The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1895-01-05
FORTY SIX VICTIMS
Half the Population OF an Oregon
Town Barbecued.
IN A BURNING BUILDING
4 Spectator at Christmas Tree En-
tertainanent Overturned Coal
Oh Lamp.

klamath Falls, Or. Dec 2S.-Cooped
up in the second story Of a wooden fire
trap. with a narrow stairway the only
means of escape, Al men, women and
children of Silver Lake. a small town
35 miles from here, were burned to death
Christmas night, and five more will die.
Ten We're also severely injured.
The building was used by Chrisman
Bros. for q general merchandise store,
and contained the pOstofiice also. The |
second story was the town hall and |
here most of the population gathered |
early in the evening for a Christmas |
tree entertainment. During the height |
of the festivities a spectator jumped on
a chair to get a better view of the tree.
In doing so he overturned coal-oil
lamp which was in bracket on the side
of the wall and the oil instantly caught
fire. Efforts to eXtinguish the flames
were of no avail. and before the audi
ence could realize the danger the whole
interior was enveloped in flames.
Some one shouted: shut the door and
keep quiet; it can be put out" By this
time the confusion was SO great that the
people began scrambling in wild en-
deavor to reach the door. Women and
children were trampled under, and as
there was only one exit to the hall and
the fire being between the majority of
the crowd and the door many people
rushed headlong into the flames The
dead are:
DEAD AND DYING.
MRS. JOHN BUICK AND TWO
CHILDREN
MRS. OWsLEY AND TWO Chill
DREN.
J. J. BUICK AND DAUGHTER.
MRS. SMELLING.
MRS. HOWARD AND TWO chill
DREN.
w. 0. HEARST AND WIFE.
MRS. COSHOW.
FRANK WEST, WIFE AND TWO
| CHILDREN.
ED BOWEN.
MISS MCAULEY.
T. J. LABRIE AND CHILD.
MRS. WARD.
MRS. L. f. ABSHIR-
FRANK HORNING
MRS. PAYNE.
CHILD.
". CLAYMARTIN AND WIFE.
ROBERT SMALL.
MRS. ELLA WARD AND CHILD.
FRANK ROSS, MOTHER AND SIS
TER.
A CHILD OF ROY WARD.
IRA HAMILTON.
MRS GUS SCHROEDER AND
CHILD.
The five injured and likely to die are
Mrs. 7. J. Labrie. Robert Smelling and
sister. Ed Ward Payne and son.
SURVIVORS ALMOST CRAZED.
The town has about 100 inhabitants
and every home mourns the loss of rela.
tives. The few people on the outside
could render no assistance, there was
no water at hand, and spectators stood
about wringing their hands and weep
ing aloud as the shrieks of the dying
reached their ears from the burning
building.
The few who escaped alive down thu
| narrow stairway ndu no time 10 g
back for in five minutes the entir,
structure was a mass of flames and il
half an hour was a smOuldering mas
from which arose the sickening smell
of burning flesh. Many of the victims
could be identified only by portions o
clothing still adhering to the body. Il
several instances the entire family wa
found dead within a radius of 10 feet.
Half the population of the town ha'
persisted and the other half, distracte,
with grief, with nerves shattered by tn
awful shock. walked about until tn
morning light allowed them to remOv
the remains from the dying Goals.
Silver Lake is in Lake county, Is
t miles from the nearest telegraph office
and no help could be secured to bur
= the dead Rude pine board collins wer
{ improvised, the graves dug and the las
services performed by the handful o
citizens remaining.
5 IN THE RUINS OF THE ALBANY FIR
, | Twelve or Thirteen Employees suppose
TO BE Burned.
, Albany, n. Y, Dec. 31.-FOur ragge
q walls and a mass of smouldering ruin
marked the site of the Delevan hous
today. Two hundred and fifty of it
guests are quartered at other hotel:
The horrors of the Delevan house fiji