Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1899-03-23
TWO WOMEN KILLED
AND MANY INJURED.
tragic Result Of the Burning Of
the Patterson Block in
Omaha.
LADIES OF MAccABEEs VICTIMS
We're Holding Meeting on Third
Floor and Escape Was Cut
or Before the Fire
Was Discovered.

Omaha, Neb.. March 23.-Two wo-
nen are dead. three dying and twenty
suffering from broken limbs and
,urns and bruises as a result of fire
hat partially destroyed the Patterson
plock, at the corner of Seventeenth
md Douglas streets, late yesterday aft
.ernoon The victims are:
Killed:
MRS. THOMAS TAYLOR.
MRS. ANNA SCHAMlIL.
Injured:
Mrs. c. +. Brosius, face and hands
burned.
Mrs. A. King, face badly burned.
Mrs. A. l.. Samuelson, face and hands
severely burned; both wrists broken.
May Samuelson, years, burned on
aands and face.
Mrs. G. d. Wilson, face, hands and
Mrs. ]. G. Holt, face and hands burned;
Marguerite Holt. hands burned, injured
internally; may die
Mrs. Mary Hopkins, face and head badly
burned.
Mrs. Mary Sullivan, hands and face Sc
verely burned.
Mrs. w. A. Rex hands and face severely
burned.
Mrs. Ed Schiner, face, body and hands
burned, bad cut on head; will probably
1ie
Mrs French, South Omaha, face and
hands burned
Mrs. A. A. Smith, face and hands badly
burned: injuries probably fatal.
Mrs. c. A. Allen, face and hands burned,
Mrs. Thomas Thornton, face and hands
burned severely.
Walter Scott, hands and face severely
burned.
Unknown man, badly burned on handS
and face.
Steve Williams, years, face and hands
burned.
Fireman William Guider. suffocated and
probably die.
Lieutenant James Adams injured about
hips by falling downstairs.
The blaze started just after O'Clock
from a gasoline stove explosion in Il
room in the rear of the third floor OF
the building and next 10 the elevator
shaft, and it was not discovered until
1t had spread to the adjoining apart
ments and the entire floor was filled
with smoke and flame. About twenty
members of the women's lodge of the
Maccabees were attending commit
tee meeting in the waiting room in the
front of the middle of the building, on
the same floor. They were uncon-
scious of danger until ianitor threw
open the door and told them to get out
before the flames cut them off. The
warning came 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 burned and blistercd. The rest
faced solid wall of flame. There was
fire escape at the south front of the
building, but none of them seemed to
have thought of it. They rushed panic
stricken to the windows, through
which the smoke was already pouring
in suffocating pufIs The fire was
scarcely foot behind them. 1t
caught their clothing and scorched
their faces with increasing intensity.
In another instant the spectators,
attracted by the clouds of smol.e, were
Mortified to sec one after another
spring from the open windows and
fall heavily to the pavement. No one
arose. They lay in an inert and APP
parently lifeless heap until carried
into the office of a physician across the
street. Most of them were bleeding
from severe cuts and bruises, and all
were burned until their torn and
blackened skins hung in shrcds.
in few minutes all except Mrs
Taylor recovered consciousness. and
physicians and nurses, hastily SUM
moned, did all that was possible to re-
lieve their sutferings. AS fast as hasty
dressings could be applied the victims
we're taken to the Clarkson hospital by
The ambulances. The body of Mrs
Taylor was taken TO the morgue, and
| others whose injuries were less severe
stores and at the offices of downtown
physicians.
Aside from the fatalities and the in
luries to persons the fire was not q
serious one. Few of the losers are able
TO place an exact amount on theil
losses, but the total will not exceed
4 csn non