West Virginia daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1894-1902, 1902-06-10
Hospital Patients Fought to
Get Through Window, Fire
Gaining on Them.
SOME DIED STRAPPED TO BEDS,
Others Killed or Injured by Jumping
Thirteen Dead and 80 Injured, as
Result of Fire, Destroying a Chi
cage Institution.

Chicago, June 10-Twelve men and
one woman, were killed and about 80
persons were injured in fire which
yesterday afternoon destroyed the
sa,.itarium conducted by the ST.
Lukes society, at the corner Of Wa
bash avenue and. Twenty-frst street.
Tie society occupied the building
which was long known as the Hotel
Woodruff, and for brief period as
the Hotel Lancaster. BY far the
greater portion of the patients in the
institution were those taking cure
for the drink habit and those who
were addicted to the use of drugs.
When the fire broke out there were
on the fifth floor a number of patients
suffering from delirium tremens and
some who were deranged by drugs.
Several Of these were strapped to
their beds, and it was found impossi-
Bile to same them, so rapidly did the
fire spread through the building. The
list, as far as known at present, al
though it is possible that the list of
dead will be increased later, is as fol-
lows.
The Dead.
s. ]. Newell
Carl a: Carlson.
Michael Luby
Joseph Harrington.
Samuel Dalzell.
Dr.. J. T. Stanton.
J. B. Bishop, st. Louis.
George A. Ribbeck, Hillsdale, Mich.
G. S. Colt, Lavergne, Ills.
William Kent. alderman of the
Fourth ward, Chicago.
John B. Knapman.
Mrs. M. Baumann.
B. H. Boyd, rs years old, and mem.
Der of the medical staff of the institu
tiCn.
The fire originated in the Basement
of the building and spread rapidly tc
the upper stories through the eleva-
tor shaft.
AS the cry Of fire rang through the
building patients sprang from their
beds, and before they could be pre-
vented several had jumped fspm the
windows to the pavement. The fire
department was on the scene within
few minutes, and as the windows
were filled with people shrieking for
help the fremen devoted their first
efforts to save lives and allowed the
fire to burn. While this was the
means of saving a large number OF
people, who were carried down the
ladders by the fremen, it gave the
fire such Roadway that there was al
most no chance for those on the up
per floors of the building to make
their escape, and such Of them as
were not suffocated were killed OF
badly injured by leaping from the
windows.
Desperate Fighting Against Death.
A scene that wrought to the pitch
Of madness the great crowd that had
gathered around the building was en-
acted at a fourth-story window, on
the north side. Across this window
was heavy wire screen, and on the
outside Of the screen were iron bars
running parallel TO the sill. The
space between these bars was toe
small to allow the passage of even
small boy, and behind them were
gathered crowd of men whose mum
bers were afterward found to be be
tween % and 80. Escape in other di
rections was impossible, for the fire
filed all the halls and was steadily
eating its way toward the window al
which the men were standing. The
| men closest to the screen tore anG
| tugged at IL in vain effort to tear il
from its fastenings and the men be
hind them fought madly to get at it
So fiercely did the prisoners pull al
the screen that from the street below
were plainly visible tiny streams OF
blood that trickled from lacerateC
fingers and hands and flowed over the
window stills. A number of the mer
at the window were in straight jack
cts and manacleS, and those not be
ing able to help themselves or others
we're the widest Of all in their fran
tic efforts to break through the bars
The crowd in the street shouted al
sorts OF commands and directions al
the men, and gave orders to the fire
men. who were doing all that mer
could to get through the bars from
tie outside. AS the flames came
steadily toward the Len the people
in-the street jumped~np and down