The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1895-08-23
THE HOTEL HORROR.
The Number of Killed VIII Proba-
oily Not Exceed Twenty.
A DRUNKEN ENGINEER THE CAUSE.
He Is Said to Have Turned q Large Guam
tity of Cold Water into the Hot Boil
ers Just Ten Minutes Before
the Explosion Occurred.

DENVER, Col, Aug. 2o.-A portion of
the Gumry hotel. the scene of Sunday
nights frightful disaster, is still stand
ing, gaunt and sinister, constantly
threatening to crash down upon
those delving in the ruins at any mo-
ment. The search <or victims has
been carried on with the utmost en-
ergy constantly since the explosion
occurred, and was continued last night
with the aid of twenty arc lights.
Flames broke out afresh in the wreck
age last night and the fire engines
again poured forth water, still further
impeding the work of rescue.
The list of dead and missing now
numbers twenty-five, making the dis
aster the worst that ever occurred in
the city. Up to 7:30 last night only
seven bodies had been recovered, being
those of Manager Greiner and his wife,
clasped in each others arms; Gore
Burt, Rock Island railroad con-
ductor; Mrs George r. Wolfe and
daughter, Fred Hubbold and viii
Richards, the elevator operator of the
hotel. Among the missing is now in
cluded Elmer Pierce, the night engi-
neer, who is said to have re-entered
the hotel just before the explosion oc-
Cured. 1t is to this mans earelessness
that the disaster is attributed.
The bodies of Peter Gumry and Gen.
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.
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 ac-
count of the great danger that the
front of the building may fall.
At 1890 p. m, the body of E. F. Nc
Closkey, of Colorado Springs, a
wealthy owner of Cripple Creek mines,
was taken from the ruins This, with
James Murphy. who died while being
taken out, makes eight bodies thus far
recovered.
The fire has been almost extinguished,
and 100 teams are now making as rapid
progress as possible removing the de-
bris, though at best the work is pain
fully slow. At IL o'clock one body,
which was not identified, had been re-
moved from the ruins and several more
were in sight The number of killed
will not exceed twenty.
There is no doubt the disaster was
caused by boiler explosion. Elmer
Pierce, the engineer. it is said, was in
toxicated, and after turning large
quantity of cold water into the hot
boilers, left the building ten minutes
before the explosion occurred. The
police are looking for him
No words could portray the scene
around the ruins late yesterday after
noon. Women and children, mad
dened by the terrible suspense, hurried
in anxious inquiry concerning loved
ones that were missing. Strong men
hard at work amid the ruins quaked at
the sickening smell of roasting flesh
and turned with paid countenances
from the scene. Never before did
such absolute wreckage and ruin de-
vastate any portion of the state.