The herald., 1894-10-27
A Horrible Holocaust at
Seattle.
Burning of the West Street
Hotel.
A Dozen People Lost Their Lives in
the Flames.
Thrss Others Seriously Irjursd-The
Fra Broke Dat at tho Dead of
Night Burning the Victims
In Their Beds.
By the Associated Press.

SEATTLE, Oct. 27-3 q. ma Ere,
which resulted certainly in II deaths
and in the injury OF three more, broke
out in the West street house, at Colum-
bia and West streets, at o'clock this
Saturday morning, and at this hour
| g am.) all of the dead are burned be-
yond recognition, and the coroner de-
cided TO allow the dead to remain where
they are in hopes that the proprietor
could identity the bodies by the loca-
tion of the rooms, the hotel register be-
ing asved.
The flames broke out 80 suddenly and
so fercely that the occupants were
taken by surprise and there was wild
panic, men and women jumping from
the windows in all manner of attire.
A sharp explosion was heard in
kitchen on the rear part of the second
floor by s. F. Butler, a son OF the pro-
prietor and Immediately the flames be-
gan to spread rapidly through the dry
timber OF the corrugated iron building
which ia one of o range of
two.story structures owned by
J. M. Colman, on the east side
of West street. Butler raised a cry of
fire, which aroused the guests, with
which the house was crowded, and
rush for life followed. 1t was not any
too soon, for the flames were rushing
through the marrow halls like invading
soldiers sacking city.
In the meantime Officer F. E. Bryant
had discovered the flames and turned in
an alarm, which brought the fire
department to the scene. Then he
turned his attention to saving
the terrified people, who peered from
every window, with the flames fast creep
ing up behind them. He found Mrs.
Susie Allen and her 2.year-old child at q
window on the West street. side. the
woman crying: my child"
drop the child" shouted the
officer. She did so and he caught IL
safely in his, arms. Depositing it in the
mud, he snatched plank and set it
against window. The woman slid
down on it and suffered no further in.
Jury than few scratches.
w. F. Butler. proprietor Of the hotel,
was in bed when the fire was discovered.
and escaped scantily attired.
8. F. Butler, his son, was night clerk
at the hotel. He says the fire undoubt-
eddy originated from keroaence lamp
in the kitchen, which was located on
the upper floor. near the rear wall.
The flames spread with such rapid
progress that before the inmates could
possibly be aroused the fire was upon
them. Then the people began to drop
from the Windows on both sides of the
building, the flames closely following
them.
@. r. Lewis. who was in room A, at
the corner, dropped 20 feet to the
ground and escaped unhurt. Joseph A.
| Day, who was in room 81, tod the
| sheets together and used them as a rope
to slide down on. d. B. Glass Jumped
out of q window when he saw
that the flames were crowd
ing him, but not until his hair
was einged. He struck on the small Of
his back and lay struggling on the
ground. He was picked up and car
ried to the Northern Pacific passenger
station, and with two others was taken
to hospital.
One poor fellow, whose identity is un-
known, was caught in the rush of the
confiagratlon near the top OF the West
street stsirway, and sank down over
come with the smoke and flames. The
firemen fought to keep the FIRE away
from his body, but were driven back,
and when last seen the victims right
arm had been burned to blsckened
cinder. Two streams were kept trained
ON this place. and the water fell in tor :
rents on the stairway and was hot
enough almost to scald.
1t was only after the Ere department
had gotten we'll to work that the full
horror OF the affair began to. reveal
tseli and by that time the building was
mere shell.
There was some unaccountable delay
in getting the water on owing to the
slownsss Of the fire boat in getting mp
steam. When At last the pressure did