The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-10-28
Sixteen Persons Burned to Death or
Smothersd In q Hotel
al Seattle
Tho West Street House Catches on
Fire While All Were Sound
Asleep.
chAFrsd and Bl.oksnsd Bodies Eenad by
the Firemsn-Tsa Men, Three womsn.
Three Children.

Seattle, Wash, Oct T.-SiXteen per-
sons-ten men. three women and three
children-were burned TO death in a
West Street hotel early this morning.
Thirteen bodies have been Identified.
They are: Mrs. otterman of California,
aged 90; Andrew otterman, her son,
aged Is; Mrs. ]. w. Huffman. wife OF a
well-known farmer. OF Fall City,
Wash; Mrs. j. II. Hancher, OF Rolfe,
Iowa, and her three children; John II.
Anderson, nged 2S; +. Pallmsn. C.
Crahn. a laborer; Angus Mcdonald. s.
Wilson. NJ. Mcsorley. The financial
loss is less than $4,000. The building
belonged 10 j. NJ. Coleman.
The West Street house occupied the
upper floor OF a two-story corrugated
iron building that covers n quarter OF a
block OF ground at Columbia and West
streets. one block from the Northern
Pacific depot. and near the business
center Of the city. The building was a
mere shell OF wood, covered with Iron.
There were several exits TO the streets,
but they were narrow The nre was
undoubtedly caused by the explosion OF
lamp In the kitchen. The corrugated
Iron sheathing kept the flames hid until
nearly the whole interior was n fur
mace. The thin partitions were OF resi-
nous pine covered with cheese cloth,
and they burned furiousiy. 1t was not
until the flames were seen burning In
the windows by people in the street
that an alarm was turned In.
When the firemen arrived the fire did
not ~ al
at windows were rescued with ladders
and boards some escaping with hardly
any clothes. ID. B. Glass, Edward
Havelln and C. b. johnson jumped to
the ground and were injured 80 badly
that they were taken TO the hospital
All Will recover. The crowd in the
street then supposed all dodgers had
escaped. The firemen played water
through the windows and were rein
forced by the fire boat. the building be-
ing only short distance from the
water front, At f:i5 a. m. the nre was
under control and the firemen were able
to enter the shell of iron. At the stairs
they found the body OF a man pinned 10
the floor by tho ruins OF a bed. The
body was terribly burned.
Continuing their search, the firemen
discovered corpse after corpse, until
at four o'clock they had counted flf-
teen Subsequently another was found.
Most OF the bodies were left where they
lay until daylight. I'm the hope that the
proprietor might identify them by To-
eating their room on the register. for
all the bodies except two were charred
beyond the possibility OF recognition.
In one OF the Railways a body. charred
black, and without vestie" OF cloth
Ing, was found. A little farther on in
the same passageway was another
body, evidently that OF a woman. face
upward and hands outBtretched as II
lighting for her life. In another hall or
passageway was another body, evil
IDENTIFY that OF an aged woman. Her
body was fearfully contorted, her burn
ed arms and hands were uplifted, and
In one blackened hand a handful OF
hair, as II she In her agony had clutohed
II In despair when the fire came upon
her.
The saddest sight OF all was found in
an inside room off the passageway
which led 10 West street. There, calmly
lying In a charred and blackened bed,
was evidently an entire family. The ia
ther lay on one side, the wife next 10
him, and little burned and blackened
arm, flesh falling I'm shreds from IL,
small fingers clutched. showed that a
little child was among the victims. In
an adjoining room was n still more hor-
rible sight, In a corner OF small in
side room two charred and naked skele-
tons met the gaze. The flesh was burned
from each. and the first. that OF n man,
with blackened stumps OF arms seemed
10 be fghtlng the impending danger.
Immediately beyond him. also bolt up
right and clutchlng his waist. was the
skeleton Of n woman. Startled, they
had arisen from their couch. smoke and
flames had rushed in upon them, and
before they had realized their awful
danger, they were overpowered and met
the most horrible OF deaths.
In that portion OF the hotel where the
flames did not destroy the wood work,
the bodies OF two more were found. One
man was completely dressed, and the
other was in his night clothes. They
were sufocated by smoke. In some OF
the ruined rooms at the end OF y mar
row hall, where one man was found
dead, IL white streak on the wall, un-
touched by nre, untarnished by smoke,
kept thus by the uprsised arm OF this
victim, where that arm rested against
the wall when in his last struggle he
reached upward for help In his awful
agony.
In the corner OF a room where the up
per parts Of the walls are burned away
- an uuuulHtu sPot upou tht HooT' anu
on both corner walls. In that place,
against the wall sat a wife. dead. her
arms about the waist OF her dead hus-
band, who sat before her on the noor.
his feet and arms burned OF, his eyes
burned out and her hands burned on.
In another room is long unburned
spot, the shape OF a man, where one
was found dressed and dead, with his
face badly burned.
The bodies we're taken 20 the morgue
this morning in boxes or canvas sacks
Most OF the bodies were wrapped in
stained and dirty bed clothing from the
store rooms Of the burned hotel Some
Of the lodgers were sound asleep, and
were overtaken IN bed, while others