The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-08-20

DENVER, COL, August 19-Fifteen or
twenty persons persisted by Are In the
Gumrey Hotel, on Lawrence street, In
which q terrific explosion took place at
1910 q. IN. The rear half of she build
ing, fvestory brick and stone struct-
ure, went down with crash. The
hotel was crowded with guests, and
many of them must have been killed
outright, as we'll as about ten hotel en-
ployes who were sleeping in the portion
OF the building which fell.
The cause was the explosion of bat
terry of boilers in the hotel basement.
The sound Of the explosion was heard
throughout the city, awakening the
people mile from tho scene. Follow
ing are lists of dead and injured SO far
as can be ascertained
Dead, Peter Gumrey, owner Of the
hotel; r. G. Grenner, manager of the
hotel, son-in-lsw of Peter Gumrey; Mrs.
Grenner, clerk OF the hotel, daughter of
Peter Gumreg; child OF Mrs. Grenner;
Gen. Charles Adams, Manisou, Col; A.
L. Blake, Pueblo, COL; Myron e. Haw-
ley, Union Pacific railroad clerk, Dem
YER; James Murphy, contractor. Denver;
George Burt, passenger conductor on the
&. l. railroad, Colorado Springs; Mrs.
G. r. Wolf and daughter, Lincoln, Neb !;
three chamber maids, names unknown;
ono bell boy, name unknown.
The missing are: Grenper, fa her Of
r. G. Grenner, manager of hotel; Bud
Burns, Colorado Springs; w. j. Carson,
Pueblo, Col; f. French, Bart Larsch,
both of Central City, Col.
II is not positively known that these
two were in their room, e f. Nc Clos.
key. Canon City, COL; Judge Glynn,
Leadville, Col. Injured: Joseph Munal,
cigar maker Cairo, H., face and head
terribly cut, body bruised, internal in
juries; Michael Q. Burgess severely cut
about the face; w. e. Erwin, night
clerk, cuts and bruises; J. Il. Letson,
Tramway conductor. body badly bruised,
internal injuries; Fred Coleman, not
serious; Bud Hopkins, not serious
The whole rear half of the hotel WAS
blown to atoms. and the front por tions
are merely the shattered and burned
fragments OF q house. The force of the
explosion was 30 great that for two
blocks on Lawrence street, and for some
distance on Larimer street every win
dow in the business blocks were shat
fered in pieces upon the pavements. II
was . catastrophe complete and pitiless
in its horrors. The dust had cleared
somewhat when the hremen reached
the place. There was no fire to be seen
then. In front of the house there was
the sound OF glass falling. and people
were rushing in night clothes in horror
from the doors and appealing plteously
from the windows for help.
The explosion awoke the guests in the
front part of the house, and by the time
the firemen reached the scene they were
ready to be taken from the windows.
The fremen, with torches and Ian terms,
entered all paris of the hotel. At 1880
the ruins were burning furiously aad
the tremen were compelled to retreat
from the work Of rescue. Every engine
in the city WAS pouring streams OF water
into the M ass, but the flames could not
be gotten under control before many of
the injured had been burned to death.
AS their chances of escape lessened The
cries of the Imprisoned people increased,
haart-rending shrieks rising from every
portion OF the great mass of wrecksge.
1t was after 4 o'clock before the Are
had been sufficiently subdued to permit
the work of rescue to be resumed. Soon
a large force OF men and teams were at
work removing the debris. Meanwhile
the firemen continued TO throw water on
the smouldering ruins. Al daylight
three bodies were already in sight,
those of two men and woman, but 1t
was impossible for the rescuers to get
at them. ALI day the melancholy work
progressed. At IL o'clock one body,
which was not identified, had been
found, and late this afternoon five more
we're recovered from the blackened
heap. Two were identified as the re-
M tr7n ~ nd
j. Il. Letson was discovered alive in
the ruins. He WAS jammed between an
ice box and she tim bers in such shape
that 1t was impossible to remove him
for several hours Meanwhile, he beg
ged piteously to be saved, and finally
he was relieved and removed to the hos
pital. One Of his arms was crushed, and
he may have suffered internal Injuries,
but his recovery Is confidently expected.
There were many thrilling escapes fol-
lowing the explosion and during the
progress Of the fire. Joe Muneal, Of
Cairo, ILL.,, was rescued at $3.50 o'clock.
after an hours work. He was found in
the basement dressed only in his under
closhes, and ne WAS completely covered
with ashes and dirt.
The most that the firemen could do,
while the flames shot up hercely and
smoke drove them back. was to fight
heroically for the life of Muneal, whose
head and shoulders protruded from the
burning mass. Police Surgeon J. A.
Recki took place where he could keep
Muneal's head moist and properly attend
him while his lower limbs were being
extricated. It was position of great
danger on account of the flames and the
overhanging roof. whi:h threaten to
come down at any moment But the
men worked on, hauling at neams with