The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1895-08-20
DENVER'S HOLOCAUST.
Hotel Guests Lose Their Lives by
Explosion and Fire.
THE DEAD NUMBER TWENTY-FIVE.

Bodies Have Thus Far Been Recovered.
HeartrendinE Cries for Help from Those
Imprisoned by Burning Walls.
DENVER Aug. 2O.-The Gumry hotel,
on Lawrence street between Seventeenth
and Eighteenth Streets was demolished
by an explosion which occurred shortly
after midnight. The explosion took place
in the rear portion Of the buildings, and
its cause has not yet been ascertained
There was no warning of the sudden
disaster and it is certain that a number
of guests and employees of the hotel have
lost their lives in the ruins the building
being a complete wreck. 1t is a marvel
that any escaped. Thus far only fifteen
people who are known to have been in the
building at the time of the explosion are
accounted for
To add to the horror of the situation
the ruins of the big building took fire,
and many unfortunates who were not
killed outright by the crash were slowly
burned to death. Their screams and plead
ings that they be killed to save them from
torture by fire were piteous in the ex-
treme, but the terror stricken bystanders
were powerless to render them any aid.
Following is the list of the dead so far
as yet ascertained:
Peter Gumry, owner of the hotel; R. @.
Greiner, manager of the hotel, son-in-law
of Peter Gumry; Mrs. r. G. Greiner,
clerk of the hotel, daughter Of Peter
Gumry; child of Mr.. and Mrs. r. G.
Greiner; General Charles Adams, Man
itou; viii Richards, elevator man; AL
Blake, Pueblo, Colo. Myron E. Hawley,
Union Pacific railroad clerk, Denver;
James Murphy, contractor, Denver; George
Burt, passenger conductor on the Rock
Island railroad, Colorado Springs Mrs.
G. r. Wolf and daughter, Lincoln, Neb.;
r. M. Edwards, butcher, Denver; Fred
Hubbold, or Hauser, Of Elizabeth, Ia;
three chambermaids, names unknown;
one bell boy, name unknown.
The force of the explosion, and the con-
oussion of the falling walls, shattered the
windows on both sides of Lawrence street,
from Seventeenth to Eighteenth streets,
and back of the hotel, on Larimer street,
the plate glass windows of all the bust
ness houses were utterly wrecked, and be-
lated pedestrians were badly injured by
the falling of glass and flying debris
The fronts of many buildings in the
vicinity were very badly wrecked. The
hotel structure for 100 feet along the alley,
and extending seventy-five feet toward
the front, was a mass of debris. Brick
and plaster were piled in heaps twenty
feet high, and from this mass of wreckage
could be heard the means of the injured
and dying.
The list of dead and missing now num-
bers twenty-five, making the disaster the
worst that ever occurred in the city. Only
seven bodies have thus far been recovered
being those of Manager Grenier and his
wife, clasped in each others arms; Gore
Burt, a Rock Island conductor; Mrs
George r. Wolfe and daughter Fred
Hubbold and VIII Richards, the elevator
operator of the hotel.
Among the missing is included Elmer
Pierce, the night engineer, who is said to
have entered The hotel just before the ex-
plosion occurred. 1t is to this mans care
/ lessness that the disaster is attributed.
The scenes surrounding the death of
James Murphy, contractor, were heart
rending. The firemen engaged at the rear
of the building heard the agonizing cries
| from the man that he was burning and
asking them to continue to play the
water. His two lower limbs We're pinned
between two heavy joists. After the
most herculean efforts, with dense smoke
binding them, the hremen released
Murphy 6 left leg. At this moment sheet
of flames compelled them to withdraw.
Murphy then offered his rescuers $4,000
to get him out, and piteously begged them
to chop his leg off. A second later the
west wall collapsed and covered Murphy
with tons of ruins. Mr.. Murphy came to
Denver from Omaha six years ago.
NJ, E. Letson, a dairyman of this city,
II. 1, I, L..
rescued His injuries are crushed arm,
several contusions and the shock to his
nervous system. Mr.. Letson said: II was
more incased than pinioned, us only my
left leg and my right arm was held down
by weights. You cannot have the slight
est idea of my feelings as 1 lay there in
the bottom of the basement, with all the
ruins on top and around me, hearing the
excruciating cries of the dying and those
in agony, and being almost overcome by
the shock, soaked with water and almost
drowned, and fearing that the next min
ute would be buried alive"
A portion of the hotel is still standing
gaunt and sinister, constantly threaten
ing to crash down upon those in the ruini
at any moment. The search for victims
has been carried on to the utmost energy
constantly with the aid of twenty arc
lights. Flames broke out afresh in the
wreckage, and the fire engines are again
pouring forth water still impeding the
work of rescue.
A vast throng surrounds the building on
every side, pressing forward as far as the
fire ropes will! allow The police are con
stantly guarding against any one slip
ping through the lines on account of the
great danger that the front of the build
ing may fall
The total loss caused by the explosion
and fire is about S25, 900. The Gumry no
tel was worth about $4,000, and had
q, 600 worth of furniture. 1t is tota
wreck, but was insured for $25, 600.
Police stopped the Pugilists.