Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-04
Stores Full of Half Clad Guests.

Every store and other hotels in the vi
cinity was filed with men and women who
had escaped with only their night gowns.
An investigation VIII be made A fire wall
around the freight elevator and other pre-
cautionary alterations had been ordered
some time ago, but the matter had been
negle cted.
Firemen and policemen were not reticent
il speaking Of what they witnessed at the
catastroDhe. They condemned the build
ing ''fire-trap.
Ambulances and patrol wagons from all
parts Of the city were called to the pace
and the dead and injured were quickly at
tended.
All but fourteen of the guests at the
hotel We're out-of-tOwn persons. Most OF
them came to Chicago to attend the in
ternational live stock show Up to 10
o'clock last night persons were taken in at
the hotel. and in every room or place IN
which a cot could be erected, it is said
guests Were accommodated 4 large num-
Der of stockmen with their families were
turned away after the hotel filled.
Shortly after the fire broke out the fire
men rushed up the stairway into the place
ant began the work of rescue. Men wo-
me- and children were carried down lad
ders. fire escapes and smoke-fllled halls.
Thrilling Rescue of Mother and Son.
In one instance a fireman of engine com
panv No saved a woman from running
10 the rear of the building to certain death
on the fourth floor only to be forced to
droD her from the third floor to the roof
of the building at 17s Madison street The
woman held her sevcn-year-oId son I'm her
arms. She was Mrs j. Sheppard and her
son is named Frederick. She was then car
ried from the roof OF the building TO the
Brevoort House, where a physician was
summoned. 1t was found that their IN
juries were slight.
The building is constructed of brick with
but one stairway leading to the upper floors
and fire escape in the front of the build
Ing.
E. G. Weber. the night clerk, was one of
the first persons to discover smoke on the
second floor 1t is believed that the fire be-
gan in this section OF the building Weber
refused to make any statement and after
he had secured possession of the hotel regis
ter he was taken to the central station
where he is being detained
A short time after the fire was discovered
CONSERVATION reigned the upper floors
Mrs. Sheppard's son was one of the first to
be awakened by the presence of smoke He
awakened his mother, and both began
screaming. Many persons were thus warned
Of the danger and made their escape
j. E. Herbert's Jump.
J. f. Herbert Of Salinevlie Ohio. jumped
from the fourth floor where he had been
sleeping He struck on the roof of 17s
Madison street, where Mrs Sheppard fell
His right leg was broken and he suffered
internal injuries. He was taken TO the
county hospital
W. j. Thomas, mail clerk of Cedar Rap
ids, jumped through window on the fourth
floor and in his blind haste narrowly es-
caIed falling TO the street. He managed to
make his way 10 the fire escape and climbed
to the ground. Previous to Thomas escape
twenty-five 20 thirty persons had climbed
down the fire escape to the street All were
in their night clothing.
Allen Oldorf of Milwaukee made a perilous
descent from the fourth floor by scaling the
wall by means OF the iron shutters OlGorf
stated that he had seen at least a dozen
persons on the top floor. yainly endeayoring
to make their way from the building by
means of the front stairway.
Many of the bodies Were found in the beds
II positions Of sumber. Others were found