Evening journal., 1893-08-14
EIGHT ROASTED ALIVE.
Guests in an Old Chicago Hotel
Meet Death in Flames.
AWFUL SCENES AT THE FATAL FIRE

Flames and Cling to the window
Frames with superhuman Endurance
Until Rescued-One Man CIings Untn
the Flames scorch Him When He Has
to Let Go-Eight Bodies Dead.
| CHICAGO Aug. 14-At fire in the SEN
ate Hotel near the corner Of Fifth ave
nue. and Madison street, a o'clock this
morning, eight people lost their lives by
jumping from the windows or being
overcome by the heat and smoke
Five ambulance loads of people, over
come by the smoke or burned, were re-
moved to the hospital
The dead are:
Mrs. Coons,
Bertha Coons,
Charles Coons,
Godfrey children, two unknown men.
There were over score Of guests in
the hotel The flames spread so rapidly
and the exits were so inadequate that
inmates were unable to escape.
One man jumped from the third story
window and was killed The others were
| anu 10 uthlus
Started I'm the Second story.
The little hotel was situated on the
two upper floors Of a three story brick
building. The fire started in the second
floor, midway near the stairs leading to
the floor above.
Mrs. Ahrens and her daughter Annie
slept in room No. 90 in the front part of
the third floor. They discovered the fire
first
The other twenty occupants were fly
ing about, seeking an avenue of escape
Annie and her mother grouped their way
through the sitting smoke to the window
and stood out on the sill.
Clinging to Life with Desperation.
The crowd below yelled to them not
to jump. With desperation they clung
to the frame work, keeping as far out
as possible, while the smoke and flames
burst through the windows around
them. Although burned they retained
their position until the arrival Of Hook
and Ladder Company No. 6 A ladder
was raised and they we're rescued.
Flames Were scorching Him.
A man whose identity is unknown
next reached the window. The flames
were scorching his almost nude body
and he jumped 10 the stone pavement.
he was Picked up in an uncOn scious
cond ition.
Firemen Were Toe Late.
When the fremen arrived ladders
! were raised and the work Of rescuing the
{ imperiled inmates systemicallg began
For some. hemmed in by flames, over
powered by smoke and with egress shut
off, the rescue ~as too late. however.
! rhe fremen found dead bodies rather
} than living ones
D LIeutenant's CHASTITY Find.
! The bo dies Of six persons we're re
1 covered and sever al stil living we're car
ried to surrounding drug stores Lieu
r tenant Humanson was the first to reach
the third floor. The brave fireman was
chez ed by the crowd and he climbed
3 through a window.
I The bodies Of the unfortunates lay
a near and, one after the other, he lifted
D them out All the patrol wagons from
{ the South side were summoned and drove
g rapidly to the hospital with the injured
( On the way the injured were cared for
!. by DR.. Haney, Of thels Harrison street
b station.
The ERE is said to have started from al
overturned lamp. The loss on the build
T ing and contents is total but as the
3 structure was old and worthless. tn,
rooms being merely partitioned will
r wood. the loss is not heavy.
) The Boys Body First Recovered.
7 The first body recovered was that o.
, Harry Godfrey, 7-year-old son OF ]. God
frey, Of Buchapan, Mich.
CHICAGO, Aug. .-Later-Five ar
n now known to be dead They are Harr.
Godfrey, Buchanan, Mich. Edwar,
}. Short, New York; Edward Taylor, un
e known woman, unknown man. Thei
. bodies are at the morgue. The Coon
!. family reported dead are all slightly in
r iured but will recover. They had take
d refuge in basement saloon and wer
Q supposed to be lost. s. B. Stiffner, o
q ! New York, jumped from the third stor
'e window. His spine is broken and b
Il is badly burned and will die
t Phillip Cronberg of Little Rock, Ark.
D. also jumped; his skull is fractured an
he cannot recover.
"a The others injured are Mrs, F.
It Coons, Lake City. Mimi, breast cut an
b. burned about the face: Flora CoOns. Gu
ie and bruised about face and hands; Hat
tie Abrens. Chicago, aged 16, cut abou
Ss face and hands; Frank Wakefield
: burned, cut and bruised; John Wilson
II deaf and dumb Racine, Wis, head an
" hands burned Johnny Coons, Lake Cit,
Mimi, cut aud slightly bruised.
nd |