The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-20
Scenes of Horror and Death
After the Explosion of
the Boiler.
NOBLE WORK OF REsCUERs.
Ex-Governor Routt Stated That the
Terrible Wreck Was Due to
Dynamite.

| Gumry Hotel, shows that without one
moments warning the boiler in the base
ment of the structure on Lawrence street,
near Seventeenth, exploded shortly after
midnight this morning and with terrific
force tore away the entire rear portion of
the building, demolishing the rear and
side walls and reducing the place to one
mass of confused timbers, bricks and
debris, which shortly after took fire. So
far as have been recovered, eight bodies
are at the city morgue and ten more are
known to be buried beneath the ruins.
Altogether seventeen people are missing,
and the loss of life will not be definitely
known until order is restored from the
confused mass of ruins. The killed are:
| R. c. Greiner, assistant superintendent
of construction at the State Capitol, and
his wife, who acted as clerk OF the
destroyed hotel; George Burt of Denver, a
conductor on the Chicago and Rock Island
Railroad; Fred Hubbold of Lisbon, Iowa,
guest of the hotel; F. ]. McClosky of
Longmont, Colo, guest; Will Richards of
Denver, eleyator-boy, and an unknown
woman and child about years old. The
only means of identifying the body of the
woman is by gold band ring with the
initials al. B." engraved thereon.
The missing, and supposed to be still in
| the ruins, are: Peter Gumry, owner of the
hotel and superintendent of construction
at the State Capitol; General Charles
| Adams of Manitou, Colo; James Murphy,
! prominent Democratic politician of
Omaha E. N. Edwards, butcher of Den
yer; w. J. Blake, w. ]. Corson, F. French,
County Treasurer of Gilpin County; Mrs.
g. R. Wolfe, Grace Wolfe, 5 years old, of
Lincoln, Nebr. B. 1. Lurch of Blackhawk;
an unknown woman and three unknown
! chambermaids.
Those injured and safely attended to at
the hospitals are: M. E. Letson, Joseph
Munal, Alex E. Irwin, Fred Coleman,
Nathan C. Burgess and Bud Hopkins.
| This SO far is definite knowledge of the
people to be accounted for, but the hotel
register shows people who have safely
| materialized, and some missing are not on
the register. The latest obtainable infor-
nation regarding the most terrible catas-
| trophe that is recorded in Denver's history,
clearly shows that 17-year-old boy, FL
| mer Pierce, who was temporarily placed in
| charge of the boiler, was directly respon-
| sible for the accident. With the boiler
almost at a red heat he injected cold
water into the tubular affair, causing an
! immediate explosion. Strange to say and
| by miracle he escaped unscathed, and
tonight was being hunted by an angry
crowd of people who would have dealt with
him hastily had he been apprehended. He
| seems safe, however, as no clue has been
unearthed as to his whereabouts. The
story of suffering amid the ruins is agon-
| izing and even repulsiye. Few people
other than fremen. the hastily summoned
rescue corps and policemen, remained near
the scene to witness the excavating for the
! horribly burned human masses and dis
torted remains.
| M. E. Letson, who was the first live man
taken from the ruins, had an experience
that at which all mankind can marvel He
slept on the third floor, and when found
/ was encased in conical-shaped mass of
! mortar and bricks that barely allowed his
! freedom of movement. Chief Roberts of
| the fire department first discovered him,
| and rapidly began the removal OF the tons
of material that seemed to rest directly
upon his body. In agonizing and heart
rending appeals he begged an instrument
| to end his life. The rescuers worked with
will, and in two hours had succeeded in
displacing enough plaster and bricks from
the apparently lifeless body to allow re-
moval. With most gracious thanks the
man was removed to the County Hospital,
and though his lower limbs were horribly
/ confused, he will survive his terrible
ordeal. He had been imprisoned for ten
hours.
/ No words could portray the scene around
the ruins late this afternoon. Women
and children. maddened by terrible sus-
pense, hurried to and fro in anxious in
quiry concerning loved ones that are miss
| ing. Strong men, hard at work amid the
ruins, quaked at the sickening smell OF
roasting flesh, and turned with pallid
/ countenance from the scene. Never before
| has such absolute wreckage and ruin de-
yastated any portion of the State.
About 10 o'clock in the morning q
woman's hand protruded almost unno-
! ticed from among pile of laths, brick and
otner material. With the precision of a
| trained corps of iife-savers attention was
turned by the rescuers to the delicate
| member that almost beckoned for help.
| When the work of removal OF the debris
| from her body commenced it was discov-
| cred that she was dead. Lying beside her
| in lifeless, yet tender affection, was the
corpse of small child, innocent looking
even in death. Bravely on worked the
/ firemen, superintended by Mayor McMur-
ray of this city and Police Commissioners
] Hogle, Church and Wilson.
About o'clock in the afternoon coffee
and sandwiches were served to the inde-
fatigable rescuers by prominent ladies OF
! the city who volunteered their services.
| Aldermen Leet and Ross were begrimmed
with smoke and dirt from their labors in
| attempting to render all possible aid. At
o'clock the body of an unknown man
/ was uncovered and it was Immediately
taken to the city morgue, where it was
later thought to be that of f. ]. McClosky.
| Halt an hour later the remains OF Con-