The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-06-10
MANY LIVES LOST
IN CHICAGO FIRE.
More Than a Score of Patients In
juredinDeStruCtiOn OfaSanitarium.
Thrilling Escapes and ReSCueS.

TO the screen 20 fasten their fingers In
IL. 30 ilercely uid the prisoners pun az
the screen that uny streams OF blood
rickted from lacerated fingers and hands
ana howed over the winaow silE mum
Der OF the men at the window were in
straight Jackets aud manacies, and those
not being able TO help themselves or oth-
ers were Wild in their frantic efforts 10
break through the bars
The crowq in the street watching the
desperate situation shouted all sorts or
commands 10 the men and gave orders
10 the hremen, who were doing all that
men men could t 90 to get throagh the bars nrs
steadily toward the men the people IN
the street screamed I'm helpless rage. II
seemed as though all the men would die
within six inches OF freedom.
COURAGEOUS PATIENT.
That any OF the men escaped at all is
owing 10 the work OF w. h. Davis OF
CEDAR Rapids. la, patient in the In
stitution. He induced the men 10 unite
their efforts. -Four men at first took
hold of the screen. and In less than a
minute the crowd behind them pushed
them away, and before the four men
could get TO the screen again they were
compelled TO fight with their fists. Davis
managed to get his men 10 the window
again, and after a few desperate pulls
they tore down a portion Of the screen.
The men swayed back and forth as they
put all their strength into one last effort
Finally down the screen came, the men
pieces of the mortar.
AS. many. men as could place their
hands on the lower bar took hold. II
bent almost double and six men went
70 the floor with a crash. holding on TO
the iron bar. which they had torn from
It's nastenings. SO quickly did the men
behind them spring 10 grasp the second
bar that those who had torn down the
first were badly trampled on. Another
par was soon torn away. and then a new
danger assailed the prisoners. The crowd
Dah1Dd. hearing that "a last tha 4
open, pushed forward with such haste
that those near the window were nearly
forced through to meet death on the side
walk, four stories below The men at the
windows fought 20 keep their places until
the firemen could raise ladders.
ASSISTED OTHERS TO ESCAPE.
The flrst man through the window was
DR.: {. A. Anderson OF Chicago.
NO ladders We're at the window and
Andersons one hope was TO reach the
window just west OF where he was. He
sprang for the fire escape. clutched IL and
was saved He then assisted a large
number TO make their escape.
Thrilling scenes OF rescue were enacted
In front OF the building and I'm the alley
at the rear The firemen dragged out a
seors OF men and women who had been
slightly overcome by smoke.
About half dozen sprang from the
windows of the third and fourth floors
and were caught in nets without serious
MADE MANY ARRESTS.
After the fire was over the police ar
rested William Lanahan, the engineer:
Lee Seymour. the fireman OF the building.
and j. T. Nagel. the inventor OF a gaso-
line plant I'm use In the basement OF the
institution. There are no direct charges
against the man, but the police have the
idea that the fire may have originated
from the mismanagement OF the gasoline
plant, and took the men into custody.
OF those who met death during the
fire, nearly all were overcome by smoke
and burned
The burned building was OF brick and
half that amount. Before the st. Luke's
society secured the building Il was the
Hotel Lancaster. The ST. Lul<es So
ciety, which has no connection or af-
filiation with St Lukes hospital. Is an
institution for the curing of persons ad-
dicted 10 the use or opium, cocaine, to-
bacco or alcohol to excess.
After midnight the officials OF the In
stitution gave out list OF missing which
numbers seven. II Is not known that
they are dead but the police have not
been able to locate them.
The names OF nearly 40 persons. sur
fering from serious injuries have already
been learned The pollce also placed un-
der arrest c. II. Miller. the president OF
the institution. and William Sterner. the
engineer OF the building. who went or
duty at noon
Several had been overcome by smoke
and after falling to the floor perished.
II is doubtful II enough Of their bodies
will be found to enable them 10 be iden-