The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-06-13
TWELVE MEN AND ONE WOMAN
DIE IN lNFIRMARY BLAZE.
FATE OF BLIND BILL KENT
s%anitarium Was Never Licensed Ac.
cordins to Law-Eisht Men
Under Arrest.

yesterday destroyed the sanitariur
conducted by the st. Luke's societ,
The society occupied the building
which was long known as the Hote
Woodruff. The greater portion OF til
patients received in the institution
were those seeking cure from tn,
drink habit and those who were ad
dicted to the use Of drugs.
When the fire broke out there wer,
on the fifth floor a number of pa
tients suffering from delirium tremen.
n some who were deranged bJ
drugs. Some of these were strapped
to their beds and it was found it was
impossible to save them, so rapid,
did the fire spread through the build
ing.
The fire originated in the basemen,
Of the building and spread rapidly to
the upper stories of the BUILDING
through the elevator shaft. Before the
occupants of the building could be
warned the flames had been carried
to the roof, had eaten through it and
e leaping high in the air.
AS the cry of fire rang through the
building patients sprang from their
beds and before they could be pre-
vented several had jumped from the
windows to the pavement. The fire
department was on the scene in a
few moments.
Alderman kent's Fate.
Alderman Kent was in a room On
the fifth floor with his attendant, "A.
W. Wattels. The alderman, who has
been totally blind for many years,
was in a straight jacket and his hands
were manacled toa belt that passed
around his waist. When the alarm
of fire was sounded, Wattels ran to
investigate. He found the elevator
shaft a ass of flames and ran back
to- help the alderman, who, blind and
unable to do anything with his hands,
had CROPPED his way to- the door
and by the time his attendant had
reached him, had fallen to the floor,
overcome with smoke. Wattels seiz-
ed him and tried to drag him down
the hall to a place of safety, but Kent
became SO crazed that it was almost |
to do anything with him.
Wattels was finally compelled to
run for his life, as the flames were
s%corching his clothing. He ran to al
window on the south side of the build
ing, across which were iron bars. Wat
tells managed to tear two or three
5f these from their fastenings and
two other men who had follow
ed him, climbed out on the sill. They
were seen by the firemen, who called
% them to remain where they were
md they would ave them. A ladder
was run up and the two men who
we're with Wattels were taken down.
He became crazed with excitement
not waiting for the return of the
iremen, sprang for a net which some
men were holding on the sidewalk be-
leath. He fell partly in it and part
y on the sidewalk, sustaining injur-
es which probably will cause his
leath.
Kent was left lying on the floor
I his room and evidently died of suf-
ocation. His body was badly burned
fter death. {
A scene that wrought to the pitch
I madness the great crowd that had !
altered around the building, was en- ,
cted at a fourth story window on the
orth side. Across this window was
heavy wire screen and on the out
lde of the screen were iron bars run s
ing parallel to the sill. The space +
etween these bars was too small to =
low the passage Of even a small /
oy and behind them were gathered
crowd of men whose numbers were =
found to be between 20 '
nd S0.> Escape in other directions :
as impossible for the fire filled all d
ne halls and was steadily eating
8 way toward the window at which v
men were standing. The one '
nance for life for that crowd of men '
y through that screened and barred n
indow. =
The men closest to the screen tore e
nd tugged at it in a vain effort to tear h
0 its fastenings and the men be. n
them fought madly to get close $
aough to the screen to fasten their 4
ayers in It. So fiercely did the pris- a
lers pull at the screen that from the h
rect below were plainly visible the T
ream Of blood that trickled from the 4
cerated fingers and hands and flow. h
over the window sill. A number
the mnn NJ tho