Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-03-24

CLEVELAND, O., March ga fire
horror, unprecedented>in the history OF
Cleveland, occurred shortly after noon
to-day, when five women and one child
were burned TO death in an apartment
house on one Of the leading residence
streets.
The fire occurred at the Morgan, a
fashionable boarding place at No. sos
Prospect street. The building was a
three story and basement brick struc-
ture containing forty-tve rooms and
had nearly forty inmates.
Just at the hour for luncheon, Mrs.
J. H. Miller, one of the boarders, dis
covered flames in the hall on the second
floor. Escape by the stairway was cut
off. so Mrs. Miller jumped from sec
ond story window to the ground and
gave the alarm.
The fire spread rapidly through the
halls, and the hundreds Of people who
cOngregated on the scene at once at
tempted to rescue those who were in
the buildings. Nobody thought, how
ever. to turn in a fire alarm and 1t was
at least half an hour before a steamer
arrived, or a policeman had been sent
to the place. The utmost excitement
prevailed and it was not until the flames
had been subdued that the extent OF the
catastrophe was learned.
AS soon as the engines began working
three car lines which passed the build
ing were blocked and the crowd grew to
thousands. Many Of the spectators as
sisted the fremen in trying to rescue
persons In the burning structure, and
several of them were badly burned as
they were driven back by the flames.
The names of the dead are as follows:
MRS. MARY Z. ABBEY, widow Of
John Abbey, aged rs.
MRS. EMMA SOMERS, a blind wo-
man, aged ~.
MRS. JESSIE HUNT, wife OF A. G.
Hunt, aged 21, who was visiting her
mother, Mrs. Somers.
PERCY HUNT, daughter Of Mrs.
Hunt. aged one year.
MRS. 2. G.. SOMERS, aged 20, step
mother-in-law Of Mrs. Emma SOmers.
The injured are:
Mrs. E. T. CLIFFORD and
MRs. j. H. MILLER, who were badly
bruised by jumping from second story
windows.
1t seems inconceivable that a fire az
such time and place could have been
attended by any loss Of life. The Nor
gan house was, however, so constructed
that the fire had a clean sweep. Each
floor had long hallway extending from
front to rear, with single Stairways
leading from floor TO floor.
The fire started in the basement, just
how is not known, and it swept up
through the halls, cutting off all means
OF escape. The women who perished
ran TO the windows but before anything
could be done to assist them, they were
driven back by the smoke and flames
and perished.
Those on the lower floors rushed to
the street and one woman, besides Mrs.
Miller, jumped from a second story
window. She was Mrs. E. L. Clifford,
and she was caught in rubOer coat,
held by two OF the spectators, escaping
without injury.
The dead bodies were found on the
third floor. The corpses were burned
10 a crisp, and were horribly blackened
and disfgured. As quickly as possible
the bodies were taken to the morgue.
The two upper floors Of the building
are gutted and the contents OF the
house are ruined.
The Morgan is owned by w. J. Nor
gan, the photographer. 1t cost $50, 900,
and was insured. The contents were
owned by Mrs. II. NJ. Hanna. Her loss
is estimated at 1000, with no insur-
ance.