Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-03-22
Omaha Visited by a Destruc=
tive Conflagration.
MANY KILLED AND INJURED
Two Persons Hnyo Died, Another fB
Not Expected TO Live, nnd Twenty
Others nre Suffering Broken
Limbs ana Burned Flesh Story of
the Frt.htful Disaster uc to Ex-
pIosion ora Gasoline stove.

(By Telegraph to Vlrginian-Pilot.)
Omaha, Neb.. March 21.-Compara-
lively insignificant in material destruc-
ton. but appalling in it's harvest Of
death and suffering. was n fire that
partially destroyed the Patterson block
at Seventeenth and Douglas streets this
afternoon. Two of it's victims have al
ready passed away, one more is not ex-
pccted to live. and 20 others are suf-
fering from broken limbs and burned
and laceratcd flesh.
THE VICTIMS.
llled-Mrs. Thomas Taylor. Mrs
Anna Schamcl
Injurcd-Mrs. C. r. Bros.us, face and
hands burned; Mrs. \. King, face bad
~ burned; Mrs. \. H. Samuelson, face
and hands severely burned, both wrists
broken; May Samueson. five years old
burned on hands and face Mrs. G.. D.
Wilson, face, hands and shoulders
burned: Mrs. j. G. Holt, face and
hands burned Marguerite Holt, hands
burned, injured Internally, may die;
Mrs. Mary Hopkins, face ana hands
badly burned; Mrs. Mary Sullivan,
hands aud face severely burned: Mrs
w. y. Rex, hands and face severely
burned; Mrs. Ed. Schiher, face. body
and hands burned: bad cut on head,
will probably die; Mrs. French, South
Omaha. face and hands burned; Mrs
a. y. Smith. face ana hands badly
burned; Mrs. G. j.. Allen. face and
hands burned, cut by glass: Mrs.
Thomas Thornton. face and hands bad
~ burned; Walter Scott, hands and
face severely burned: unknown man.
badly burned on hands and face: Steve
Williams. five years old, face and
hands burned Fireman William
Guider. suffocated and fell from ladder.
internal injuries, will probably die:
Lieutenant James Adams, injured
about hips by falling down stairs.
HAPPINESS CUT SHORT.
The blaze started shortly after 3
o'clock. group Of happy women.
busy with the affairs OF the secret
orders with which they were affiliated
were in Il moment brought face to face
with death. Sixty seconds later seven
OF them lay burned and bleeding on
the paVements, to which they had
dropped forty feet below, and the others
were rescued after they had been more
or less severely injured in their des-
rerate dash down the single pair of
stairs that led to safety.
GASOLINE THE CAUSE.
The fire originated from the explo-
sion of a gasoline stove in-a-raom in
the rear of the third floor OF the build
ing, and next to the elevator shaft 1t
was not discovered until IL had spread
TO the adjoining apartments, and the
entire floor was filled with smoke and
lame. About twenty members of the
Women's Lodge of Maccabees were at
tending committee meeting in the
'front.' waiting room on the same floor
They were unconscious of danger until
Il 1anitor threw open the door and told
them TO get out before the flames cut
them or. The warning came too late
ne IRE swept through the door and
down the single stairway. Those near
est the door fled through the binding
smoke and reached the street with
nahds ana faces burned and blistered
The rest faced Il solid wall of flame.
There was a fire escape at the soutl,
'front.' oil the building, but none thought
or 1t. They rushed, panic strickcn. to
the WINDOWS. through which the smoke
was already pouring. The fire was
scarcely foot behind them. 1t caught
thelr clothing and scorched their faces
DROPPED FROM WINDOWS.
In another instant the spectators
were Mortified to see one after another
spring from the open windows They
were carried in the office of n physician
across the street. Most Of them were
bleeding from severe cuts and bruises
and all We're burned.
Al fast as dressings could be applied
the victims were taken to the Clarkson
Hospital. Mrs. Taylor and Mrs Scha-
mel died without recovering conscious
ness.
THE LOSS.
Aside from the fatalities and the in
Juries to persons, the fire was not a
serious one. The loss will not exceed
ssao.ooo. half Of. (which was on the build
ing. The Losses are fully covered by
insurance. Various secret societies
which occupied halls on the second and
third floors lost their regalia and
papers.
MIDNIGHT REPORT.
AT midnight the injured are doing as
well as could be expected with the ex-
ception OF Mrs. Sheiner, Mrs. Smith
and w: w. Scott, none of whom in all
probability, can recover