The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-08-14
HOTEL FIRE TRAP
Horrible Catastrophe at a
Rickety Old Chicago
Caravansary.
ROUsED FROM 1HAIR sLunBERs
They Find All Avenues of
Escape Cut Off by Smoke
and Fire.
Firemen to the Rescue-A Chastity
ROUsED FROM rHAIR sLUnBERs
Firemen to the Rescue-A Chastity
Sight-The List of Killed
and Wounded.

CHICAGO, August IA. 1898. "A hotel fire
resulting in the death of a number OF the
guests occurred this morning. The fire
was In the Senate Hotel. n three.story
structure on Madison street nsar Fifth
avenue. One man jumped from win
dow in the top story and was killed.
About half dozen others we're suffocated
or burned TO death. The first body 20
be recovered was that OF Harry Godfrey.
The seven year old son of J. Godfrey OF
Buchap, Mich. The loss on the building
and contents is practically total, bat AS
the structure was old and the furnishings
cheap the amount will not exceed few
thousand dollars.
A restaurant occupied the ground foor
and the Senate Hotel the two upper ones.
It contained thirty-six rooms and held
thirty guests when the fire broke out
shortly after six A. NJ. The rooms were
separated by fiimsy WOO len partitions
and proved first class food for fire. The
blaze started In the office on the second
floor and spread rapidly through that and
the upper rooms. Before The guests
could be warned the flames had cut of
the eAeape of a number from the stair
ways and they were caught like rats in u
1rap. J.. Goocne is the landlord Of the
Senate Rad J. Ohren manager
THRILLING ESCAPE.
AS fast as the dead were taken from
the ruins they were taken TO the morgue.
Four bodies were soon recovered. They
were those of .hs Godfrey boy and two
men and woman. The scene during the
fxe was an exciting one. Mrs Ahrens
and her daughter Annie, who slept in
The front part OF the third floor, discov-
cred the fire first A moment later they
and the other occupants wers flying
about, seeking an avenue of escape.
Annie and her mother gropsd their way
through the striflng smoke to the win
dow and stood on the sill.
The crowd below yelled to them not to
jump. With desperation tine women
clung to the framework. keeping as far
out as po,sible, while the smoke and
flames burst through the windows
around them. Although badly burned
they remained there until the arrival of
hook and ladder company. A ladder WAS
raised and they were rescued.
A man whose identity is unknown next
reached the window. The flames were
already scorching his almost naked body,
and ne jumped to the stone pavement.
He was picked up in an uneonscfous
condition. It was at this juncture the
nrsmen arrived, ladders were raised and
the work of rescuing the imprisoned In
mates systematically began
In all five people were killed aud three
others were SO badly injured that they
rau scarcely recover. At the Cook
County and Mercy Hospitals others are
Ii, with paiu IN the wards. 80 badly
injured as to be unable TO tell their
Da,nes. The list OF the killed anu in
iured is:
KILLED.
Harry Godfrey. seven years Of age. son
of j. Godfrey, hardware merchant or
Little Rock, Ark, burned.
Edward Short of Chicago. gambler,
burned and jumped from reSr window.
Unknown woman, 5 feet 8 inches in
height, burned, removed from bed by
firemeu.
Unknown man, 5 feet 8 inches in
hslght burned in bed.
Unknown man. removed to County
Hospital, unconscious. died fifteen min
utes after arrival.
INJURED,
Jay godfrey, hardware merchant, Liz
tie Rock, Arl,, burned about head aud
shoulders. removed 10 Mercy Hospital,
will recover.
Mrs. Godfrey, wife OF above, alight
burns OF shoulders. wounds dressed in
drug store.
Grace Godfrey, ags thirteen years, en-
tensive burns, will probably die. Taken
TO Mercy Hospital.
Unknown lnah. supposed to be William
Krouberg, stage hand Ht the Schiller
heatre; badly burned about head ana
face. delirious and Will probably die.
Unknown man. taken 20 Ward IL Of
the County Hospital is about twenty
eight years Of age and very badly burned.
lie can scarcely recover.
Unknown man about twenty-four ye ars
of Hge. terribly burned about head and
feet. is unconscious in ward or the
County Hospital and will die.
VIII Mullery, aged seventeen years.
nephew of Jay Godfrey, burned about
he I'd and arms cut by glass in breaking
window for air; will recover.
4. A. Coons, Loko City, MINI. cut BY
glass about head, taken TO Mercy Hospi-
tal. will recover.
Mrs. f. A. Goons. burns and cuts about
shoulders and breast. taken to. Mercy
Hospital: will die.
Flora Coons. aged fifteen years. found
almost sunocated, removed to Mercy
Hospital; recovery doubtful.
H. l. Morton. Syracuse, N. Y, cut
about shoulders, removed to Mercy Hos
piral; will recover.
Matte Ahrens. aged eighteen years,
arms burned. will recover
f. Myer. of Chicago, spectator. head
cut by falling glass.
l.. NJ. Rogers. of Chicago. burns body
and arms. taken to Unity Hospital. seri-
Gus.
--rs- r. A. Cnons of Lake City, WHOSE
rnf1l "a were at first reported as fatal,
wiiisrecover. She and her eleven year
old daughter Auna are at Mercy Hospital
ard are suffering only slight INJURIES.
THE FIRE DISCOVERED.
William Barabluo. The niRht clerk, was
waiting for the day clerk 10 relieve him
shortly before seven O'Clock. He stepped
into the wash room. aud while uhere says
lie heard queer ratling noise in
the Office. swhicn might have been
caused by the falling of a lamp.
He continued his abiutions. now
ever, thinking for the momeut The noise
was caused Dy u passing wagon. Soon ne
caugn the odor of smoke. On opening
the wash room door ne found tue hall
way and Office full of smoke. He raised
the cry or Fire. aud made his escape
down the front stairway.
By this time the flames ners climbing