The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-08-19

freight department of the Union Pacific
railroad Office, is counted among the
lost.
The dust had cleared away somewhat
when the fremen 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 from the doors and appeal
ing 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 dremen with torch and lantern en-
tered into all parts of the hotel
Joe Munal was found in the basement
dressed only in his underclothes and was
completely covered with ashes and dirt
Six persons, including woman and
baby. were taken off the roof of the
building adjoining the Gumry, occupied
by A. Lilly blade.
Peter Poss, an aged gentleman from
Chattanooga, Tenn, was occupying room
No "a with his daughter Addle. Ho is
an invalid. He was awakened by the
noise and found the room full of dust
He had a slight cut above the left eye.
Peter Daily, special officer of the Union
Pacific, carried Mr. Poss down from the
fourth floor on his back. The daughter
got down the stairs unaided and unin-
jured.
w. G. Purcell and wife of Broken
Bow, Neb., slept in room II. Mr.. Pur-
cell is publisher of the Custer county
Chief, Nebraska. I'VE awakened, said
| Mr.. Purcell, with smothered feeling. l
| felt around and found that the bed cloth
ing was covered with mortar and several
inches OF dust. jumped at the same
time that the transom fell down with
loud report and effectually shut US in.
/ then smashed the window in order to
get some air and saw the debris on the
street below. l did not feel any upheaval
and experienced no injury"
Nr. and Mrs. Purcell escaped by the
stairway.
| Vista (Colo.) Republican, was in his room
but had not retired. when the explosion
| occurred. He said:
Il was sitting on the side of the bed
when l felt the bed move upward with a
violent jerk Before the bed righted it.
| self, heavy quantity of plaster fell
| from the ceiling, com pletely covering
myself and bed clothing. When l could
see anything l saw that the walls of my
room were torn asunder for several feet,
and that was fastened in tightly except
for the window of the room. Beyond
the slight shock at the time of the ex-
plosion l was not hurt in any way, but
lost no time in getting out OF the build
ing"
Many others had similar experiences.
! The hotel was divided about the center
| by a rotunda or court, running to the top
| of the building, though covered at the
second floor. The building has been
! split in two at this point of division and
| the entire fivc stories back of the rotunda
| were thrown into d shapeless mass in the
| alley. Five stories of brick and wood
and iron, with the human occpants were
made a mere heap of death-containing G
ruins.
Out of the pile of brick, wood and iron
below there came feeble means and
piteous cries for eelp.
a fireman clambering up the noun
tain of ruins felt his feet crunch against
human flesh. He reached down and
touched with his hand an arm pro-
trnding from the mass beneath him.
! There still seemed to be no fire: The
blaze had been smoothered by the
falling building and the fremen devoted
their efforts to the work of rescue. And
then suddenly the flames broke out and
the workers were driven away and the
voices ceased to cry for help The great
mass was from that moment nothing but
a grave. The most that the fremeu
could do, while the flames shot up
fierceIy and smoke drove them back
was to fight fiercely for the life of one
poor fellow, Joseph Munal, whose head
and shoulders protruded from the burn
ing mass.
Police Surgeon Jarecki took his place
where he could keep Munars head mois'
and properly attend to him while his
| lower limbs were being extricated. It was
a position of great danger for all, on &C
count of the flames and the over
hanging roof, which threatened to come
down at any moment But the men
worked on, hauling at beams with ropes
and using every device to clean the
space around the suffering man, whC
bore his agony with great bravery anO
.cheered on his helpers. At last, abou
2:50 o'clock, a great cheer arose ant
word was spread among the great crowC
waiting outside that the work was fin
ished. Soon fremen and citizens ap
peared at the entrance of the alley bear
ing Munal on a stretcher. He was con
scious. but suffering great agony. ant
the physicians expressed little hope fo
his ultimate survival.
, At times the cries of a babe anC
, the means of men and women could b.
| heard, but the flames and smoke in
creased and finally the voices were al
silenced.
There is no doubt the disaster wa
| caused by a boiler explosion. Franz
Loescher, the engineer, it is said, was in
toxicated, and after turning larg'
quantity of cold water into the hot boil
ers, left the building ten minutes befor
) the explosion occurred. The police sr'
: looking for him.
RE. Irwin, the night clerk, say
: Loescher was only II years old, wa
=, drunk when he went on duty and tha
, he was in the habit of neglecting hi
duty.
r Irwin was pinned beneath some heav
? timbers at the desk by the explosion an
was rescued by firemen. He has seal
3 | wounds and internal injuries but will re
D | cover.
3 The number killed will not excee
! twenty.
! The Dead.