The Bourbon news., 1899-03-24
FIRE IN OMAHA.
Two Persons Dead, Others May Die
and Twenty Injured.
Many of Them Jumped to the Pavement
Forty Feet BelOw-Others Were
Badly Burned While Escaping
Down the Stairway.

OMAHA, Neb., March 22.-Compara-
lively insignificant in material de-
struction, but appalling in its harvest
of death and suffering, was fire that
partially destroyed the Patterson block
at Seventeenth and Douglas streets
Tuesday afternoon. Two of its vic
Tins have already passed away, one
more is not expected to live, and about
90 others are suffering from broken
limbs and burned and lacerated flesh.
A group of happy women, busy with
the affairs of the secret orders with
which they were affiliated, were in a
M 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 40 feet below, and the others
were rescued after they had been more
or less severely injured in their des-
perate dash down the single pair of
stairs that led to safety.
The blaze started just after 8 o'clock
from gasoline stove explosion from
room in the rear of the third floor of
the building and next to the elevator
shaft. 1t was not discovered until it
had spread to the adjoining apart
ments and the entire floor was filed
with smoke and flame. About twenty
members of the women's lodge of Mac
cabees were attending committee
meeting in the waiting room in The
front of the middle of the building on the
same floor. They were unconscious of
danger until a janitor 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 stairwly.
Those nearest the door fed through
the binding smoke and reached ihe
street with hands Gnd face burned md
blistered. The rest faced a solid vail
of flame.
There was a fire escape at the soith
front of the building, but not one Of
them seemed to have thought of it.
They rushed panic-stricken to the vim
1ows through which the smoke wasal-
ready pouring in suffocating pJffs.
The fire was scarcely a foot behind
them. 1t caught their clothing and
scorched their faces with increasin, in
tensity.
In another instant the spectator at
tracted by the clouds of smoke, 7ere
horrified to see one after anOher
spring from the open windows andEall
heavily to the pavement. Not Pne
arose. They lay in an inert and APP
Parently Re a ditfsl6sffS l6f lcr6ss
street. Most of them were bleeding
from severe cuts and bruises, and al
) were burned until their torn and blacf-
aned skin hung in shreds.
In few minutes all, except Ms.
Taylor, recovered consciousness, a1d
phvsicians and nurses, hastily sun
moned, did all that was possible to e
lieve their sufferings. AS fast as hasS
dressings could be applied, the victims
L the ambulances. The body of Mrs. Tai
lor was taken to the mOrgue, an
A others, whose injuries were less sewers
- were treated at neighboring dru
r. stores and at the offices of down tow
physicians.
Aside from the fatalities and init
,ies to persons, the fire was not ser
ID Jus one. Few of the losers are able
j, olace an exact estimate on their lose
gr but the total will not exceed $1,000
IL The loss on the building is less tina
ct half that sum, and aside from that Il
% heaviest losers are the proprietors
he ,he Boston store, who had large su
at plus stock in the basement of the bloc
ad The loss in various secret societies tn
ed occupy the halls on the second al
1t third floors is largely by water a.
ii- smoke and is difficult to estimate.
,se One lodge OF the A. o. U. W., t0
We lodges of Red Men, t.
ost lodges of the Degree of Honor, fo
di- lodges of Maccabees and several oth'
lost regalia and various items of f
. niture. The building is insured up
-. the so per cent. clause, and most
the other losses are largely ed
insurance.
Funeral ~ Chicago Victims.
he CHICAGO, March 22.-The funeral
in Mrs. James s. Kirk, one of the victi
ora Of the Windsor hotel fire in New YC