Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-12-04
They Died Like
Rats in a Gage
Fourteen People Acineraed hRe Lincoln Hoeb Chca9o
An Hope Of Rescue Cm off BY Burning Sfaspap-
Consideration Reigned cAmong Guests Chief Of F~e
,,,or,,onf Said il Was Wozsi Fise He Had Witnessed

juries 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
narrowly escaped falling to the street.
He managed to make his way TO the
fire escape and climbed to the ground.
Previous to Thomas escape 20 to 80 per-
sons had climbed down the fire escape
to the street. All were In their night
clothing
From what could be learned from
persons who escaped from the building,
It appeared that the fire was accidental
ly started, probably by dropping a
lighted cigar on the carpet in the hall
way on the second floor, The shoulder
ing fire filled the building with heavy
smoke and several were sulfocated.
A PERILoUs DESCENT.
Allen oldorf, of Milwaukee made
perilous descent from the fourth floor
by scaling the wall by means of the Iron
shutters. Oldorf stated that he had
seen at least dozen persons on the top
floor vainly endeavorlng 20 make their
way from the building by means Of the
front stairway. Many of the bodies
We're found In the beds in position OF
s.umber. Others We're found in the hall
ways lying face downward In positions
that showed had they had vainly en-
deav0red 10 save their lives. Some
We're half clad and others wore nothing
but night clothing. Ii was by means OF
articles, and letters in the pockets OF
what little clothing some of the dead
persons wore that many identllicatlons
We're made.
THE PRoPRIETOR's STORY.
F, A. Smith, proprietor of the hotel,
said:
"a am certainly not TO blame for this
awful catastrophe. Three weeks ago
the agents OF this building We're notified
to place a stairway In the rear Of the
building and also to build 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 10 rooms were all filled,
and ! should judge that we had from
125 to 100 guests From what l can
learn the fire started In the rear of the
building on the second floor. This prob
ably accounts for the escape OF the
guests who occupied front rooms OH
the upper floors. They had an oppor-
tunity TO reach the stairway before the
flames reached that part-of the build
ing, bat the occupants of the rear
rooms were cut or 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
DIED AS IN A CAGE.
Chief Musham of the fire department
said that II was the worst fire he had
attended during his career as fireman
and that so dense was the smoke that II
was impossible to reach the imprisoned
guests who died like rats in cage.
When the firemen 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 Railways where they had
fallen in their eagerness to escape,
The building said the chief was
ore 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 suffocated the inmates OF
the rooms before they had time to
make their way into the Railways"
ORIGIN OF THE FIRE
The fire started on the second floor.
presumably from lighted cigar drop
ped on the carpet. Guests occupying
upper rooms In the front part of the
hostelry. aroused by the screams of
woman, were able TO escape down the
stairway and about 80 people reached
safety by means Of the fire escape. To
add TO the horror, however this gave
way while others were attempting to
escape and three men We're dashed TO
death on the pavement of the alley
below.
For the people in the rear there was
now no escape save by Jumping. The
stairway was in flames and the fire es-
cape gone. Horror-st stricken faces APP.
peared at the windows and cried fran
tically for help. Firemen cried back at
them to wait until nets or mattresses
could be brought and those who did la
most cases escaped with slight injuries,
But some. craZed with fright. jumped
TO the pavement and were either killed
or badly hurt.
WIN bltdi iiit NV diAhvbth
comparatively a small one, was sub
dued but II was some time before res
cuers could penetrate the dense bank
Of smoke which filled the place. II was
an awful scene which met their
gaze. the dead or unconscious lying
stretched on the floors, and, in some
cases. on their beds. Some had at
tempted TO slip on garment before
making for the street, but had been
over come, but most Of them were In
their night clothes.
Every store and other hotels In the
vicinity was filled with men and wo-
men who had escaped with only their
night gowns. An investigation viii be
made. a fire wall around the freight
elevator and other precautionary alter
atoms had been ordered some time ago,
but the matter had been neglected.
OF the peIjle injured 1t was neces-
ssry to take only three to the hospital.
Others. suffering from slight cuts and
bruises. or from the inhalation OF
smoke. were cared for at nelghboring
drug stores and departed without their
names being reported to the police.
one Of the injured taken TO the hospi-
tai is w. g. Thomas. OF Cedar Rapids,