The Van Buren press., 1900-05-19
HOTEL FIRE At CHICAGO.
Two Persons Known to Be Dead,
One Missing and Many
Seriously Injured.
DESTRUCTION OF THE HOTEL HELENE.
ihc Event Replete with Daring Res
cues and Narrow Escapes--James
Mcneil, the Hotel Porter showed
Himself to Have Been Cast in
Heroic Mould.

Himself to Have Been Cast in
Heroic Mould.
Chicago, May 1.-Two persons
we're killed one is missing aud fifteen
vcre injured in a fire which destroyed
The Hotel Helene at l10 to ia Fifty
third street. Five of the injured will
probably die.
The Dead.
Cbarlottee Peterson, dining room
girl found in her room burned to a
crisp.
Lena Pearson, found burned almost
beyond recognition in room with Miss
Peterson.
-. Patterson, man, last seen in
hotel Office at II o'clock, Tuesday
night.
The Seriously Injured;
W. = Horn, burned ahont face and
hands and body, leg broken; will die.
9. G. McHaddin, flesh partly burned
from body; will die.
L. l.. Tarbux, burned about body;
recovery doubtful.
Elizabeth Florence internally in
jured and skull fractured; uncon-
scious; recovery doubtful.
i. j. Allen, both ankles srraned and
Internally injured in jumping from
tbird-story window.
Mrs. r. d. Allen, back broken and
Internally injured; jumped from third
story window; will die.
Miss Helen Joseph, badly bruised and
overcome by smoke.
Stella Neilwolsk, chambermaid,
jumped from first floor; overcome by
smoke and injured internally.
l.. j. Mcneil, porter; burned about
face.
Miss Sarah Hutchinson,a high school
teacher; injured in falling from a Sec
ond floor.
James Costin, fireman; cut by fall
Ing glass.
Mrs. Bruce and baby, overcome by
smoke.
Mrs. Adelia Lawson, badly bruised.
The loss to the building and fur
nlsbings was $4,000.
Rescues and Narrow Escapes.
The destruction of the hotel was re-
plete with daring rescues and narrow
escapes, in which James Mcneil, the
porter, earned himself the title Of
hero. He was the first to warn the
sleeping occupants Of their danger.
He carried Helen Joseph down u sway
ing ladder from the third floor, and
ihen amid the cheers of the onloOl.-
ers, returned to the second floor, r,wherc
II woman was lying unconscious, her
clothing on fire. He carried her to the
window, and dropped her into tho
arms of Policeman Wolf. The effort
and the heat were too much for Me-
Neil, and he staggered back into the
smoke. The people below thought he
was lost. A policeman mounted TO the
shoulders of brother officer and
clambering over the window ledge,
caught Mcneil by the feet and
dragged him from the room. Mcneil
was passed down to the ground, and
soon recovered consciousness.
Aroused Enthusiasm.
The rescue of u woman and her
baby aroused the enthusiasm of tho
crowd Mrs. Bruce, with one arm
around her infant child, was clinging
with the other arm TO the ledge of
second-story window. Smoke was
pouring out in smothering clouds, and
Mrs. Bruce seemed on the point OF
falling. Her fingers were relaxing
when, suddenly, three policemen car
rying o blanket held taunt among
them, rushed into the flames which
were then darting from the basement
windows, just in time to catch the
woman and her child In safety. Mrs.
Bruce was badly burned, but had sue
ceedcd In protecting her baby, so that
not one hair OF its head had been
burned.
Many Exhibition Of Courage.
There were many other narrow es.
capes and exhibitions of courage dur
ing the burning of the structure, as
there was only one entrance to the
building, which compelled the greater
number Of the guests TO make their
exits as best they could through the
windows.
The rescucs were nearly all accom'
plished before the hremen arrived.
The blaze spread so rapidly that had
the people In the hotel been compelled
20 await the arrival of the hook and
ladder company, many more lives
would have been lost. The pohcemc'i
and others on the ground early. how.
ever, were able TO secure ladders from
paint store nearby, and by this
means saved many Of the guests from
DEATH
The fire started In the basement
aud spread with the greatest rapidly.
But for the heroic action of Porter
Mcneil every person in the building
would Undoubtedly have pcrlshcd
brave porter Mcneil.
Police, frcmen and spectators united
In one voice In prolslng Porter Me-
Neil lie was formerly gunner In the
English navy on board the battleship
Dreudnought and holds medals for
craftsmanship and proficiency In drill
ing. lie took part In the jameson raid,
and IL was while In South Africa that
the illness which compelled him to
secure discharge cane upon him.
.ss=zs.--ss.s=.-..essa=-z
Mrs. Mary Howell has been arrested