The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-03-17
THREE LEAP D DEATH
Twenty Minutes Thick With
Horrors in Chicago.
BODIES IN THE RUINS
Of a Six-Story Brick Building
Brave Deeds of Heroes.

the most savage HreS chicago ndS seen
since the famous cold storage warehouse
fire on the Worlds Fair grounds in 1893,
TO take anywhere from five TO fifteen lives,
main thirty people and reduce 4 six
story brick building to a pile of blazing
timbers, red hot bricks and twisted iron.
The number of dead is still in doubt,
and probably will not be definitely known
until the debris of the building is sufi-
GENTLY cooled to admit Of a search being
made for the bodies that are undoubtedly
in the ruins This will be two days hence
at least.
Three men are known TO be dead. They
are:
SAMUEL A. CLARK, book-keeper for
the Olmstead Scientific company.
MILES A SMITH. salesman for the
Olmstead Scientific company.
EDWARD BINZ, cashier for Sweet,
Wallach & Co.
THE LIST OF MISSING.
Those reported missing and who had not
returned home or communicated with
their friends tonight, and whose bodies
are believed to be in the ruins, are the
following:
w. a. Olmstead, president of the W. y.
Olmstead Scientific company, rushed
through the sixth floor notifying his en-
ployes of their danger; seen to go towards
the rear of the building. and was not
seen to leave.
C. H. Arms, secretary of the W. A
Olmstead Scientific company.
Mrs. NJ E. Harris, widow, aged AZ, en-
ployed as bookkeeper for w. A. Ohm
stead Scientific company.
Unknown woman, seen al a window Oh
the sixth floor shortly after Miles Smith
leaped to his death.
c. T. Anderson, employed by Sweet,
Wellach & Co.
Tony -. last name unknown; office
boy for Sweet, Wallach & Co.; jumped
from the sixt hfioor in the rear; fell into
the ruins.
Fred Hamill. vaudeville singer; en-
pIoyed by. the National Music company.
C. a. Price, cashier for w. A Olmstead
Scientific company.
Solomon Grollman, Jr., western agent
for Henry Hoffman of Columbus Ohio.
Solomon Grollman. sr., with Solomon
'Grollmon, Jr., thought to have met his
sons fate
Anna Guest, cashier for the National
Music company.
II. R. Nelson, seen with Samuel a.
| Clark, who was killed. and thought to
have been burned to death.
William Marvin. shipping clerk for
Presbyterian board of publication.
w. ]. Wilcox. partner of w. A. Ohm
stead. ~ 20
Charles A. Price, cashier for olmstead
company
w. R. Nelson, employee of Olmstead e
Co
William A. Marvin. employed by the
! Presbyterian Publishing company.
SERIOUSLY INJURED.
The following are the seriously injured:
Paul c. Snyder, employed by Sweet.
Wallach & Co.; severely burned about
head and body: may die.
Emil Bresserman; dropped from the
| third floor to the street; hip broken and
| spine injured; may die.
| A. E. McCullocn; jumped from third
floor; right hip and shoulder broken, and
| internal injuries; may die.
Mary LaDere; fell from fire escape on
| injuries; may die.
w. 5. Lemley, colored waiter at H. II.
! Kohlsaat e Co.'S restaurant; became
| frightened and jumped from second floor
! of restaurant: right leg broken.
Philip Farley. piano mover for Conover
| Piano company; right leg broken in jump
! ing from second story window.
Josie Baxa; right ankle broken in jump
! ing from second-story window.
Annie Baxa: jumped with her sister
! from second floor; severely bruised.
David Schaefer: arm broken trying TO
! catch A f. McCulloch, who jumped from
the third floor.
Jacob Kerchin, letter carrier; jumped
from second story; back injured and an
/ kle sprained.
John McDermott. employed by the Con-
! over Piano company; jumped from second
| floor and dislocated his left shoulder.
BUILT TO BURN QUICKLY
The building was six stories high. had 4
! frontage of fifty-eight feet on Wabash
avenue. and extended back $50 feet 70 an
| alley. 1t was what is known as mill con-
| struCtion, had TWO elevator shafts. one
! IN front, one in the rear. and reaching
| from the third story TO ehe roof was a
! light shaft which gave the flames every
| chance. and it was because Of this shaft
that the fire spread with such rapidity.
The building was occupied by q number
! Of concerns. some Of them employing large
numbers Of people. II is estimated that
400 people were az work in the building
| when the fire was discovered.
| The origin Of the fire. which followed an
explosion. is in doubt. but the weight Of
| evidence seems 70 be that che explosion
was in the lower part Of the building for
| the flames shot up the light shaft 4 once.
THE ELEVATOR MINIS WORK
/ The sound Of the explosion threw the
| inmates Of the building into q panic. and
| on several floors Wild stampede began
/ for the staIrways ard elevators. To add
/ "a the panic The men in charge % the
/ elevators ran their cars up 10 tae TOD Of
/ the building shouting are a. every floor
/ When they reached the top both elevators
took on a load q frightened women and
I started Tor the bottom The front eieva-
! TOR was in charge q Harry Gleason. a
/ bny, and The rear one vas handled by
! William $. John. = young man Both Of
I these kept their heads. showed much cool
I ness and bravery. ard were iasirune ntaj
/ in saving many lives The elevator u the
( FROM az the building VS. q deliberate
/ AFFAIR, in good order OK not calculated
/ 20 raaks much speed n sueh an sz.ss.se1sy
/ s. confronted It today Jlsss-n f-.sle GRE
trip 10 tie seventh floor. carried dsea