Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-08-22
DIGGING FOR DEAD.
Grewsome Work Goes on In
the Denver Hotel Ruins.
TWENTY-FIVE ON THE DEATH ROLL

Fire Breaks Out Again and Stops the
search-Night Engineer Pierce, Whose
Negligence Caused the Horror, Himself
james Murphy's Terrible Taking on.
DENVER, Aug a0-A portion Of the
Gumry hotel, the scene of the frighuful
disaster, 10 still standing gaunt and sim
lister, constantly threatening to crash
down at any moment upon those delving
In the ruins. The search for victims has
been carried on with the utmost energy
constantly, with the aid of twenty arc
lights. Flames broke out afresh in the
wrecksge last night and the fire engines
tgain poured forth water, still further
impeding 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 1880
last night only seven bodies had been re.
covered, being those of Manager Grenier
and his wife, clasped in each others arms;
Gore Burt, Rock Island railroad con-
duotor; Mrs. George R. Wolfe and daugh-
ter; Fred ,Rubbold, and VIII Richards,
the elevator operator of the hotel
Tho Man Who Caused It Missing.
Among the missing Is now included
Elmer Pierce, the night engineer who is
said to have re.entered the hotel just be-
fore the explosion occurred. 1t is to this
mans carelessness that the disaster is at.
tributed. The bodies Of Peter Gumry and
General Adams are still IN the ruins.
lid. Tn, ho AroN
supposed to have been in his room at the
hotel, turns out to be at Holyoke, Colo,
where he was spending Sunday with
friends. A vast throng surrounds the
building on every side, pressing forward
as far as the fire ropes will allow. The
police are constantly guarding against
any one slipping through the lines on &C.
count Of the great danger that the front
of the building may fall.
Had Been Nrglect,ng His Duty.
There Is no doubt the disaster was
caused by boiler explosion Pierce, the
engineer, it Is said, was intoxicated, and
after turning large quantity of cold
water into the hot boiler left the building
ten minutes before the explosion occurred
Irwin, the night clerk says Pierce. who
was only II years old, was drunk when
he went on duty, and that he was in tho
habit of neglecting his duty. Irwin was
pinned beneath some heavy timbers at
his desk by the explosion. and was res
cued by fireman. He has scalp wounds
and internal injuries, but will recover.
Two Omaha Men Missing.
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 telegraphed an inquiry from
Omaha and Chief Goulding answered
that there was little hope of her hus-
band being alive. A suit Of clothes was
found in the ruins of the hotel, in the
pockets of which was a 1000. mile rail.
road book bearing the name OF A.
Stuckey, and a letter addressed to Miss
Hattie Layton, B Jvidere, Ills.
General Charles Adams, whose body Is
believed to be in the ruins of the hotel,
was we'll known in mining and political
circles in Colorado. He had been Il resi-
dent of the state since the early days, and
formerly took a prominent part in poll
tics as n Republican. In 1873 at the time
of the U'e troubles he was Indian agent
at the Ouray reservation.