The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-03-22
DAY OF EXPLOSIONS
Patterson Block at Omaha Was Set
on Fire.
TWO LADIES JUMPED TO DEATH
twenty-five Others We're More or Less
Injured.
CAUSED BY EXPLOSION OF GASOLINE.
-----
Escape for the panic.StrIcken Women Vas
Cut OF.
CAUSED BY EXPLOSION OF GASOLINE.
DEATH RESULTED FROM BURSTING BOILERS
Three Men Fatally Hurt mt seattle,
Wash. and Three Killed at Cum
bcriend--Chiidrcn Killed.

Omaha. Neb., March 2l.--Gomparativeiy
insignificant material in dcstructiou but
appalling in Its harvest Of death and suf-
ferng, was a lire that partially destroyed
the Patterson block on Seventeenth and
Douglass streets this afternoon Two OF
It's victims have already passed away. one
moro Is not expected to live and about
twenty others are suffering from broken
limbs and burned and lacerated flesh
Killed
MRS THOMAS TAYLOR,
MRS. ANNA SCIIAMEL,
Injured
burned.
Mrs Akin. face badly burned
Mrs A l.. Samuelson, face aud hands
severely burned both wrists broken.
May Samuelson. years old, burned on
hands and face.
Mra. g. D. Williams, face, hands and
shoulders burned
Mrs !, G, Holt. face and hpnds burned.
Marguerite Holt, hands burned, injured
Internally, may die,
Mrs. Mary Hopkins face, hands and
head badly burned.
Mrs Mary sullivan, hands and face
severely burned.
Mrs, w, A. Rex, hands and face severe
ly burned
Mrs H. schincr face, body and hands
burned bad cut on head, will probably
| die
Mrs French, South Omaha. face and
| hands burned.
Mrs A. s Smith, face and hands burned,
injured probably fatally.
Mrs c. e. Allen, face and hands burned,
cut by glass.
| Mrs Thomas Thornton, face aud hands
| burned severely,
walter Scott, hands and face severely
| burned
Unknown man. badly burned IN hands
| and face.
steve Williams, years old, face and
hands burned.
Fireman w G. Gaudaur, suffocated and
fell from ladder, internal INJURIES; will
probably die.
Lieutenant j. Adams burned about hips
a group of happy women, busy with the
affairs OF the secret order with which they
were affiliated were In a moment brought
face 10 face with death. Sixty seconds
lator seven Of them lay burned and bleed
ing on the pavement on which they had
dropped forty feet below and the others
we're rescued after they had been more or
less injured.
The blaze started just after 3 o'clock
from a gasoline stove explosion in a room
IN the rear of the third floor OF the buli-
Ing, and next To the elevator shaft. IL was
not discovered until 1t had spread TO the
adjoining apartments and the entire Noot
was filled with smoke and flames. About
twenty members Of the woman's lodge OF
Maceabces we're attending committee
meeting in the waiting room in the front OF
tho building on the same floor They
we're unconscious Of danger until janitor
threw open the door and told them TO get
ont before the flames cut them of. The
warning came too late. Tho fire swept
through the door and down the single
stairway. Those nearest the door fed
through the binding smoke and reached
the street with hands and faces burned
and blatered. The rest faced a solid wall
of tiame There was 4 Are escape at the
south front Of the building, but not one
Of them seems TO have thought OF Il. They
rushed panic stricken to the windows.
through which the smoke was already
pouring in sunoeating puffs. The fire was
scarcely foot behind them. 1t caught
their clothing and scorehed their faces
with increasing intensity.
In another instant the spectators at
ttactcd by the clouds al smoke we're hor-
rifed TO SEQ one after another spring from
the open windows and fall heavily TO ths
pavement Not one arose. They lay In an
inert and apparently lifeless heap until
carried into the office OF physician across
the street Most Of tham were bleeding
from severe cuts and bruises and all were
burned until their torn and blaekened
skin hung in shreds. In few minutes
all except Mrs. Taylor recovered conscious
ness aud physicians and nurses hastily
summoned. did all that was possible to
relieve their sufferings. As fast as pss-
sible the victims We're taken to the Clark
son, hospital by the ambulances. The body
OF Mrs Taylor was taken to the morgus
and others. whose injuries were. less Sc
yero. were treated at neighboring drug
stores and at the offices OF the down town
physicians. Aside from the fatalities aud
the injuries TO persons the fire was not
serious one. The total loss will not exceed
$50 900 The loss on the building is lees
than half that sum and aside from that
the heaviest losers are the proprietors OF
the Boston store. who had large surplus
stock in the basement OF the block. The
loss OF tho various secret societies thar
occupy the halls on the second and third
floors is largely by water and smoke. and
Il ia difficult to estimate II. The building
is Ensured up TO the per cent and most