1agstones below. sustaining fatal
injuries. Some others inhaled flames and
died in horrible agony, and two were suffo-
Gated.
F. A. Cnons of Minnesota. with his wife
and two daughters, had rooms on the Sec
ond floor. When aroused by the cry Of
fl e he and his wife dressed hurriedly and
he fastened into the hall to go to his
daughters rooms. He met one girl in the
hall and. sending her to her mother. tried
TO make his way to the room in which the
other daughter was. The snake was so
binding that he could not fight against it.
and almost succumbed in the hall himself.
Finally he made his way back 70 the
other members Of the family and took
them to the third floor. whence with much
difficulty they ESCAPED to building Of
similar height next door. When taken
from the roof by tho firemen he told them
of the other child in the burning building.
but gave up hope Of seeing her alive. The
firpmen made rush for the front of the
building with ladders and in a few minutes
brought the girl out safe, with the excep-
ton of slight burns aud some lung trouble,
caused by the inhalation Of smoke.
The firemen say the place was the worst
kind of fire trap. Owing to the fact tina
it was but three stories high, the law did
not compel the owners to put fre-escapes
on the building. and to this fact is ascribed
most Of the l. SIS Of life.