The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-08-19

Fire Adds to the Peril OF the I'M
prIsoned-The Front Part of the
Structure a Seethlng Mass OF
Flames. Which Silence the
Voices of the Terror Stricken
Men. Women and Children Gre
mated or Entombed-The Num-
Der of Killed VIII Not Be Known
Before To-Day. but Many Per-
ish-Herolc Efforts OF the Fire.
men.
Denver, Colo. Aug. 1s.-The Gumry
hotel No. 1725 to 1877 Lawrence street.
was wrecked by a terrific explosion at
1910 a. m. the entire rear half Of the
building. a five-story brick and stone
structure going down with a crash.
The hotel was crowded with guests and
| many OF them must have been killed,
as well as the entire force of hotel en-
ployes. who were sleeping in that por-
ton of the building at the time. On
| both sides OF Lawrence street from
Seventeenth to Eighteenth streets. and
| on Lawrence street directly back of
the Gumry house. the plate-glass win
dows OF the business houses wero
blown In and a number of pedestrians
were injured by falling glass. Tho
| fronts of many buildings In the vicinity
were badly wrecked.
| The hotel structure for 100 feet along
| the alley and extending for 75 feet to-
ward the front. Is merely a mass of de-
bris. Brick and plaster are piled in a
heap 20 feet high. and from this mass
Of wreckage can be heard the means
Of the injured and dying.
| At 1885. five injured people had been
taken out. They we're all inmates of
the upper story and sank down with
the floors. escaping more fortunately
than those below. who are still buried
| In the ruins.
The firemen are working like beavers
digging into the debris. but are making
| little progress. The remaining portion
of the building from which the guests
are being removed by ladders as fast
as possible. is expected to fall any mo-
ment. and precautions to avert further
loss of life adds to the difficulty In
reaching the dead and injured. BY
some estimates. 40 persons were in the
portion Of the hotel destroyed. nearly
all Of whom must be dead. 1t will be
morning before a correct list can be obs
tained.
The cause of the explosion Is uncer-
tain. but 1t is supposed that the bat
terry of boilers in the hotel basement
must have exploded The sound OF the
explosion was heard throughout tho
city, awakening people In bed a milo
from the scene. A cloud of dust was
thrown thousand feet into the air.
and as there Is not a breath of air
stirring. 1t still hangs In the air like a
huge column. Minute atoms Of pow
dered brick and mortar are descending
like gentle snow many blocks away.
AT 1850 the ruins are burning fierce
ly and the firemen have been obliged
to retreat from the work of rescue
Every engine In the city Is pouring
water into the seething mass, but the
flames cannot possibly be gotten under
control before many of the injured
shall have been cremated.
As their chances OF escape lessen,
the cries Of imprisoned people are in
creasing. heartrending shrleks rising
from every portion of the great mass
OF wreckage. Fears are now enter
tained that the front portion of the
building, which seems to be tottering,
will fall and bury the firemen at their
work.
During the height of the excitement
a hose team ran away on Eighteenth
street. stampeding the great crowd Of
spectators. A number OF people we're
more or less injured by being trampled
upon and by falling in the broken glass
which covers the streets and sidewalks
in every direction. Electric light wires
dangling from broken poles in the alley
adder fresh peril to the firemcn. One
horse was killed by coming in contact
with a live wire. Two injured men
had almost been extricated from the
ruins when the flames approached so
close that the rescuers had to abandon
them for their own safety. Both voices
have now been sllenced. fire completing
the work commenced by the explosion.
The bodies Of three women are also to
be seen in the back par, of the building
but cannot be reached.
At 1870 the flames are still keeping
the firemen back from the work OF
!
alley wall. or those plnioned beneath
the debris. onbi two are now thought
to be alive. both men from the fifth
floor. who are still lying on their beds.
Both are covered several feet deep ex-
cept about their heads. and can hardly
survive another half hour. Almost no
progress is being made In relieving
them. as the smoke is binding. The
flames are only kept back from their
bodies by half a dozen streams Of
water. Thus far six persons have been
taken from the ruins all badly in
jured. In addition four were severely
cut by glass falling Into the street.
| A piece OF the cornice OF the Chees-
man block at l7th and Larimer streets.
fully a block from the Gumry hotel.
was torn out. fell TO the street. mar