Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1902-12-05
Victims Out Of Town People.

~ 4
Ambulances and patrol wagons from
place and the dead and injured were
quickly attended to. All but fourteen
of the guests at the hotel were out Of
town persons. Most Of them came to
Chicago to attend the international
livestock show. sls
Up to 10 o'clock the previous night
persons were taken in at the hotel
and in every room or place in which
q cot could be erected it, is said guests
were accommo odated. AT that time a
large number of ,stockmen with their
families were turned away. The ho-
tel was flied. Shortly after the fire
broke out the firemen rushed up the
stairway into the place and began the
work Of rescue. Men, women and chill
Sdren were carried down ladders, fire
escapes and smoke e-filled halls. In one
instance a fireman Of Engine company
No. 2 saved a woman from running to
the rear of the building to certain
death on the fourth floor, only to be
forced to drop her from the third floor
: to the roof of the building at 176 Mad
ison street. The woman held her sew
en-yearold son in her arms. She was
then carried from the roof Of the build
ing to the Brevoort House, where q
physician was summoned. It was
found that their injuries were slight.
The Hiding is constructed Of brick
with but one stairway leading to the
upper floors and d fire escape IN the
front Of the building.
r. G. Weber, the night clerk, was
4 one of the first persons to discover
smoke on the second floor. Weber re-
fused to make any. statement and after
he had secured possession of the hO-
tel register he, was taken to the Cen
traI station, where he Is being de-
tanned.
8 Guests Are Panic-stricken.
a short time after the fire was dis.
covered CONSERVATION reigned on the
upper floors. The son of a. woman
guest was one Of the first to be awak-
ened 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. 5s s
j. b. Herbert Of SalineYille, o.,
Jumped from the fourth floor, where
he had been sleeping. He struck on
the roof of No. rs Madison street.
His right leg was broke and he suf-
fered internal injuries. He was taken
to the county hospital. gs.s
sg w. j. Thomas, a mail clerk of Cedar
Rapids, Ia, jumped through q window
on the fourth floor and In his blind
haste narrowly escaped falling to- the
street. He managed to make his way
4 to the fire escape and climbed to the
ground. Previous to Thomas escape
! twenty-five to thirty persons had
climbed down the fire escape to the
street. All were in their night cloth.
ing.
From what could be learned from
4 persons who escaped from the building
ut appeared that the fire was accii
dentally started, !, probably by dropping
q; lighted cigar on the carpet In the
hallway on the second floor. The
i emouldering fire filed the building
with heavy smoke and several were
suffocated and died IN their beds.
Many Of the bodies were In the beds
Ia positions Of slumber. Others were
found In the railways lying face down
ward In positions that mutely portrayed
how they had vainly endeayored- to
save tIeirs lives. Some were half clad
and others wore nothing but night
clothing. It was by means OF arti.