Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-03-20
DEATH LIST STILL SIXTEEN
WORE on THE RUINS Is PROGRESS
ING VERY SLOWLY.
Most Cnreful search Is Made for VAL
unbles. and WOrkmcn Are Tn
der the s%trictent Espionage
Are Searched When
They Quit Work.


vas MADE to-day in removing the debris
of the Windsor hotel fire, in the effort 10
discover the bodies that are supposed To
lie buried there. All day long over 2S me''
labOred as much as the misty. MUDDY.
stcaminE mass OF broken stones. twisted
iron and crushed brick would admit. A
heavy. sitting vaDor arose continually. re-
tarding progress of the workers and keep
ing them for the most part away from
the center of the ruins. From Fifth ave-
nue. much of the debris that had fallen
into the street had been cleared away. and
the men were able to reach a portion of
tie first floor. What small portions OF wall
could be blasted down were levelcd. but
the great pillar of brick at the Forty
seventh street end still stood. Ii was in
such a threatening condition that the po-
lice notified the residents of the houses
across the street 10 remain in the rear
Of their dwellings to prevent any fataii-
ties when the crash came.
covered. and no more deaths from injuries
received at the fire were reported from the
hospitals: but a number Of the injured
were still in "A serious condition.
The death list remains the same as yes
terday-Stxteen-and the list of missing has
been reduced TO fOrty-four, as a number
of those previously unaccounted for re-
ported in person or had been located by
friends.
Daniel Sweeney, the emergency. wrecker
of the building department. and three men
had q narrow escape from injury and pos
sibly death about ) o'clock. The four men
We're on top Of the six.story wall which
was still standing on the E3rty-sevea'n
street rear corner Of the hotel. tearing 1t
down. A stlff north wind blew up suddenly.
and Sweeney felt the wall trembling pc
and and't the e'm men Sn hurried from their danserous
perch. They were just outside the danger
line. when a great section of the wall. thir-
portion on which they had been working,
went down with a roar. A portion of It fell
on the roof of the house back OF the hotel.
emp,ied by s"e order ep'; of the building depart
ment, and nobody was injured.
The great value Of jewels and jewelry IN
Each shovelful OF the refuse was carefully
examined before being placed in the cars.
Policemen both in uniform and in the Suise
constantly and watched their every move
ment. More than that, the men We're
searched at the end Of their shifts. Many
unnecessary. and protesting that no man
would think of taking such property, ana
especially under the circumstances
The contractor and the officials of the
building department were obdurate. how
ever. and said they would take no chances.
any that everyone must, be searched.
red card and without this they are per-
mitted neither to enter nor TO leave the
lines. This Is as an additional precaution
thieves out of the forbidden precincts. Each
man is supplied with Il brass check upon
which is "a number. While at work he is
r." or whatever the card may call for.
While this check is attached to Il man he
may not leave the lines. The 400 men who
had worked for eight hours were allowed to
stop at midnight and their places were
taksn BY as mary more who will knock off
at 8 o'clock tomorrow morning. As the
into the ruins and had excavated to where
much Of the missing wealth might be found.
extra precautions were taken as they came
on the Job. Each man was taken into a
a critical search by detectives from the
pudding department and regular policemen.
the clothing of the 400 laborers. and those
last IN line erumbled considerably at the
enforced delay.
One Of the strange sights of the day to
the police was the curiosity of the crowd,
Sightseers numbered thousands while day
light lasted. and even after nightfall the
number OF idle visitors was uncomfortably
large. So much did they annoy the police
that late In the afternoon the lines were
showed out to Sixth avenue on the west,
to Forty-ninth street on the north. and to
made 1t Impossible for the crowd to see
anything. but they still remained on the
edge Of the forbidden ierrit3ry. u..
first street police station to-day and re.
ported that he had a small safe filled with
jewels. valued at $1,000 in the ruins of the
tire. He. his wife and daughter and son
occupied rooms on the third floor near
Fifth avenue and Forty-scventh street.
They were all In their rooms when the fire
occurred. His daughter. when the fire was
discovered. to the small safe con.
tanning the jewelsNand tried 10 open il. but
forgot the combination in her excitement.
Mr. Demorest stated that when he open
ed the room door he saw three men run
ming about in the smoke and going into
rooms. They were not iiremen and he was
certain they We're not employees. lie thinks
they We're robbers. He and his family
then went out on the fire escape and were
rescued by tiremen; Mr.. Demorest was
apprehensive about the safety of the safe
and its valuables.
Thomas cleary. of oil Third avenue,
called on Inspector Harley and stated that
he assisted n woman from the hotel, whom
be- afterward ascertaincd was Mrs. Abner
Mckinley. He took her TO the street and
put her in a cab. Mrs. Mckinley told
him that she had dropped n bag containing
some jewelry. He ran back and got the
bag and gave it to Mrs. Mckinley and she
drove of. Inspector Harley held CIeary IN
order TO verify the story. o. three trunks
taken from the debris at For,y-seyenth
street and Fifth avenue Saturday afternoon
Two were claimed by Abner Mckinley.
The hospital reports as 10 the injured
are mos, favorable. Most OF tho patients
are improving. Some of them Were. able
to leave the hosDital to-,ay and ,,b.r,