The Savannah morning news., 1902-02-10
ELEVEN DIE BY FIRE
LODGING HOUSE FOR MEN ONLY
BURNED IN ST. LOUIS.
MANY JUMPED FOR LIFE.
SOME WHO ESCAPED FIRE WE'RE
FROSTBITTEN.

Fire Broke. Out at 3 3s3O n. m, when
All Were Asleep-When Firemen
Arrived the building Was AZ
Seething Eurnace-SOme Jumped
selves in Doing SO-Others Made
Ropes of BcdcIothes and Got Down
Safely-The Majority Escaped Half
Naked aud Were Nearly Frozen.
morning fire, which destroyed the EN-
pire Hotel a large three-story lodg-
ing house at 2700 and 2702 Olive street,
occupied by men exclusively, caused
the death of eleven persons, ten men
and one woman, and dangerously in
jured eight others. Ten or more who
had narrow escapes from death in the
fire, were more or less injured by be-
ing frost bitten. 1t is estimated that
there were between thirty-five and
forty persons in the building last night,
and it is believed all have been ac-
counted for. Twenty thousand dollars,
it is thought. will cover damage to
buildings and contents which were to-
tally destroyed. The dead:
Morris Yall, senior member of the
facturers of fine cut glass, formerly
of Chicago; burned to crisp.
Tobe Davis, man about town, snf-
focated.
.Tohn c. Lueders, father of Deputy
City Marshal Lueders. Skull frac-
tured in jumping from third-story win
dow.
George Thompson, switchman termi-
nal yards; burned to death.
Sarah Harris. colored chambermaid,
burned.
p. +. Woodley, employe Hamilton,
Brown Shoe Company, burned.
j. A. McMullen, carpenter, burned.
S. T. Corey, telegraph operator,
Merchants Terminal Association.
Vance Marlin, civil engineer, Indian
apolis, burned.
A. ]. Allen, sedalia, Mo-, stonema-
son, burned.
Unknown man, died at City Hospital
from burns.
4 The. injirred:sassa ssassesas .,ss-9s,ss -
Harry Cline, medical student of Ma
rion, ILL.,. hands badly burned and an
kle sprsfned.
Walter Johnson, employe Hamilton
Brown Shoe Company, hands burned,
both legs broken and injured inter
nslly
Henry Robinson, negro, night porter,
badly burned.
George Lane, medical student, of
Rich Hill, Mo-, ankle sprained in jump
gYlur GO 1esf... Il
- Sturgeon, dental student, back
sprained in jumping from second-story
window.
Harry Thompson, medical student
Nashville, ILL.,, ankle sprained in jump
ing from second tory window
]. ]. Lahy manager Empire Hotel,
back badly sprained while escaping
from building.
About ten persons, more or less, are
suffering from burns or exposure.
The fire started at $3.50 a. m., when
few persons were abroad and gained
considerable headway before the alarm
was given. When the engines reached
the scene the whole front of the build
ing was in flames and the building was
a seething furnace. BY that time all
who escaped death had got out of the
building by jumping from the windows
or climbing down ropes made of bed
clothes. A few escaped from the ground
floor. Some of the escapes were very
narrow.
From Flames to Bitter Cold.
Almost everybody who got out suf-
fered some injury or was frostbitten.
The guests barely had time to get out
when aroused. the flames spread so
rapidly Some saved their clothing,
which they carried in their hands, but
others were not so fortunate, losing
everything After some delay, nearby
houses were opened to the unfortunates,
and they were given shelter from the
biting cold. The ground was covered
with ice and snow and every one suf-
fered from exposure. After short
fight the firemen got the flames under
control.
The Managers Experience.
]. j. Lally, who managed the house
for his brother-in-law. j. w. Gillian.
had rooms on the first floor. He said
If all the guests occupied their rooms,
thirty-six persons, including the col
ored porter and chambermaid, were
in the building when it burned. Lally
said he had no means of knowing just
how many persons were in the house
at the time Some of them were in the
habit OF staying out late and it Is pos
sible all were not there then. He was
awakened by hearing Con Ryan. one
of the roomers, crying fire. Lally said
he grabbed his clothing and money
and hurried into the hail. which was
ablaze and without stopping to dress,
stepped out through the front door.
Both stairways were on fire and ne
barely had time to get out, being
scorched and spraining his back. Lane,
Ryan and a man named Nicely, es-
capped the same way The only way for
the others who got out alive was
through the windows, the burning
starways and doors cutting off their
escape that way. Some jumped and
sustained injuries more or less serious.
while others who took time 10 make
rOpes from their bed clothing got
down safely.
u. A. Woolsey. a medical student
whose home is In Galesburg. H., had a
room In the second floor. Finding the
regular exits cut or. he slid 10 the
ground safely with the aid OF two
sheets tied together.