The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-01-26
DEATH IN THE FLAMES.
Several Lives Lost in a Fire at
Spokane, Wash.
EXACT NUMBER OFDEAD UNKNOWN

Placing the Number at Ten, While 9th
ers Assert That Fully Fifty People Per-
ished--A Large Number of Lodgers ON
the Upper Floors Not Yet Accounted For
Many Narrow Escapes.
Spokane, Wash. Jan. 26.-Until a
thorough search can be made II will be
impossible TO correctly estimate the
number of those who died in the fire
that destroyed the Great Eastern block
at Post street and Riverside avenue.
Engines are still playing on the hot
ruins and grief-stricken friends OF the
missing are making frenzied efforts to
allay or verify their fears.
There Is the greatest variation In the
estimates regarding the number of
dead: some say that ten have been
burned to death. while others are GER
tain that at least fifty bodies are buried
under the ruins. 1t Is certain that five
are dead. The property loss is $780,
600. The names Of those known to be
lost are: Alice Wilson; Rose Wilson.
aged IS; Rose Smith. an invalid. aged
20; Mrs. Davies. Other bodies are sup
posed to be in the building. which is too
hot yet to enter.
Lloyd's Narrow Escape.
w. ID. Lloyd was sitting in his room
on the fifth floor, reading. when the
alarm was given. Every one who was
in bed at that time on that floor" he
| said, "perished." He had a narrow es-
cape. 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 perished. He
heard persons falling all around him.
suffocated by the dense smoke.
| All of the upper two floors and part of
| the third floor were used for lodging
purposes and at least $50 people were
| asleep in the building when the fire
| started. While most of them escaped
| with only night clothes, II is thought a
number perished. What makes the hor-
| ror greater is that no one knows who Is
still buried in the ruins. As the people
| were removed from the burning struc-
| ture or escaped themselves. they sought
| places of safety.
Forms Lying I'm the Hall.
The last out of the upper floors re-
port forms lying in the hall and women
| shrieking in the flames. The origin OF
the fire Is supposed to have been in-thc
J engine room. Mrs. Stark Oliver. wife
1 OF DR.. Stark Oliver. who lived on the
( tsecond floor. says she heard an explo-
eion shortly before the flames appeared
fThe boiler OF the engine may have ex-
/ ploded and caused the fire to start.
| There is another theory and that Is the
| chemicals in the basement stored there
! .xx~l.t L. NJ IfabY
| Graham & Co. The Great Eastern
| block was built in 1890 at a cost of $780,
( 900 and was owned by Louis Levinsk of
! San Francisco. who carried but $4,000
worth of insurance.
On the ground floor Of the structure
was the establishment of the John w.
| Graham Paper company. stationery and
| supplies, and Skerrit & Donnelly, boots
| and shoes. Both are total losses
! Graham carried a stock worth 100000.
| 70 per cent. covered by insurance.
J Fire was singuiarly Hot.
The Arm Of Skerrit & Donnelly had
stock of $4,000. OF which $4,000 was
| covered by insurance. In the offices
above this were big losses on law IL
| braries and fixtures. besides a probably
! still larger loss on furniture and house
| hold goods.
The fire was singularly hot and the
! fire department was long in getting II
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 were
called upon for their stock. Because OF
| the network of wires surrounding the
| building, II was with the utmost diff
] Guilty that the ladders were elevated.
| While they were going up the people
were at the windows. flames and smoke
| bursting out about them, shrieking.
| Crowds Of people on the streets below
-shrieked In sympathy with them.
Death of Mrs Davies.
| Mrs. II. II. G.. Davies OF Nebraska
| City. Neb. fell or jumped from fifth
| story window to the cement pavement
| 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 the Post
! street side. From Q fire escape on the
| fourth floor seven feet to one side Of
| their window. firemen threw them
rome. which Mason made fast to his
| bed and came down hand-over- hand,
| carving his boy. Mrs. Mason follow
| ing. AS she hung suspended far above
| the ground the crowd watched with
breathless interest. When she was
| grasped by q fireman q shout OF Joy
went up.
L