The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-10-28
FIVE DEAD IN ONE FAMILY.
Heartrending Scenes At Identification
Of the Bodies.
-, r....s,~.tsou Ipevsssss the Hovvor
of the Dfssstsr-Ths FLAMES kushsd
Through the FIimsy BaiidinE sna
ov.rsans the FIyisg Gaesss.

have hesu identified. WITH one or Two
sxeeptions the victims vere burned De-
vond ali human resemblance and identin-
cation Of some wss possible only by scraps
of clothing and % others by locating the
rooms shsre the victims we're found ana
then comparing the same with the hotsi
register. which fortunately was saved, else
IL would have been impossible for more
than two or three identifications 30 have
been made. The scene at the morgue yes
t~rdsv was a hsartrending one. The SIX
teen bisekensd and chsrrec bodies were
laid aide by side tn the basement oil
the morrue proper, each body being
twisted and doubled In fantastic and bor-
Yible shapes. Ali day long there VAS
steady stream of curious people. VINO
marched In through one entrance In
doubse file and came out another. officers
who we're on duty all day regulating the
crowds are responsible for the estimate
that II 600 people saw the sickening re-
suits OF the holocaust.
During the day o good deal OF interest
conferred in the report that the eoroners
iury irnpaueIed to ascertain the cause oil
death and locate the blame would bring
In an indictment against some one. but
the report proved incorrect, for the verdict
of the jury did not place the blame on any
one
THE IDENTIFIED DEAD.
The bodies at the morgue are numbered
and as each 10 Identified IL IS labeled. and
OF the sixteen victims IL 10 nos known
that the following persons are among the
dead.
Mrs. oiterson. aged o.. Of California.
height 5 feet inches. weight 20.
Andy Otterson. her son, aged Is, height
feet 9 inches.
Mrs. J. ~. Huffman, Of Fall City. wife
OF the weii-kDosn farmer ~ that place.
Mrs. j. III. Hancher, of Role, Ia,
daughter OF Mrs. Huffman.
Three children of Mrs. Hancher. girl 9
years old. boy years old and girl years
and months old.
einchss.
r. Baliman. identified from the register.
height 5 feet : inches, full heard, dark hair.
eyes that we're probably blue.
G. Grahn, identified from the register.
height feet : inches. light brown hair
and brown eyes. Was dressed in dark plaid
pair of trousers, laced flannel undershirt.
wore rosary around his neck, had $40 in
his pocket. also large Withdrawals jack
knife. Was probably q iaborine man.
Angus Mcdonald. height feet . inches,
heavy moustache, large blue eyes.
c. Wilson. blue eyes. dark hair and
moustache, polka dot shirt and brown
striped pants.
III. Mesorley, red gannel undershirt. On
patch of clothing on the body was found
the business card of . North Seattle dentist.
rnR UNIDENTIFIED pgAn
The other bodies are listed by numbers
and will be held until today. awaiting
Identification:
black hair. blue eyes. full beard, black
stripped trousers.
No T-iIsight 5 feet 9Iuches. dark navy
blue.nsnnei shirt grey undershirt
Ne. s-Barned beyond recognition, bat
was probably large man.
vsRnIcr OF coRosERs JURY.
The eoroner's inquest did not bring out
great many new facts. but il was ascer-
tanned beyond . doubt that the fire Was
started by the explosion of an oil lamp In
the kitchen OF the hotel The verdict of
the jury was As follows being rendered
early last evening at an hour when few
we're identified:
we. the eoFoner's Jury summoned to
Investigate tie cause 81 death of the fol-
loxfng; Mrs pttsrson. Andy Otterson.
Mrs J. ". Huffman and two children, e.
wilson. Angus Mcdonald, NJ. McSor.cy
aud eight others unknown. to-wits One
WOMAN. one female child aud six adult
males, do Ind that the above came to
their death by the burning of the West
Street. hotel on the morning of October -.
lsas caused by the explosion of a lamp.
We are OF the opinion that such buildings
are totally unfit for lodging purposes, and
Won q recommend that proper steps to
taken 10 prevent the recurrence o! such
disaster.
''GroRsE H. RuEr. foreman.
"ukNHs LEE
"C. II. kNAFr
- e. MICHEL
"1oHS SHAu8HxEssY.
Nv. {. RNATTx"
IL vas nearly O'Clock when the coroner
gos the jury together. and then began q
struggle with the police 10 keen back the
crowds Ia order that the Jury and wit
nssses might gain an entrance 10 the room
in the basement whore the inquest ~ "a
To be he'd. Among the witnesses exam
iaed was Fire chief Hunt. who detailed
the work Of the department: and the
finding OF the bodies. Cart Gil.
lam, al Chemical Engine Company No.
1. told about the location of the ilrs
when he arrived on the scene and about
the density OF the smoke. Can't Aiexan-
der Alien. Of Engine Company No. /. and
and James A. Farr. OF Chemical Company
No. /. also told about the manner in which
the lfa was worked.
Mr. EvrlERs srokr.
William r. Butter. proprietor Of the ho-
Tel. testified as 60 the construction OF the
building. the materials ased and the num-
Der of Railways The building Is OF CORFU.
gated iron. ani most 81 the room. ara
simply esllcd. attending q Ere PLENTY of
fuel. Mr.. Butler said taat he wss asleep
in room X, near the head Of the stairs.
when the cry Of Fire aNoks him. He
saw that HE wife and daughters were
sAve4 and then did sill he could % save III.
guests he said shas there were seventy
ssxht rooms in the house. bat he eoald not
tel how many were occupied. a. the hook
In which he keps the accounts Of the rpsu-
lar reornsrs we're destroyed and his memory
dia not serve him we'll lie testified
that Mrs. ottersoa and her son hss been
in tie hotel several weeks. having corue
ny froga California aud IS Their we're in
financial distress the son. Andy ,wAs given
work IS q jsaitor TO pay for their board
until both could nai other work Ihls
was sse arrangement under Which they
were living. Angus Mcdonald Was a
logger and had been roomlng IN she hsass
for the past three years. c. Wilson. hose
eocupsssoa vas unknown. roomsd just
opposite rocn 4. Another man, who
was in reom a. Is missing. Bat Il - nos
thought thai he VAS barnet, far IL Is
believed that sil tie bodies in tie hotel
have been removed
uos raK fsss STARTED,
Spencer r. Butter. the son al sAs pFopEi-