Rock Island Argus., 1895-08-20
DIGGING FOR DEAD.
Grewsome Work Goes on In
the Denver Hotel Ruins.
TWENTY-FIVE on THE DEATH ROLL
Including the Missing, and of These
but Ten Bodies Have Been
Recovered.

sesrch-Night Engineer Pierce, Whose
Negligence Caused the Horror, Himself
Victim of His Own Carslessness-
James Murphy's Terrible Taking on
Flames Drive His Rescuers Away and .
Wall Falls on Him.
DENVER, Aug .0-A portion Of the
Gumry hotel, the scene of the frightful
disaster, is 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
wreckage 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 disaster the worst that
ever occurred in the city. Up to 7:3)
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-
ductor; Mrs. George K. Wolfe and daugh-
ter; Fred Rubbold, and Will Richards,
The Man Who Caused 1t Missing.
Among the missing is now included
Elmer Pierce, the night engineer, who is
said to have re-entered tho hotel Just be-
fore the explosion occurred. 1t is to this
mans carelessness that the disaster is at.
tributcd. The bodies Of Peter Gumry and
General Adams are still IN the ruins.
Judge James Glynn, who was at first
supposed to have been in his room at the
hotel, turns out to be at Holyokc, Colo,
where he was spending Sunday with
friends. A vast throng surrounds the
building on every side, pressing forward
as far as the fro ropes will allow. The
police arc constantly guarding against
any one slipping through the lines on &C.
count OF the great danger that the front
Of the building may fail
Had Been Negiecting His Duty.
There is no doubt the disaster was
caused by a 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 IL years old, was drunk when
he went on duty, and that he was in tho
habit Of neglcctiDg his duty. Irwin was
pinned beneath some heavy timbers at
his desk by tho explosion, and was res
cued by fireman. He has scalp wounds
ana internal injuries, but will recover
Two Omaha 1ien Missing.
J. a. Brown and J. l.. Kirk, of Omaha,
nrc among the missing They registered
Mt the Gumry Sunday afternoon and have
not been seen since tho explosion. Mrs.
Brown tclcgrnphcd 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 n l01O.milc rail
road book bearing the name of A.
Stuckey. and n letter addressed to Miss
Hattie Layton, B'lvidere, Ills.
General Charles Adams. whose body is
believed to he in the ruins OF the hotel.
was well known in mining and political
circles in Colorado. lie had been resi-.
dent OF the state since the early days, and
formerly took prominent part iii poll
tics as n Republican. In 1873 at the time
of the Uto troubles, he was Indian agent
mt the Ouray reservation.
Legislature Changed HIS Name.
Following the expiration of that ap
pointnent he was sent to Chilli As United
States consul. and served in that capacity
for number of years. or late years h,
was much engaged in mining and variou:
other enterprises at Crceie and Crippl,
Creek. He was also interested in the
Manitou Bottling works, and had beer
acting as general agent o: the company il
this city. His home was in Manitou
General Adams was full brother of *
State Auditor Louis Schwanbeck. The
name oi Adams was given him by an nc