The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-12-04

WeIestnuS warned OF the danger and made
their escape. The woman was SO panic
stricken, however, that she was not
among the first to attempt to escape and
she was making her way into the most
dangerous part of the building when a
fireman seized, her and her son and con-
Quoted. them to the floor below where he
cropped them out of a window. :
j. E. Herbert, of SalineyilIe Ohio
jumped from the fourth floor where he had
been sleeping. He. struck on the roof Of
NO. .17S Madison street, near where Mrs.
sheppard FELL His right leg was broken
ana ne suffered internal injuries. He was
taken to the county hospital
w. j. Thomas, a mail clerk Of Cedar
Rapids, jumped through window on the
fourth floor and in his blind haste mar
roWiy escaped falling to the street. He
managed to make his way to the fire es-
cape 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
clothing, The names Of some OF the dead
are:
H: WOODS, Lebanon, Ind. body at No. "a
P. B. sLocUM, 80 years, oconda, III. ; body a.
No. q Adams street. -, - = -
| SAMUEL fYOCUM 4 ... >-s.- S--sE&.
1: G. IOCUM, believed to be brothers, Daver.
port. Iowa. -. & = :. -
EDWARD ToRNER, 30 years old, Milwaukee,,
~,
- VAN FLEET, Richardson, Ind. 49,
| IN. FAIRLY, GAINESVILLE, Wis. .
GEORGE NORRIS, Richmond, Wis.,. - - Il
From what could be learned from per-
| sons who escaped from the building it ap-s
peared that the fire started in the carpet
Of the hallway on the second floor from a
| lighted, cigar. The smoldering fire filed
the building with heavy smoke and several
were suffocated and died in their beds.
Came Down by the Shutters
Allen Oldorf Of Milwaukee made peril.
| Gus descent from the fourth floor by seal
ing the wall by means of, the iron shut.
ters. Oldorf stated that he had seen at
least a dozen persons on thea top floor
vainly endaVoring to make their wa yffron
the building by. means Of the front stair.
way. - - - :
Many Of the bodies We're in the beds
In positions of slumber. = -
Others were found in the halwaysl lying
face downward in. positions that nutely
portrayed how they had vainly. endeayored
| to save their Hives. Some were half clad
and others wore nothing but nightc1oth-
| ing. It was by means of articles and LET
ters in the pockets Of what little clothing
f5some OF the dead persons wore that nlany
were identified. !! -
What the Proprietor Says.
F.. A. Smith, proprietor of the hotel.
said: e ~ =. :. s.:-<5 >5.$ -,
Gill SStIdliiy 1iOI W Ulttil1c lOE ILLS
awful catastrophe. Three weeks ago the
agents of this building. were, notified to
place a stairway in the rear Of the build
ing and also to build a fire wall around the
freight elevator, shaft in the rear. The
contractors. came and looked the building
over, but nothing was done. Last night
our seventy rooms were all filled and I
should judge that we had about 125 to $50
guests. From what can learn the fire
started in the rear of the building on the
second floor. This probably accounts for
the escape Of guests who occupied front
| rooms on the upper floor. They had an
opportunity to reach the stairway before
the flames reached that part Of the build
ing, but the occupants Of the rear rooms
| were cut off by the flames. Most of our
guests last night were persons who came
to: Chicago to visit the stock show and
! knew little Of the building"
The Floors Were Full Of Cracks.
| Chief Musham Of. the fire department.
said that 1t was the worst fire he had at.
tended during his career as fireman and
| that SO dense was the sernoke that it was
! impossible to reach the imprisoned guests,
who died like rats in a cage. When the
| f1remen finally managed to make their
way into the rooms the sight that met
their: gaze was appalling. Men and boys
lay about the floors of the rooms and hall
! ways where they had fallen in their
eagerness to escape. ::
THE building said the chief, was one
OF the worst fire traps have ever seen.
The floors in places had cracks in them
| large enough to drop penny through and
the smoke just sifted through and suffo-
Gated the inmates Of the rooms before
they had time to make their way into the
Railways ....> . y. r. -,