The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-11-23

CHICAGO, Nov. 22-The interior of
the Exchange building, a seven story
structure at the corner of Van Buren,
and Franklin Streets was destroyed by
fire today, entailing a loss of 1913 900
upon the owners and tenants of the
building and causing the loss of five
lives, the fatal injury of two others
and the injury of six other people.
The dead are:
Patrick ]. O'Donnell, lieutenant Of
Engine company No. 2
Martin Sherrick.
John Downs, pipeman.
John Prendergast, pipeman; all the
firemen were crushed by falling debris
Kittie Landgraf, jumped from the
fourth story window. injured inter-
nally; died at the county hospital.
The injured:
Harry Neil, jumped from fourth
story window, internally injured and
left arm broken; will die
Nellie Turner jumped from third
story window, internally injured; will
die.
Aggie Mccain, overcome 10y smoke;
will recover.
Olga Keller, overcome by smoke;
will recover.
Hattie Brennan, overcome by smoke;
will recover
Edna Rittert overcome by smoke;
Mary Pinkv ovaroo,ooa NV, e~oo1-o.
will recover.
Daniel McNally, driver, for engine
company No 2. buried beneath debris;
will recover.
An OdOr of Smoke
1t was a few minutes before 8 o'clock
this morning when Rose Brace. en-
ployed by Stern & Belrs on the third
floor, noticed an odor of smoke. She
stepped out into a hallway. saw that
the corridors were rapidly filling with
smoke. and then gave an alarm. Thirty
girls were working in the room.
instantly there was confusion. Al
though every effort was made to check
the frightened girls, several opened the
windows and climbed out on the lodges.
One of the first to do this was Nellie
Turner. She screamed for help and
some one on the ground shouted for
her to jump. She, however, went to an
other window. where a fire escape was,
and climbed out. Those on the street
watched her movements with great
She grasped the escape and
swung herself off from the stone ledge
upon which she had stood, and hun
dreds on the street below cheered her.
She commenced to descend. officer
Flaherty was also on the fire escape
between the first and second stories
and when he saw the girl above him
he started up toward her. He was too
late. She suddenly lost her balance and
fell. Officer Flaherty tried to catch
her, but could not reach her. She was
picked up unconscious.
A Dramatic Scene.
Olga Kellar. employed by Stein &
Biers. ran to the fourth story window
overlooking Van Buren, street, threw
up the sash. climbed out on the ledge,
clinging with one hand to the narrow
strip of wood on the outside of the
sash. She saw a few feet below her
a ladder on which two firemen stood
and prepared to jump.
wait. don't jump" shouted Captain
Hermanson. who had almost reached |
the window.
Great volumes of smoke poured out |
Of the window and at times the girls |
form was entirely obscured. To the |
hundreds of persons watching, seconds |
seemed like hours. Cheer after cheer
went up for Captain Hermanson as he |
climbed. He almost reached the win |
low when ne heard the girl scream
and saw her reel and release her hold |
IN the window siding. She had been |
overcome by smoke and fallen. Cap |
ain Hermanson braced himself and |
Is the unconscious form dropped, he !
;iezed it with his right arm. The eff
'ort nearly cost him his own life, for
lie narrowly escaped falling. From
hundreds of threats cheers We're heard |
is the brave captain descended the
adder with the human burden. The
,irl was unconscious, but the phSSi-
ian said she would recover.
By noon the fremen thought the
worst of the days trouble was past.
They were mistaken.
Five Men Buried.
Shortly before o'clock a large safe
N the fifth floor fell to the fourth,
,arrying it and the third, second and
irst with it. Five men, members of
,ngine company No. 2 were working
m the second floor and all were
buried beneath the mass of brick,
Daniel Mentally.
escWers had opened a passageway
through the pile of debris and sue
,eeded in getting close enough to
where the firemen were buried to as
ure themselves that Lieutenant
)'Donnell was alive. He was just
lble to talk and it was great difficulty
hat his words could be heard. Men
Who knew him well recognized his
dice.
rs anyone near you?" one of the
escurers shouted.
Yes came back the answer family
rom O'Donnell.
How many?"
Two"
"Alive or dead?"
Dead, l think
Gradually the lieutenanSs voice be-
anne weaker and his reply to the last
uestion was scarcely audible The
escuers called to him and asked him
ow seriously he was injured but he
ould not make reply.
The fire soon broke out again and