The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-01-25
High Apartment House at SpO-
kane Burns Up.
From Ten to Fifty People Per-
ish in the Flames.
BUILDINGAFIRE TRAP
Only One Person Escapes From
the Fifth Floor.
One Family Reaches the Ground
by a Rope.


Spokane, Wn., Jan. 25.-At midnight
fire destroyed the Great Eastern block
on Riverside avenue. The stairway
burned away and people in the building
We're seen at the windows crying for
help The building was six story
brick and the upper floors were used Tor
light housekeeping.
It is feared that so or more persons
have perished in the awful furnace The
upper floors were occupied by 70 or 1O0
rOOmers and it is not thought that more
than % have been saved. Mrs. Dawes
of Nebraska City, Neb., jumped from a
window to the stone pavement and was
taken to the hospital. She will die. Her
daughter and sOn-in-laW were saved.
Great crowds in the streets were frantic
with excitement. Several thrilling res
cues were made. One man came down
a rope with his babe on his arm and his
wife followed.
inslIy of San Francisco. It cost S225OO0
and is insured for $4,000. The first
floor and basement was occupied by
John W. Graham with a large stock Of
stationery.
At 1870 the fire was got under control.
Only the walls of the big building re
main. Estimates of the loss of life vary
W. D. Lloyd was sitting in his room
on the fifth floor reading when the
alarm was given. Everyone who was
said, 'tperished."
He had a narrow escape. Wrapping
his OVercOat around his head he came
down the stairway. AS he ran down
the stairs he ran into two men. He
saw five persons on that floor who he
is convinced peTished. He heard per-
sons falling all around him suffOcated
by the dense smoke.
Alice Wilson. aged Is, is known to
have perished. Her sister Maud was
saved.
Spokane, Wn., Jan. 25.-The loss viii
run up to 100000 worth of property.
The Great Eastern block was con
structed of brick, and in three hours
was totally demolished.
All of the upper TWO floors and part
OF the third floors were used for lOdg-
ing purposes and at least $50 people
were asleep in the building when the
fire started.
While most of them escaped with on
1y their clothes, it is thought a number
perished- What makes the horror
greater, is that no one knows who is
still imprisoned.
As the people were removed from the
burning structure, or escaped them
selves, they sought places of safety.
The last out of the upper floors report
forms lying in the hall, and women
shrieking in the flames. The origin of
the fire is supposed to have been in
the engine room.
Mrs. Stark Oliver, wife of DR. Stark
Oliver, who lived on the second floor
Sd yS SAAG nGdIQ clI G& NllOSlOn SnQTIlN DG-
fore the flames appeared. The boiler Of
the engine may have exploded and
caused the fire to start. There is an
other theory, and that is the chemi-
Gals in the basement, stored there for
the Photographic supply of John W.
Graham & Co. exploded.
The Great Eastern block was built in
1890 at a cost of $3.50, 900 and was owned
by Louis Levinsld of San Francisco,
who carried but $4,000 worth of insur-
ance.
On the ground floor of the structure
was the Establishments of the John w
Graham Paper company. stationery and
supplies, and Skerritt & DOnnely, boots
and shoes.
Both are total losses Graham car
ried q stock worth $50 900; 20 per cent
covered by insurance. The firm of
Skerritt & Donnelly had a stock of S25,-
coo, of which $4,000 was covered by in
SuranCe.
In the offices above this were big loss
es on law libraries and fixtures, besides
a probably still larger loss of furniture
and household goods.
The fire was a singularly hot one and
the fire department was long in getting
it under control. Even then the flames
rose hundreds of feet in the air as long
as two hours after its start.
All the hose in the department was
brought into use and the stores near
by We're called upon for all their stock
Because of the network of wires sur
roundingthe building,it was with the ut
most OlIlCulLg Lndl lNe IauuerS were ell
eVated.
While they were going up the people
were at the windows. flames and smoke
bursting out about them. Mrs. H H
G. Davis of Nebraska City, Neb.. fell,
or jumped. from a fifth story window to
the cement pavement below. She died
at the Sacred Heart hospital two hours
later
A thrilling rescue was that of Robert
Mason. his wife and their 2 year old
son. from the fifth floor on Post street
side. From a fire escape on the fourth
floor. seven feet to one side from their
window. firemen threw them a rope
which Mason made fast to his bed and
came down hand over hand, carrying
his boy, Mrs. Mason following. AS she
hung suspended far above the ground
the crowd watched with breathless in
terest. When she was grasped by a fire
man, a shout of joy went up.
The names of those known to be lost
are:
ROSE WILSON, aged 1S
ROSE SMITH. an invalid, aged 20.
MRS. DAVIES
Other bodies are supposed to be in
the building, which is too hot yet to
enter.