The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1895-08-28
A HOTEL HORROR.
Death Game to Many People
Without Warning.
Gumry's Hotel at Denver, Col, is De-
stroyPd by FlrC-Eight Bodies Re-
covered from the Ruins and
Ten More are Buried in the
Mass of Debris.


ished by an explosion which occurred
about 1890 Monday morning. The ex-
plosion took place in the rear portion
of the building To add to the
horror of the situation the ruins of the
big building took fire and many of the
unfortunateS who were not killed out
right by the crash were slowly burned
to death. Their screams and pleadings
that they be killed to save them from
torture by fire were piteous in the ex-
treme but the terror-stricken bystand-
ers were powerless to render them any
aid.
Among those known to have per-
ished are the following: Mr.. Greiner,
assistant superintendent of the state
Capitol; Mrs. Greiner, Peter Gumry,
proprietor of the hotel; Mrs. Peter
Gumry. Among the injured are: w.
c. McLain, Huron, Kan; Henry and
Mrs. Sloan, of Houston, Kan. Twenty
one people registered Sunday, most of
them late at night.
Mr.. McLain and family arrived at the
llOJtl DIV d ldJC llOul' 4hSJ OSNdPlSN
front rooms. Mr.. McLain thinks there
were about sixty guests in the house.
This with the help employed on the
premises would make seventy-five per-
sons in the building at the time of the
explosion. Besides Peter Gumry and
r. c. Greiner, the proprietors Of the
hotel, the day and night clerks are
both missing. Immediately after the
explosion occurred boy was heard
wailing in the corner of room which
had nearly all fallen away. His par
ents had gone down with the first
crash. Afterward the little ones cries
became weaker and weaker and when
the flames shot up into the skeleton of
the building his voice was silenced. 1t
is thought that the entire force of en-
ployes in the building have been killed,
for they were sleeping in the portion
which fell and the walls toppled over
upon them, burying them from all hope
of rescue. The force of the explosion
and the conclusion of the falling walls
shattered the windows on both sides of
Lawrence street for distance of
block.
Every engine in the city was called
to the scene, but the flames could not
be gotten under control before many
of the injured had been cremated. As
their chances of escape lessened, the
cries of the imprisoned people in
creased heartrending shrieks rising
from every portion of the wrcckage.
Two injured women had been almost
cxtricated from the ruins when the
flames approached so close that the res
cuers had to abandon them for their
own safety. The bodies of three wo-
men were also seen in the back pa;t of
the building, but could not be reached.
So far eight bodies have been recov-
cred and ten more are known to be
buried beneath the ruins. The loss of
life will not be definitely known until
order is reduced 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
htOTpt buTI, Vi DCuNtg, - NOHuuNbOl vi OhC
Chicago. Rock Island & Pacific railroad
Fred Hubbold. OF Lisbon, Ia., guest Of the
hotel.
f. ]. McCloSkey, of Longmont, COL guest.
win Richards, OF Denver, elevator boy
Unknown woman and child about years old
Those missing and supposed to be
still in the ruins are:
Peter Gumry owner of the hotel.
Gen. Charles Adams, of Denver.
James Murphy, prominent democratic poll
| tician Of Omaha
L. w. Edward, butcher, of Denver.
! W. J. Blake.
| n. ]. CorSon.
+. French, treasurer Of Gilpin county, Col
! Mrs. G. r. Wolfe
Grace Wolfe, D years old, Of Lincoln. Ne5
| B. /. Lurch, OF Black Hawk
Unknown woman and three unknown cham
bermaids.
This, so far, is statement of the
people to be accounted for, but some
are missing who were not on the regis
ter The latest obtainable informa-
ton regarding the terrible catastrophe
clearly shows that 17-year-old boy,
Elmer Pierce, who was temporarily
placed in chargc'of the boiler, was di.
rectly responsible for the accident.
With the boiler almost at red heat he
injected cold water into the tubular af-
fair, causing an explosion, Strange to
say he escaped unscathod and last
night was being hunted by an angry
crowd of people, who would have dealt
with him hastily had he been appre-
hended.
The Gumry hote. was fve-story
brick structure and was built about
six years ago. 1t was of the better
kind of second-class hotels, catering
largely to transient family patronage.
Thus many women and children were
among the guests. The building was
built as the Eden Musee by the widow
OF Tom Thumb and was SO occupied,
later being remodeled for use as ahotel.
Gumry and Greiner have owned the
hotel for several years.
The Gumry has been destroyed by
fire three times. Under the manage,
ment of the late Tom Thumb the Eden
Musee was burned and the midget and
his wife were carried out by the fire.
men. Again as furniture factory fire
entered and swept the block, killing
the watchman, who had fallen asleep
at his post.
A Sure Cnsr.