The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1894-11-02
FATAL FIRE.
Flames Suddenly Sweep Through
a Hotel Building.
The Structure Destroyed and Fifteen Bod
les Taken From the Ruins-The Dead
Charred neyond Recognition Thrill
ing Escapes by jumping.

SEATTLE, Wash, Oct. ga fire
which resulted in the death of at least
II 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 10 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 50 suddenly and so fiercely
that the occupants of the building
were taken by surprise, and there was
a wild panic, men and women jumping
from the windows iH~their night
clothes. An explosion was heard in
the kitchen in the rear part of the see
ond story, by S. +. Butler, son of the
proprietor, and Immediately the flames
began TO spread rapidly.
Butler raised 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 off, 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 tho
corner, dropped 20 feet to the ground
and escaped unhurt. Joseph A. May,
who was in room Ga, tied the sheets to-
gether and used them as a rope to let
himself down. G. H. Glass jumped out
Of window, but not until his hair
was burned. He struck on his back on
the ground. lie 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 ont, 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 to
confine the flames to the block where
they started.
The first dead man was taken from a
room over the Hill Sirup Co.'s store,
and was found with one leg in his
trousers, and his shoes half laced. The
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 other
bodies.
Police Officer f. f. Bryant had dis
covered the flames soon after they had
burst forth, and turned in an alarm,
which brought the fire department TO
the scene. The officer then assisted in
saving the people who appeared at the
windows. lie found Mrs Susan Allen
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 the
child.
She did so and he caught it safely in
his arms. Depositing it on the ground
he snatched a plank and set it against a
window. The woman safely slid
down il.
II. f. Butler, the proprietor of the
hotel, was in bed when the fire was
discovered and narrowly escaped His
son, 5. f. Butler, was night clerk lie
says the fire undoubtedly originated
from kerosene lamp in the kitchen,
which wus located on the upper floor
near the rear wall.
The saddest sight of all was found in
the inside room off the passageway
which led to West street. There calm
ly lying in charred and blackened
bed was evidently an entire family.
The father lay on one side, the wife
next to him and little burned and
blAckencd arm, the flesh falling I'm
shreds from it and the fingers clutchcd,
showed that little child was among
the victims. The total number of dead
is l6.
Fifteen bodies have now been taken
from the ruins. The search is still be-
ing continued.