Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-11-25
TIE HOTEL FIRE.
The Loss to Baldwin Placed at Two
Million and Half---The Number
of Casualties Yet Uncertain.


San Francisco, November 24.-The
number of victims OF the BALDWIN motel
fire is yet unknown. The examiner to-
day gives the following list:
Dead:
i'll. White, capitalist, residing in the
hotel
Lewis Meyers, secretary La Tuya Bay
Gold Mining Company.
John j. Carter, associate judge OF
California Jockey Club.
J. NJ Leithead, purser of the City of
Sydney, body found in ruins.
Missing:
MIR. Andrews, cashier of the Baldwin
Grotto.
w. Benchley, employ of grill room.
Mrs. Andrews and two children.
Injured:
Mrs. Simon H. Seymour, severely
bruised,
J. j. Collen, hand cut badly.
Charles Towe, scalp and hand cut.
Bridget Mitchell, broken ankle.
The Chronicle places Carter and Tate
Pryor among the missing, while the
Call confines to the list of dead White
and Meyers, and adds Mrs. Andrews
and children, of Salt Lake, TO the miss
ing, and omitS the name of Tate Pryor,
as he is said to have been seen by
friends since the fire. 1t will be some
time before an accurate list can be OBJ
tanned, as it is impossible to make
search Of the burning ruins at pres
ent.
A. II. Christie, of Milwaukee, was
rescued from perilous position on the
roof by a fireman, Ed. Kehoe. When
rescued Eir. Christie had razor in his
hand with the determination to XIII
himself rather than plunge into the
seething flames that ragged beneath
him.
w. A. Ballard, merchant, Of Scran-
ton. Pa, was bereft of all his clothes
and papers.
Immigration Commissioner w. NJ.
Rice. of Victoria, B. c., who had room
on the fourth floor OF the hotel,had a
very close call, but succeeded in reach
ing the street in safety.
The entire scenic and mechanical eff
fects and wardrobe OF the Secret Ser
vice" company was destroyed by the
fire. Manager Robert NJ. Eberle esti-
mates the loss at $4,000. Mr.. Gillette
will take the California theatre Mon
day evening and play out his engage
ment here.
&. ]. Baldwin said to-day that the
fire meant a loss to him Of about ST.
100000, as he had expended that
amount in building, altering and furn-
ishing the hotel. Fire Marshal Towne
declares that the structure was death
trap and says that no such fiimsy
structure shall again be erected in the
heart Of the city.
The dead body of J. NJ. Lightheat
was removed from the ruins OF tht
Baldwin Hotel to-day. The body was
discovered in the bath room adjoining
his apartments, sitting in a chair, al
mos tas neutral as life. 1t was par
TALLY burned and blackened by smoke
out was easily recognized.
The idea that there are many more
bodies in the ruins is gaining credence
and the firemen engaged in searching
the accessible part of the ruins tO-da!
reported that a terrible odOr, such a
follows the incineration of flesh, il
gradually becoming apparent. This i
particularly true in the debris on TIL
Ellis street side where. ii is believed
persons have been lost whose identit!
is unknown and who were not includ
ed in the lists of guests. Four person
are known to be missing. They are;
John ]. Carter. associate judge 0
the jockey club.
Tate Pryor, sheet writer for book
maker ]. J. Carroll.
- Andrews, cashier for the Bald
win Grotto.
w. WBencheley, employe of res
taurant.
The hotel safe, containing many val
uables belonging to the guests. includ
ing $50 600 in cash, has been located.
Many rumors are in circulation re
garding the disposition of N:a SITE
Among those who are said to be con
templating replacing the Baldwin wit
a magnificent hotel building are IN
liberia Bank, the Southern Pac-h
road, J. ]. Spreckels and James l
Phelan.