The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-22

lively insignificant in material destruc-
ton, but appalling in it's harvest of
death and suffering, was a fire that par
TALLY destroyed the Patterson block at
Seventeenth and Douglas streets, this
afternoon. Two Of its victims have al
ready passed away, one more is not ex-
pected to live, and about 20 others are
suffering from broken limbs and burned
and lacerated flesh. Killed:
MRS. THOMAS TAYLOR.
MRS. ANNA SCHAMEL.
Injured: Mrs. c. E. Brosius. face and
hands burned; Mrs. A. King, face bad
ly burned; Mrs. A. L. Samuelson face
and hands severely burned, both wrists
broken; May Samuelson, five years
burned on hands and face; Mrs G, >
Wilson, face, hands and shoulders burn-
ed; Mrs. j. c. 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
severely burned; Mrs. w. A. Reed, face
and hands severely burned: Mrs. Ed
Sinner, face body and hands burned
bad cut on head, will probably die;
Mrs French, South Omaha, face and
hands burned: Mrs. A. A. Smith, face
and hands badly burned injuries prob
ably fatal Mrs. c. e. Allen, face and
hands burned, cut by glass; Mrs. Thorn
as Thornton, face and hands burned
severely; Walter Scott, hands and face
severely burned; unknown man, badly
burned on hands and face; Steve Will
llams, five years old. face and hands
burned: Fireman William Guider, suf-
focated and fell from ladders Internal
~ injured, will probably die; Lieuten-
ant James Adams, injured about hips
by falling down stairs.
A group OF happy women, busy with
the affairs of the secret orders with
which they were affiliated, were in a
moment brought face to face with
death. Sixty seconds later seven of
them lay burned and bleeding on the
pavement, to which they had dropped
30 feet below, and the others were res
cued after they had been more or less
severely injured in their desperate dash
down the single pair of stairs that led
to safety.
The blaze started just after o'clock
from gasoline stove explosion in a
room in the rear of the third floor of
the building and next to the elevator
snatt. 1t was not discovered until It
had spread to the adjoining apartments
and the entire floor was filled with
smoke and flames. About 20 members
of the women's lodge of Macca bees were
attending a committee meeting in the
waiting room in the front of the middle
OF the building, on the same floor. They
We're unconscious of danger until a
Janltor threw open the door and told
them to get out before the flames cut
them off. The warning came too late.
Ihey first swept through the door and
down the single stairway. Those near
est the door fled through the binding
smoke and reached the streets with
hands and face burned and blstered.
The rest faced a solid wall of flames
There was fire escape at the south
front of the building, but not one Of
them seems to have thought OF It, They
rushed panic-strcken to the windows,
through which the smoke was already
pouring in suffocating puffs. The fire
was scarcely foot behind them 1t
caught their clothing and scorched
their faces with increasing intensity.
In another instant the spectators. at
tracted by the clouds of smoke, were
Mortified to see one after another spring
from the open windows and fall heav-
lily to the pavement. Not one arose.
They lay in an inert and apparently
llIeieSS ntln until carried into the office
of a physician across the street.
Most of them were bleeding from re-
we're cuts and bruises and all were
burned until their torn and blackenad
skin hung in shredS.
In few minutes all except Mrs. Tay-
lor recovered consciousness, and ply
sicians ard nurses, hastily summoned,
did all that was possible to relieve their
sufferings AS fast as hasty dressings
could be applied the victims We're TAX
en- to the Clarkson hospital by the am
balances. The body of Mrs. Taylor
was taken to the morgue, and others,
whose injuries We're less severe, were
treated at neighboring drug stores ard
at the offices of downtown physicians.
Aside from the fatalities and the in
Juries to persons, the fire was no. a
serious one. Few of the losers are able
20 place an exact estimate on their
loss, but The total will not exceed $50
600. The loss on the building is less
tnan half that sum. and aside from the
heaviest losers are the proprietor Of
the Boston store, who had a large sur
plus stock in the basement of the block.