Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-08-19
HORRIBLE DENVER DISASTER.
Explosion of Boiler Causes the
Gumry Hotel to Fall in Shape
less Ruins.
Many Dead, Injured and Missing
Agonizing Groans of Persons in the
Ruins-Fire Adds to the Hor-
ror-Work of Drunken
Engineer.


ror-Work of Drunken
Engineer.
Denver, Aug. 19.-The Gumry hotel
was wrecked by an explosion soon after
midnight. Buried in the ruins are many
guests and employees, whose bodies must
have been wholly or partly cremated. 1t
is impossible yet to give list of the
dead or even approximate the number.
Out of forty or more people in the hotel
when the explosion occurred score were
gotten out safely. Three we're rescued
with more or less serious injuries and
others are nquestionably lying dead be-
meath the mass of bricks and shattered
beams and twisted iron in the rear of the
ruined building. The death list will in
clude the owner of the hotel, Peter Gumry,
Manager Robert G. Greiner and his wife,
who acted as day clerk.
Before fire added to the horrors of the
explosion the firemen were appealed to
plteously by men and women and babes,
whose lives were being crushed out in the
ruins. Then fire broke out and that end
ed it. Joe Munal, of Cairo, ILL.,, was res
cued at 2:3O, after hours of work, and it
is certain no more can be alive.
Irwin, the night clerk, who with the
bar-keeper, Vim. Rubbe, had miracul-
Gus escape, went over the register for the
last few days, this morning, and en-
deavored to call to mind the occupants
of the different rooms. He says that
there we're between fifty and fifty-fve
people registered and that sixteen occu-
pied back rooms, where it was more diff
cult to escape.
The whole rear half of the hotel was
blown to atoms and the front portions
are merely shattered and burned frag-
ments of house. The force of the ex-
plosion was so great that, for two blocks
on Lawrence street and for some distance
on Larimer street, every window in
the business blocks lies shattered in
pieces upon the pavements.
GUESTS RuDELY AWAKENED.
The dust had cleared away somewhat
when the firemen had reached the place.
There was no fire to be seen then. The
explosion woke the guests in the front
part of the house and by the time the
tiremen reached the scene they we're ready
to be taken from the windows. The fire.
men with torches and lanterns entered
into all parts of the hotel.
Michael G. Burgess was walking along
Lawrence street on the opposite side
from the hotel when the explosion oc-
Cured. Glass cut him about the head
aud face in frightful manner. His in
juries are very serious though not neces-
sarily fatal. He is painter from Custer
City, s. D.
Bud Hopkins, bartender at the Gumry,
was found on the ground floor of the
hotel unconscious and bleeding from
many cuts.
Joe Munal was found in the basement
dressed only in his underclothes and
com pletely covered with ashes and dirt.
When revived he said: II am cigar
maker from Cairo, Ill. 1 was up stairs in
bed when I heard the crash. did not
know what it was and got out of bed and
hurried out and on going down stairs
must have lost my way, for, when l got
down on what I thought was the ground
floor, fell into the basement" His in
juries, though severe, are not thought to
be fatal. These three are the only injured
persons taken to the county hospital up
to s O'Clock.
PITEous CRIES FOR HELP.
The hotel was divided about the center
by court running to the top of the
building. The building had been split in
two at this point and the entire five
stories back of the rotunda we're thrown
in shapeless mass in the alley. Out of the
pile of brick and wood and iron below
there came feeble means and piteous cries
for help. The fremen devoted their ef.
forts to the work of rescue until suddenly
the flames broke out and the workers
were driven away. Joseph Munal, whose
head and shoulders protruded from the
burning mass, was rescued after two
hours work. At that time the cries of q
babe and the moans of men and women
could be heerd, but the flames and smoke
increased and finally the voices were al
silenced.
At 4:30 a large force of men and teams
began hauling away the mountain o.
debris from the place where the hote
stood. At daylight three bodies were
already in sight, two men and woman
but it was impossible to uncover then
sufficiently to identify them, the fire still
being dangerous.
There il no doubt that the disaster wal
caused by boiler explosion. Franl
Loescher, the engineer, it is said, was in
toxicated, and, after turning large guam
tity of cold water into the hot boilers
left the building ten minutes before tn,
OK plosion occurred. The police are look
ing for him. R. E. Irwin, the night clerk
says that Loescher, who was only II year
old, was drunk when he went on duty ant
was in the habit of neglecting his work
w. A. Logan, editor of the Buena Vista
Colo, Republican, was in his room, bu
had not retired when the explosion oc
Cured. He said: ~ was sitting on tn
side of my bed when l felt the bed NOV
up with violent jerk. Before the be-
righted itself, heavy quantity of plaste
fell from the ceiling, completely cover
ing myself and the bed clothing. Whel
l could see anything saw that the wall
OF my room were torn asunder for sew
eral feet and was fastened In tightly
except for one window. was not hurt
but lost no time in getting out of tn
building" Many others had similar 81
; periences.
PROMINENT PEOPLE IN THE RUINS.
The Gumry was Ave story building
valued at $4,000, AMI had been used as
hotel since 1883, when it was rebuilt afte
Are in which one life was lost.
Gen. Chas. Adams, whose body is be
lieved to be in the ruins, has been resi-
dent of the state since the early days, an
formerly took a prominent part in poll
tics as Republican. In 1873, at the tim
of the Ute troubles, he was the India
agent at the Oursy reservation. Follow
ing the expiration of that appointmen
he was sent to Chilli as u. 8. consul, an
served a number Of years. OF late year
he was engaged in mining and variou