Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1894-10-31
TWELVE CREMATED.
TERRIBLE RESULT OF A SEATTLE
HOTEL FIRE.


The Building Was an Old Wooden Struct-
ure and Burned Like Tinder-Guests
That Escaped Lost All Their Effects.
Caused by Lamp Explosion.
SEATTLE, Wash, Oct. 27-A fire
which resulted certaialy in 16 deaths
and the injury of three more, broke
out in the West Street House, at Col
umbia and West streets, about o'clock
a. m. All the dead are burned b yond
recognition, and the coroner decides to
allow the dead to remain where they
are in hopes that the proprietor could
identify the bodies by the loc ltion of
the remains, the hotel register being
saved The flames broke ont so sud-
denly and so fielcsly that the occupants
were taken by surprise and
There was Wild Panic,
men and women Jumping from win
dows in ali manner OF attire. A sharp
explosion was heard in the kitchen in
the rear of the second story by S. F.
Butler, son of the PROPRIETOR, and inn
mediately tho flamos regan to spread
rapidly through the dry inner-timber
of the corrugated iron building, which
is one of range of 2-story structures.
Butler raised a cry of fire which aroused
the guests with whom the house was
crowded, and rush for life followed.
1t was not any too soon, for the flames
were rushing through the long narrow
halls like invading soldiers attacking
city. In the meantime Off.
Ger F. E. Bryant had discov-
cred the flames and turned in an
alarm, which brought the fee depart
ment to the scene. Then he turned
his attention to saving the people who
appeared at every window with the
flames fast creeping upon them from
behind. He found Mrs Susie Allen
and her 2-year-old child at window
on the West street side, the woman
crying for some one to save the child.
drop the child" shouted the officer.
She did SO and he caught it safely in
his arms. Depositing it on the ground,
he snatched plank and set it against
window. The woman slid down it and
suffered no further injury than few
scratches.
w. T. Butler, proprietor of the hotel,
was in bed when tie fire was discov.
cred, an / escaped in scanty attire.
Probably Kerosene Explosion.
His son, S. F. Butler, was night clerk
He says the fire undoubtedly originated
from a kerosene lamp in the kitchen,
which was located on the upper floor,
near the rear wall. The flames made |
such RAPID progress that before all |
the inmates could possibly be aroused, |
the fire was upon them. Then the peos
pie began to drop from the windows on
both sides of the building, the flames
closely following them. One poor fellow,
whose identity is not known, was caught
in the rush Of the confagration
near the top Of the West street stairway
and sank down, overcome with smoke
and flames. The fremen 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 crisp. Two streams of water were
kept trained on this place and the
water fell in torrents on the stairway
and was hot enough almost to scald,
It was only after the fire department.
nad. gotten well to work that the full
horror of the affair began to show itself,
md by that time the building was a
mere shell.
The arrangement of the halls of the
lotel made such a labyrinth that i'll the
daytime one unfamiliar with the place
would have had difficulty in finding his
way about. Many Of the dodgers were
lsleep and overcome in led, while 9TH
rs rushed into the halls and were suffo-
,ated and burned.