Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1895-08-22
DISASTER IN DENVER.
A Five-St0ry Stone and Brick
Hotel Wrecked by .
Boiler Explosion.
4 LA9GE NUMBER ARE KILLED

y ~ ~ uVU~eUU 3Vvue ee@
Guests and Employees Buried
Under q Mass or
Wreckings.
DENVER, Aug 19.-The Gumry hotel.
on Lawrence street, was wrecked BY .
terrific explosion at 1890 a. m. The
rear half Of the building, . five-story
stone and brick structure, went down
with a crash. The hotel was crowded
with guests and many Of them must
have been killed as well rs the entire
force of hotel employees, who were
sleeping in the portion OF the building
which fell. On both sides Of Lawrence,
from Seventh to Eighteen streets, and
on Larimer. directly In back Of the
Gumry, the plate glass windows Of
the business houses were blown in
and q number Of pedestrians were In
jured by falling glass. The fronts of
many buildings In the vicinity were
badly wrecked. The hotel structure
for 100 feet along the alley, and ex-
tending Is fest toward the front, is q
debris. Brick and plaster arepiled up
in heaps twenty feet high, and from
this mass Of wreckings can be heard
the means of the injured and dying.
At 1926 Ave injured persons had
been taken out. They were all in
mates of the upper story and sank
down with the floors, escaping more
fortunately than those below, who are
still buried in the ruins. The fremen
are working like beavers and digging
into the debris, but are making little
progress. The remaining portion Of
the building from which the guests
are being removed by ladders y fast
as possible, is expected to fall ct any
moment and precautions to prevent
other loss Of life adds to the difficulty
In rescuing the dead and injured.
Some estimate that forty people we're
in the portion Of the hotel destroyed,
nearly all Of whom must be dead. It
will be late before q full list can be
obtained.
The cause Of the explosion Is uncer-
tain, but it is supposed the battery Of
boilers in the hotel basement must
have exploded. The sound of the ex-
plosion was heard throughout the city,
awakening people q mile from the
scene. A cloud Of dust vas thrown .
thousand feet in the air and as there
is not . breath of air string, it still
hangs in the air like q huge column.
Minute atoms Of powder brick and
mortar are descending like snow.
The Gumry hotel was q 1--WE story
brick, with stone front and was built
about six years ago. 1t was OF the bet
ter kind OF second class hotels. cater
ing largely to transient family patron
age. linus many ladies and children
were among the guests. The building
was built as the Eden Musee by the
widow Of Gen. Tom Thumb and was so
occupied, later being remOdeled for
use az q hotel. Gumry & Renter have
owned the hotel for several years. Mr..
Gumry was q prominent contractor,
and had done much of the work dur
ing the building Of the state capitol.
Mr.. Renter acted In the capiCity OF
manager.
mo meals were served In the hotel
and every guest enteredon the register
occupied Q room In the hotel toni0ht.
Twenty-Five people registered today
most Of them late tonight, the list be-
ing " follows:
Mrs. @. H. highland sons, Lake City.
IL Kirk, Omaha.
j. g. Brown, Omaha.
Bud Duren, Colorado Syringe.
Miss Jennie Howard, Boston.
]. w. Roberts and wife. Colorado
Mrs. 6. W. Williams, Boulder.
Miss Hattie n. Williams, Boulder.
w. G. Nolan and child, Huron, Kan.
Henry Sloan, Huron, Kan.
Mrs. Henry Sloan, Huron. Kan.
George Bnrle, Colorado Springs.
Z. z. McClosky, Cripple Greek, Col.
+. French, Central City, Colo
B. Lorah, Central City, Col
w. j. Corson, Pueblo.
NJ. p. Lets0n, Denver.
Thus far fifteen people who are
known to have been In the building at
the time Of theexplosion areaCcounted
Tor. This leaves sixty supposed to be-
lead. Henry Sloan and wife, Of Huron
Kan. and w. G. Nolan, cashier Of the
Huron State bank, arrived at the hotel