Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1895-08-26
HOTEL HOLOCAUST.
Forty or More Lives Are Lost
at Denver, Col.
The Gumrey House Wrecked by Boiler,
Explosion.

MOTEL, 1lZ0 10 LOO AdWTeuce street,
was wrecked by a terrific explosion at
1910 o'clock this morning. The rear
half of the building, a fiye-story brick
and stone structure, went down with u,
| crash. The hotel was crowded With
guests and many of them were killed..
| as we'll as the entire force Of hotel en-
plOyes who were sleeping in the portion
of the building which fell.
On both sides of Lawrence, from Sew
enteenth to Eighteenth streets. and Oh
| Larimer, directly back of the hotel, the
plate glass windows of the business
| houses were blown in and q number
| of pedestrians were injured by falling
| glass. The fronts of many buildings
| in the vicinity were badly wrecked.
| The fremen worked hard, but were
unable to make much progress because
of the intense heat At the front end,
where the collapse was the worst, there
| were bricks and plaster piled twenty
| feet high and under this debris could be.
! heard the means of the injured and dy-
| ing. At 1886 FIVE injured persons had
| been taken out. They were all inmates.
of the upper story, and sank down with
the upper stories, escaping more fortu-
nately than those below, who were still
| buried in the ruins.
At 1850 q. m. the ruins were burning
fercely and the fremen were obliged to-
retreat from the work of rescue. Every
| into the mass. AS their chances of es-
| cape lessened the cries of the imprisoned
people increased; heartrendering shrieks
| rising from every portion OF the great
| mass of wreckage. Fears were enter
tanned that the front portion of the
| building, which seemed to be lettering,
would fall and bury the fremen at their
work.
At 2 o'clock six persons had been taken
from the ruins, all badly injured. In adj
dition, four were severely cut by glass
falling into the street.
The firemen made brave effort to save
a woman caught in the debris of the north
corner of the hotel. but were forced to-
abandon the attempt. The spot where
she lay was then the hottest part of the
| fire. None of the six persons thus far
| taken out are conscious and Identification
| is impossible.
Twelve dead bodies had been taken out
| at 6 a. M The fire is still burning, but is,
under control and confined to the hotel
| More bodies are thought to be under the
| ruins.
The Gumery hotel was a fve-story
| brick, with stone front, and was built
about SIX years ago. 1t was of the better
kind of second-class hotels catering large
| ly to transient family patronage. Thus,
many ladies and children were among the
guests. The building was built as the
Eden Musee by the widow of Gen. Tom
1 L
remodeled for use as hotel Gumrey
| and Grenier have owned the hotel for
| several years Mr.. Gumrey was a prom
inent contractor and had done much OF
| the work during the building Of the state,
canitol. Mr.. Grenier acted in the capaci-
| ty of manager. No meals were served
| in the hotel and every guest entered ON
| the register occupied a room in the hoteR
| last night.
Twenty two people were registered
| most Of them late last night, the list being
as follows:
Mrs. O. H. Knight Lake City.
Mrs. knights son.
J. L. Kirk. Omaha.
T. G. Brown, Omaha.
Bud Buren, Colorado Springs.
]. w Roberts and wife, Colorado Springs
Miss Jennie Howard Boston.
Mrs G.. w. Williams, Boulder
Miss Hattie Fl. Williams, Boulder.
W. c. McClain Huron, Kas.
Mrs. McClain and child, Huron, Kas.
Henry Sloan, Huron, Kas.
Mrs Henry Sloan, Huron, Kas
| George Burley, Colorado Springs
| f. r. McCloskey Cripple Greek, Col.
F. French Central City, Col.
B. Lorah, Central City, Col.
w. j. CorsOn. Pueblo.
| NJ. e. LetsOn, Denver
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 was heard
| throughout the city, awakening people
| a mile from the scene. A cloud of dust
| was thrown 1000 feet i'll the air and us
there is no wind i sun hung N MD
| air like a huge column. Minute atoms
| of powdered brick and mortar descended
continually.
Denver, Col, Aug 20.-Thirteen bodies
have so far been taken out of the ruins
of the Gumry hotel, and it is evident that
the death roll when complete will con-
tain twenty-four or twenty-five Names
! possibly more. Inc dead already taken
| out and identified are:
Frederick Houbold, manager of Opera house
| Lisbon Ia; Robert G. Greiner, manager OF
Murphy, contractor, Denver; George Burt Rock
Island railroad cond g. E Iec Wafs
| Lincoln Neb.; child of Mrs. Wolfe; William
| Richards, elevator pilots B.. l.. Lorah, Central
| pin county, Col; Myron E. Hawley, Union Pa
| cifc railroad clerk; E. w. Edwards, Denver
| butcher.
| The statement made yesterday that
| Mrs. r. G. Greiner. one of the victims
| of the Gumry hotel disaster. was a
| daughter of Peter Gumry, also killed,
| proves incorrect. Mr.. Gumry was never
| married and leaves no known relatives.
| All he knew about himself was that he
| was of French birth and that his parents
| were drowned at sea. OF all the crew
| and passengers of the British brig Peter
| Gumry, when she foundered off the
| banks of Newfoundland over fifty years
i ago. he alone was saved. Ills rescuers
/ gave him the name of the wrecked yes
sci. He leaves property valued at $780,
Denver, Col, Aug. IA discovery
made in excavating the ruins of the Gum
~ hotel raises the presumption that W t.
| owen. a wealthy man and mayor OF no.
bart. Ind, is among the killed, although
name does not appear on the bod regsbte ad
| been recovered, making the total num-
Der twenty OF the seven taken out since
yesterday four have been identified as A;
| M. Munro of Colorado Springs, Col, and
Lizzie Lager, Louis Reinbuber and En-
ma Millethaler, chambermaids. The 9TH
err three have not been positively identi-
| fed, but one is believed to be the body
| of Peter Gumry.
The body of Gen. Charles Adams was;
| taken out of the ruins at 2 o'clock this
| afternoon. The fire which has been
smouldering in the debris has broken out
again.
| kirkland Sets Sail.