The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-06-14
FIRE At A HEALTH RESORT
The West Baden Springs, Ind, HO-
tel Destroyed by Flames.

The Three Hundred Guests said to
Have EScaPcd-Lost All of Their
belongings - Structure Represent
ed an Investment of SI.OOO.OOO.
INDIANAPOLIS. June 1.-THE West
Baden Springs Hotel, at West Baden.
Ind, one Of the most popular health and
pleasure resorts Of the United States, was
burned to the ground at o'clock this
morning Early reports from Salem and
Bedford stated that from I5G to 200 lives
had been lost. but later advfces said that
all the guests escaped. Commune ton by
telegraph and telephone with West Baden
was cut off while the story of the fire
was being sent out at an early hour this
morning. The lines were afterward restor-
ed
J H Persise, one of the proprietors of
the hostelry. said by telephone this morn
ing that as far as known every one of
the goo guests had been accounted for He
added that some Of the employees of the
hotel are missing, but did not think they
had lost their lives The hotel property
represented the investment of 100000
AMI the insurance carried was only $100.-
900.
The West Baden Hotel was an enormous
structure, covering almost an acre Of
ground and built entirely Of wood II
burned like tinder box, and when the
flames began to spread. the guests were
r~f1 70
ing from windows or making their way
down the fire-escapes. They lost all their
baggage and clothing, and the jewels and
gowns worn by the women at the hotel
represent fortunes. 1t is understood that
few valuables were saved, as they were
forgotten in the panic that followed the
breaking out of the fire
West Baden was q favorite resort for
many Of the wealthy people Of Chicago.
St Louis, Cincinnati. and Louisville.
During the spring and early summer
they went there in large numbers Rich
ard Croker and several of the Taumany
Han leaders went there TO recuperate
aster the.last municipal campaign in New
York
The hotel. which had seven hundred
rooms. was adjacent to the famous
French Lick Springs, which are highly
valued for their medicinal properties. The
hosteIry was also popular for the advan-
tases it offered for amusement during
the rainy season of the spring. In IN
enormous barn adjoining the hotel was an
indoor equestrian track, a bicycle track. a
tan bark track, and complete gymna-
SUM These facilities made the place at
tractive to the members of the pugiIistic
fraternity, and Corbett, Jack AieAuline,
and other leaders Of the prize ring fire.
quenty went there to get into condition
for an encounter. Turfmen from the West
spent their winters there. but in the
spring the society element predominatod-
y message from the telegraph operator
at French Lick, two miles from West Ba-
den, confirms the report that no lives
were lost in the fire and says that the
blaze is under control There were many
narrow escapes from death when the
flames broke out
The proprietors Of the burned hotel are
/ W Sinclair, Of Salem: E 3. Rhodes, Of
West Baden, and J. H. Persise, of Salem.
Capitalists have plans for a large new no
tel, which they intended to erect 1t the
springs late next fan to compete with the
burned structure. 1t Is now understood
that their project win be Immediately be-
gun and hurried to conUIetiofn.