The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1895-08-22
FriphtfuI Catastrophe at Denver
BIotted Out Many Lives.
THE RUINS SOON IN FLAMES
Men, Women and Children Burned to
Death Before the Iyes OF
Spectators.

ing. a five-story brick and stone struct-
ure went 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 employees
who were sleeping in that portion 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 windows of busi-
ness houses were shattered and num-
Der of pedestrians were injured by
falling glass. The fronts of many
buildings in the vicinity were badly
wrecked The hotel structure for 100
feet along the alley and extending for
10 feet toward the front is merely a
mass of debris. Brick and plaster are
piled in heap 20 feet high, and from
this mass of wreckage can be heard the
means of injured and dying. At 1885
five injured people had been taken out.
They were 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 people were in
the portion of the hotel destroyed, near
ly all of whom must be dead. 1t will
be morning before a correct list can
be obtained.
The cause of the explosion is uncer-
tain, but it is supposed that the battery
of boilers in the hotel basement must
have exploded. The sound of the ex-
plosion was heard throughout the city,
awakening people in bed mile from
the scene. A cloud of dust was thrown
thousand feet into the air and as
there is not a breath of air stirring it
still hangs in the air like huge col
umn. Minute atoms of powdered brick
and mortar are descending like gentle
snow many blocks away.
RUINS ON FIRE.
At 1850 the ruins are burning fiercely
and the firemen have been obliged to
retreat from the work of rescue Every
engine in the city is pouring streams
of water into the seething mass, but
under control before many of the in
jured have been cremated.
AS the chances of escape lessen the
cries of the imprisoned people are in
creasing, heart-rending shrieks rising
from every portion of the great mass
of Wreckage. Fears are now entertain
ed 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 excitement hose
team ran away on Eighteenth street
stampeding the great crowd of specta-
tors A number of people were 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
added fresh peril to the firemen. One
horse was killed by coming in contact
with live wire
MET A TERRIBLE FATE.
Two injured men had almost been ex
tricated from the ruins when the flames
approached so close that the rescuers
had to abandon them for their OWL
safety Both voices have now been 81
lenced, fire completing the work com
menced by the explosion The bodies
of three women are also to be seen II
the back part of the building, but can
not be reached.
At 1:3O the flames are still keepin;
the firemen back from the work of res
cue, except just at the line of the ale.
wall. OF those pinioned beneath tn
debris only two are now thought to b
alive. both men from the fifth floor VIII
are still lying on their beds. Both ar
covered several feet deep except abou
their heads, and can hardly survive an
other half hour. Almost no progress
being made in relieving them, as tn
smoke is binding The flames are onl
kept back from their bodies by half
dozen streams of water. Thus Tar 81
persons have been taken from tn
ruins all badly injured
In addition four were severely cut b
glass falling into the street. plec
of the cornice of the Cheesman block,
Seventeenth and Larimore streets fun
block from the Gumry hotel, was tor
out and fell to the street, narrow
missing several passers-by. The trat
ment weighed at least ton
In the wrecked hotel there was ti'
of five or six rooms extending acro'
the rear of the building, facing the a
ley on each of the three upper floor
All of these rooms are believed to ha'
been occupied, as people residing
rooms directly across the alley o
served lights burning in every windo
during the evening.
BOTH PROPRIETORS DEAD.
Among the dead are Peter Gum
and R. C. Greiner, the two proprieto
of the hotel. the day clerk and the mig
clerk, none of whom have been found
Immediately after the explosion {
CURED a young baby was heard VAIN
in the corner of room which had nea
1y all fallen away. Its parents n
been carried down to death with [
first crash. Soon after the little on
cries became weaker, and later, VIII
the flames shot up into the skeleton
the building, became entirely silence
The firemen made brave enort
save a woman caught in the debris
the north corner of the hotel, but WE
forced to abandon the attempt.
The spot where she lay is now
hottest part of the fire. None OF
six people thus far taken out are CT