The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-06-15
WEST BADEN HOTEL
GOES UP N SMOKE
BELIEVED ALL OF THE NEARLY
THREE HUNDRED INMATES
GOT OUT SAFELY
GUESTS IN sCANTY ATTIRE
HAD TO Mako HURRIED EXIT
FROM THE BUILDING VIA
FIRE ESCAPES
SCENE OF WILD EXCITEMENT

w ESI BADEN, ina, June 1.-THE
Mineral Springs hotel was destroyed by
fire early today. The fire brcke out at
l a. m. at the south end of the build
ing. OF the 268 persons who were in the
Mineral Springs hotel fire here this
morning 1t is now believed that every
one escaped. Mr.. Sinclair, the proprietor,
has been all day checking off the names.
but the accuracy of his work is handi-
capped by the fact that all the records
and papers, including the register were
lost. One hundred and fifty-two of the
guests left today for their homes in va
rious parts of the country, the most of
them going to Louisville, Indianapolis
and Chicago. The loss of the hotel build
is estimated at $4,000, with Insurance
aggregating $4,000. In addition to this
the loss in diamonds, jewelry and cloth
ing belonging to the guests will, it is
estimated, reach $4,000. Mr. Sinclair
IS yet unable to say what his plans
for the future will be further than that
the hotel will be rebuilt as soon as pos
sibIe
Sixty persons left here this morning for
Chicago. There were few of them who
secured all their property from the
burning building as they fed and many
on the train were dressed in odd pieces
of clothing picked up from as many
sources.
GUESTS HURRIEDLY HOUSED.
The confagration had it's origin in the
kitchen, which was located on the ground
floor Immediately under the sleeping
rooms, which the help occupied. The
flames were discovered by the night
watchman, who attempted to eXtinguish
the flames with hand grenades. but find
ing his efforts unavailing he rushed to
the office and notified the night clerk,
and together they ran through the halls
yelling fire and kicking at doors. To
add to the excitement it was reported
that the night clerk had been burned
and the terror-stricken guests groped
around in their rooms for wearing ap-
parel and other personal property. Out
of the 269 guests who had registered at
the hotel the evening before, only twelve
| succeeded in escaping from the burning
, building with all of their personal prop
erty. Miss Sinclair, daughter of one
of the proprietcrs of the hotel, had a
very narrow escape, losing all her wear
ing apparel diamonds and other per-
sonal property. Mrs. Harris OF Milwau
kee, lost everything. Miss Blanche Han,
daughter OF Chicago theatrical mana
ger, lost a valuable. wardrobe and jew
married In Cincinnati, two weeks ago,
were spending their honeymoon at the
hotel They escaped with a very maager
wardrobe
Fifty or sixty female employees of the
hotel, who were quartered in rooms on
the upper floor of the new bath house,
which had just been constructed at a
cost of $4,000 escaped uninjured This
building, with the hotel, was also de-
stroyed.
BURNED LIKE TINDER.
The fire was discovered shortly after
l o'clock and by 1:3O the progress of tho
flames was so rapid that tine entire
building was a mass Of ruins. The build
ing was provided with fire escapes, and
on the front of the building extending
from the ground to the roof was an es,
cape built in a spiral fashion. 1t was
through this that many OF the guests
got out During the rush for safety
four ladies became wedged in this spiral
escape, and while in this position some
one on the upper floor started a small
trunk on its rapid descent down the
window chute. The ladies were scratch
ed and bruised and were not relieved
from their awkward position until one
OF the guests ran UP the chute AMI
after a vigorous tug succeeded in re-
lieving the tension, and all the ladies'
slid to the ground in safety.
Col. Wing, of Cincinnati, who is n mem
ber of Gov Nashs staff, and also po-
lice commissioner of Cincinnati, occupied
a room directly over the kitchen. He
had a very narrow escape. Col. How
ard, general agent for a life insurance
company of New York. barely escaped
in his night clothing. A gentleman from
St. Paul, Mimi, whose name could not
be learned, is said to have locked his
door and lost his key. He groped around
in the dark and when nearly suffooated
by smoke his door was burst In by
Henry Allenburg, Of Ellwood and this
gentleman carried him in safety TO the
lawn. He arrived from Minnesota last
night in a pitiable condition from the ef-
fects Of rheumatism. He was conveyed
to the French Lick hotel, two miles
away.
SAVED WRONG WIFE.
Supt Clark of the EIlwood Plate Glass
works. and wife were among the guests.
After gathering a few personal effects to-
getEer Mr.. Clark, in the excitement,
grabbed a woman supposiag her to be
his wife and carried her screaming from
this building. On reaching the lawn in
front of the hotel he discovered his mis-
take and ram back into the burning build
ing and in a few minutes appeared with
his wife. One woman frantically ap-
pealed to those about her to save her
trunk and finally offered 1000 to anyone
who would risk their life m an attempt
to secure 1t.
1t is estimated that diamonds to the
value of $4,000 and from 5000 to $500
In cash were lost in the flames. The
massive flreproof safe in the office con-
tanned $4,000 in cash, which the guests
had deposited for safe keeping. The
safe Is in the cellar completely covered
with the burning debris and 1t will not
he known for several days whether the
valuableS are safe.