The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-03-22
Appalling Harvest Of Fire in Omaha.
Nebraska.
TWO KILLED AND go OTHERS
TERRIBLY INJURED.
Lady Me bers OF n secret Order Were
Penned In Third Floor of "a Business
Block-Many to Escape Dropped
Forty Feet to Paving Below.


Forty Feet to Paving Below.
Omaha, Neb., March 2i.-Comparative-
" insignificant in material destruction,
but appalling in It's harvest of death and
suffering was IA fire that partially de-
stroyed the Patterson block ut 18th and
douglass streets this afternoon. Two OF
Ii victims have already passed away, one
more is not expected to live ana ABOUT
twenty five others are suffering fro'n
broken limbs and burned flash. The
killed are: Mrs Thomas Taylor and Mrs
Anna Sch emeL
The injured include: Mrs {. +.
Brosius, face and hands burned; Mrs. A.
King, face badly burned; Mrs. A.
Samue lson, face and hands severely
burned, both wrists broker; Nav Samuel
son, tive years old, burned on hands and
face; Mrs. 6. ID. Wilson, face, hands ana
shoulders burned; Mrs. j. G. Holt, face
and hands burned: Marguerite Holt.
hands burned injured Internally may
die: Mrs. Mary Hopkins. Mrs Mary
sullivan, and Mrs W. A. Reed, hands
and face severely burned; Mrs. Edward
Schiaer, face. body and hands burned,
bad cut on head, will probably die; Mrs
French, face and hands burned; Mrs A.
S. smith, ace and hands burned, In
juries fatal; Mrs. q. K. Allen, face and
Thomas Thornton, face ann hands
burned, severely; Walter Scott, hands
and face severely burned; unknown mau
badly burned or hands and fhce; Steve
| Williams. live years old, face ana hanns
burned; FiremSn William Muider, suho-
Gated and fell from ladder, will probahiy
die; Lieut.. James Adams, injured by fall
| ing down stains
| The tIaze started shortly after thrse
o'clock. group of women, busy with
! the affairs of the secret orders with which
! they were affiliated, were In a moment
| broug face to face with death. Sixty
seconds later seven of them lay burned
| aud bleeding on the pavement to when
they had dropped forty feet below, and
the others were rescued after they had
been more or less severely injured in their
desperate dash down the single light OIL
stairs that led to safety.
The Dire originated from gasoline
stove EXPLOSION in a room in the rear oil
the third floor OF ;he building and next
to the elevator shaft IL was not dis
covered until 1t hud spread to the adJoin-
| ing apartments and the entire floor was
filled with smoke and flames. About
twenty members of the women's lodge OF
\ MAcChDees were atttnuihk ihoetihS 'is
the same floor. They were unconscious OF
danger until a janitor threw open the
door and told them 10 get out before the
flames cut them of. The warnins ime
too late. The fire swept through the door
and down the single stairway. Those
nearest the door fled through the binding
smoke and reached the street with hands
! and faces bu ned and blistered. The rest
faced a solid wall of flame There was a
tire escape ut the south front Of the build
| ing but none of them thought OF it. They
rushed panic stricken to the windows,
through which the smoke was already
pouring. The fire, scarcely foot behind
them. caught their clothing and scorched
their faces.
In another instant the spectators Mt
traoted by the clouds of smoke were horri-
tied to sees one after another spring from
the open window anu fall heavily to tue
pavement Not one arose. They were
quickly carried into the Office of phy-
sician across the street. Most OF them were
bleeding from severe cuts and bruises ana
all were burned until their skin hung In
shreds.
As fast as dressings could be applied the
victims were taken to the GARRISON nos
pital. Mrs. Taylor and Mrs. Scnemei aleu-
without recovering consciousness. :.
| The loss will not exceed sou, uoO hait
of which was on the building. The losses
are fully covered BY insurance.