The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-04-09
DEATH IN THE
FIERY.FLAMES
Disastrous Fire At Knoxville, ,Tennes-
see Wipes Out Lives and Property.
HOTEL INMATES sUFFoCATED
fire Spreads to Other Buildings-nelp Ar
riyes 90 the Fast Train--List Of casu-
alties xot Complete.

slties SOt Complete.
A. Z. WEEKS. Locke, n. Y.
w II. HOPKINS. st. Louis.
ROBINSON. Pulaski. Tenn.
s. f. WILLIAMS. Springfield. Mass.
Knoxville. Tenn, April s.--Never in
tbs history Of Knoxville has the city
suffered such loss by fire as II did
today. following the breaking out Of
flames at an early hour this morning
In a grocery store adjoining the big
Knox botel
The hotel and adjoining buildings
we're SON IN flames and the very
heart Of the city. including some OF
the largest Wholesale and retail houses
in the city south, were destroyed.
The loss q estimated at from one 70
one and a half million dollars, with
about sixty per cent OF insurance. The
loss Of life Is uncertain. as the register
Of the hDtei. in which hfty-six people
wiere sleeping. was burned The prop
rletor Of the hotel says he had i've
or six guests who have not put in an
appearance. A. z. Weeks, of Locke.
n. Y. a drummer for Rochester
stamping company, is known % have
perstshed in the flames. r. ". Hop
Ic1ns. 81. Louis drummer. was last
seen In the burning building in a
suffocating condition. W. II. Keppart
ex secretary OF the chamber Of com
merce. saved the life Of John Bogle.
an old farmer by dragging him TO a
window ano letting him out on the
roof OF another builring Keppart
jumped one story and was unlnjurei.
When the firemen thought the inmates
Of the botel had escaped a woman
with an infant In her arms rushed
TO the rear windows and Screamed for
help A net was stretched and the
woman was asked to drop the child
out but as the smoke almost choked
her she told them that IL some one
had 10 die, both would die. The wo-
man was finally rescued by the fire.
men.
From the hotel building. which Is
five stories high. the fire spread rap
idly. A stiff wind made the flames
very ugly and the fire department
was inadequate. In the wholesale
hardware house of W. W. woodruff
& Co. a large dynamite explosion oc-
curred and scores of people were hurr
by flying glass and brick. 1t became
necessary at last to have the walls
OF one building blown down by cannon
TO stop the mad career of the fire.
The city authorities. realizing that
the fire department was unable to
conquer the flames, telegraphed to
CHATTANOOGA for assistance. An en-
gine was placed aboard fiat car and
started on run of Ill miles, which
was made by Engineer Robbins IN
lOs minutes, breaking the record
A cabinet maker named p. G. Dyer
fell dead on the street from fright.
A man named Robinson. from Pulas-
N. Tenn, is supposed TO be another
victim. He was registered in the ho-
tel and has not been seen since. A
large force of men is at work clearing
the debris tonight and searching the
ruins. Street traffic is entirely sus-
pended.
Knoxville architects received orders
today for plans for eleven buildings
TO take the place of the ones burned.
All the buildings are TO be replaced
at once. The losses as given tonight
amount Ito one million one hundred
thousand dollars.
In addition to the destruction Of
several smaller buildings and losses
to small dealers, heavy losses TO plate
gass were caused by the intense heat
and water.
II is more than probable that John
C. Boyle, the old gentleman hurt in
the hotel, will die He inhaled the
flames and cannot speak nor swallow,
The last man to leave the burning
building says he has positive PROOF
that five or six persons were burned
} He ran over three or four men IN the
Railways who We're suffocated. John
son. a railroad baggage agent, came
D down from the fifth story of the hotel
hand over hand on the water pipes
before the fire department. arrived
Only one of the guests saved any OF
0 his effects.
The list of dead SO far reported is
as follows: A. E. Week, Locke, N
Y; w. R. Hopkins, St. Louis; Robin
son, Pulaski, Tenn; S. 2. Williams
Springfield, Mass. Nine men We're In
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