The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-22
DISASTROUS FIRE IN OMAHA.
TWO WOMEN KILLED AND TWEEN
TY SEVERELY INJURED.

Two or Three of the Injured Ex-
pected to Die-AImOst All of the
Injured Were Badly Burned-Fire
Originated From the Explosion of
Gasoline StOVe-Many Jumped
From WindOws-AII Were EnveI-
Oped in Smoke or Flame.
Omaha, Neb., March 2l.-Comparatively
Insignificant in material destruction, but
appalling in its harvest of death and suf-
fering, was a fire that partially destroy
ed the Patterson block, at Seventeenth
and Douglas streets this afternoon.
Two of its victims have already passed
away, one more is not expected to live,
and twenty others are suffering from
broken limbs and burned and lacerated
flesh. The killed are:
Mrs. Thomas Taylor.
Mrs. Anna Schamel.
The injured are:
Mrs. C. F. Brosius, face and hands
burned.
Mrs. A. King, face badly burned.
Mrs. A. L. Samuelson, face and hands
severely burned; both wrists broken.
May Samuelson, 5 years old, burned on
hands and face.
Mrs. G. D. Wilson, face. hands and
shoulders burned.
Mrs. ]. c. Holt, face and hands burned.
Marguerite Holt, hand burned, injured
internally; may die.
Mrsh Mary Hopkins. face and hands
badly burned
Mrs. Mary Sullivan, hands and face Sc
verely burned.
Mrs. w. A. Rex, hands and face severe
ly burned.
Mrs. Ed schrines. face, body and hands
burned; badly cut on head will probably
die.
Mrs. French, South Omaha, face and
hands burned.
Mrs. A. A. Smith. face and hands badly
burned; injuries fatal.
Mrs. c. Z. Allen, face and hands burned
cut by glass.
Mrs. Thomas Thornton. face and hands
burned severely.
Walter Scott, hands and face severely
burned.
Unknown man, badly burned on hands
and face.
Steve Williams, years old, face and
hands burned.
Fireman William Guider, suffocated and
fell from ladder; internal injuries; will
probably die.
I>ie'lt James Adams. injured about hips
by falling down stairs.
From "a Gasoline stove.
The blaze started shortly after O'Clock
group Of happy women, busy with the
q IL
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 pavements, TO which
they dropped forty 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 fire originated from the explosion
of gasoline stove in a room in the rear
of the third floor of the building and next
to the elevator shaft. II was not discov-
cred until it had spread to the adjoining
apartments and the entire floor was filed
with smoke and flame.
About twenty members of the Women's
Lodge of Maccabes were attending a com.
mittee meeting in the front waiting room
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 stairway. Those nearest the
door fed through the binding smoke and
reached the street with hands and races
burned and blistered. The rest faced a
solid wall of flame.
No Thought of Fire Escape.
There was a fire escape at the south
front of the building. but none thought
of It, They rushed panic-stricken to the
windows, through which the smoke was
already pouring. The fire ware scarcely
a foot behind them. 1t caught their
clothing and scorched their faces In an
other instant the spectators were horrlfied
to see one after another spring from the
open windows. They were carried into the
office OF a physician across the street
Most Of them were bleeding from severe
cuts and bruises and all were burned.
AS fast as dressing could be applied the
victims were taken 10 the Clarkson Hospi-
tai. Mrs. Taylor and Mrs. SchameI died
without recovering consciousness.
Aside from the fatalities and the injuries
to persons the fire was not a serious one
The loss will not exceed $4,000. half OF
which was on the building. The losses
are covered by insurance.
Various secret societies which occupied
halls on the second and third floors lost
their regalia and papers.
At midnight the injured are doing as well
as could be expected with the exception
of Mrs. Sheiner, Mrs. Smith and w. W.
Scott, all Of whom, in all probability can
not recover.
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