The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1894-11-01
FATAL FIRE.
Flames Suddenly Sweep Through
Hotel Building.
The Structure Destroyed and Fifteen Bod
les Taken From the Ruins-The Dead
Charred Beyond ndRecognition-Thrill-
ing Escapes by Jumping.

SEATTLE, wash, OCu. GA nro
which resulted in the death of at least
IL persons and the injury of three
more, broke out in the West street
house, at Columbia ,and West streets
about o'clock Saturday morning.
At o'clock the fire was under con-
troll, and an investigation of the ruins
was made.
All dead were burned beyond recog-
milton, and the coroner decided to al
low the bodies to remain where they
were, in hopes that the proprietor Of
the house could identify them by their
location by means of the hotel regis
ter, which was saved. The flames
broke out SO suddenly and SO fercely
that the occupants of the building
were taken by surprise, and there was
a wild panic. men and women jumping
from the windows in their night
clothes. An explosion was heard in
the kitchen in the rear part of the Sec
ond story, by s. f. Butler, a son of the
proprietor, and Immediately the flames
began to spread rapidly.
Butler raised a cry of fire, which ar
reused the guests with whom the
house was crowded, and stampede
for life followed. The flames were
already rushing through the long,
narrow halls. Finding exit by the
stairways cut of, the people began to
drop from the windows on both
sides of the building, the flames
closely following them. w. c. r.
News, who was in Room A at the
corner, dropped 20 feet to the ground
and escaped unhurt. Joseph A. May,
who was in room "a, tied the sheets to-
gether and used them as rope to let
himself down. c. b. Glass jumped out
of window, but not until his hair
was burned. He struck on his back on
the ground. He was picked up and
carried to the passenger station, and
with the two other injured persons
was taken to the hospital.
One man whose identity is not
known was caught in the rush of the
flames near the top of the West street
stairway, and was overcome with the
smoke and heat. Firemen fought to
keep the flames away from his body,
but were driven back.
There was some unaccountable delay
in getting the water out, owing to the
slowness of the freboat getting up
steam. When at last the pressure did
come, the building was "a raging fur
mace, and all that could be done was tc
conflne the flames to the block where
they started.
The first dead man was taken from 9
room over the Hill Sirup Co.'S store
and was found with one leg in hi.
| A. L l. l. L. L. -
body was discovered under the bed
with the head covered with bed clothes
1t was SO badly burned as to be un
recognizable, as were all the othel
bodies.
Police Officer E. E. Bryant had dis
covered the flames soon after they hat
burst forth, and turned in an alarm
which brought the fire department t.
the scene. The officer then assisted il
saving the people who appeared at th'
windows. He found Mrs. Susan Allel
and her 2-year-old child at window
on the West street side, the woman
crying for some one to save the child
Bryant shouted to her to drop tn,
child.
She did SO and he caught it safely il
MS arms. DepoSltlng IL on the grount
he snatched a plank and set it against
window. The woman safely sli,
down it.
H. F. Butler, the proprietor of tn,
hotel, was in bed when the fire wa
discovered and narrowly escaped. Hi
son, S. f. Butler, was night clerk. HI
says the fire undoubtedly originate,
from kerosene lamp in the kitchen
which was located on the upper foo
near the rear wall.
The saddest sight Of all was found il
the inside room off the passagewa,
which led to West street. There call,
ly lying in charred and blackene,
bed was evidently an entire family
The father lay on one side, the wifi
next to him and little burned an,
blackened arm, the flesh falling il
shreds from it and the fingers clutched
showed that little child was among
the victims The total number of dea
is 49,
Fifteen bodies have now been takel
from the ruins. The search is still be