The herald., 1895-08-20
TnR0NGS VISIT THE RUINS
Which Are Constantly Threatening to
Crash Down
A List Of the Killed. Injured and Missing
People
Graphic Description Of the Feelings Of Unfort-
unates Who Were Piuioned In the
Burning Debris and Heard tho
Cries Of Other Sufferers
Associated Press specisl Wire.

DENVER, COL. August ia portion
OF the Gumry hotel. the scene of last
nights irightful disaster, is still stand
ing. q gaunt and sinister ruin, constantly
threatening to crash down on those delv-
ing in the ruins. The search for victims
has been carried on with the utmost en-
orgy since the explosion occurred. and
is being continued tonight with the aid
OF twenty arc lights.
Flames broke out afresh in the wreck
age tonight, snd the fire engines are again
pouring forth water. still further i'm.
peding the work OF rescue. The list OF
dead and missing now numbers twenty
five, making the disaster the worst that
ever occurred in the city. Up to 7: 80 to-
night only seven bodies had been re-
covered. being those or Manager Greiner
and his wife. clasped in each others
arms George Burt, a Rock Island rail-
road conductor; Mrs. George Il. Wolfe
and her daughter; Fred Hubbold. and
Will Richards. the elevator man.
Among the missing is now included
Elmer Pierce. the night engineer, who IS
said to have entered the hotel just before
the explosion occurred. II is to this
mans carelessness that the disaster
attributed. The bodies of Peter Gumry
and General Adams are still in the ruins.
Judge James Glynn. who was at first sup
posed to have been in his room at the
hotel, turns out to be at Holyoke, COL,
where he was spending Sunday with
friends.
vast throng surrounds the build ing
ON every side, pressing forward as far as
the ropes will allow. The police are con-
stantly guarding against any one step
ping through the lines, on account of the
great danger from the standing walls.
AT 10 80 p. M. the body OF Z. +. Nc
Closkey of Colorado Springs, wealthy
owner OF Cripple Creek mines. was taken
from the ruins. This. with James Muir
ply, who died while being taken out,
makes light bodies thus far recovered.
The fire has been almost extinguished
and 100 teams are now making as rapid
progress as possible. removing the debris,
though the work at best is painfully
slow.
At 1880 three moro bodies were uncov-
cred. those of Bella l. Lorah and Frederick
French of Central City, Col. and an un-
known. The former have been identified
by Mr.. Lorah's father. who is assisting
in removing the debris from the bodies.
/: The third body is burned beyond re-
cognition.
r. e. Irwin, the night clerk. made the
following statement: II was standing at
my counter talking to Budd and Haw-
kins the two bartenders, when suddenly
/ heard terrific roar and instantly the
roof came crashing down and l was
pinned by heavy beams which held me
SO tight l could not movs my limbs. The
room began to fill with smoke, and was
unable to breathe. Alter about giving uu
oil hope, heard fremen above me and
soon they had removed enough timbers
to allow me to drag myself out and from
there to the street.
''The engineer is boy II years of age,
named Elmer Pierce. He was drunk at
the time he went on duty. In fact. he
either gets full all the time or is away
from the engine room. l cannot say how
many we're in the hotel at the time, but
shoulu judge about seventy. There
are eleven now in the ruins, including
General Adams"
There is no doubt the disaster was
caused by q boiler explosion. Frank
Pierce, the engineer. it is said, was in
toxicated, and after turning a largo guam
tity of cold water into the hot boilers, left
ten minutes before the explosion oc-
Cured. The police are looking for him.
The scene surrounding the death of
James Murphy, a contractor, was heart
rendins. The firemen engaged at the
rear of the building heard the agonizing
cries from the man that he was burning
and to continue to play the water. After
ii tsen minutes of heroic work the fire.
men I.Ached him. His lower limbs
were pinioned by two heavy joists. After
almost herculean efforts, with dense
smoke binding the frcmen's eyes, Muir
phys left leg was released. At this mo-
inent a sheet of flame compelled the men
re.c"ers $1,000 to to- get p him inn" out % and pits s
eously begged for them to chop his leg
off. A second later the west wall col
lapsed and covered poor Murphy with
tons Of ruins. Murphy came to Denver
from Omaha SIX years ago.
Mrs. George K. Wolfe, from Lincoln,
Neb.. visiting Mrs. Schmittel, was a vic
tim OF the catastrophe. She was accom-
panied by her 5-year ola daughter. Mrs.
Wolfe's husband is a tobacco man of Lin.
coin. He left the hotel for tour OF Colo
RADIO yesterday.
J. A. Brown and J. L. Kirk of Omaha
are among the missing. They registered
at the Gumry Sunday afternoon and have
not been seen since the explosion. Mrs.
Brown telsRraphed an inquiry from
Omaha and Chief Goulding answered that
there were little hopes Of her husband
being alive. A suit Of clothes was found
in the ruins Of the hotel in the pocket of
which was 1000.mils railroad book bear