The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-10
A SANAI0RIUM FIRE
Unlicensed Liquor Cure Establish
ment Burned.
LIST OF THIRTEEN VICTIMS
Some of Them Were Strapped Down
Others Maddened by Pow
erful Drugs.


erful Drugs.
Chicago, June 1O,--Locked in straight
Jackets, imprisoned behind iron bars,
helpless under the influence of narcotic
drugs or worse than helpless in the en-
brace OF delirium tremens, nine men and
one woman were burned to death in one
4 Of the most awful fires witnessed here in
years. Fully two score persons suf-
fered burns and injuries that are sure to
swell the death list ..N
The fire completely destroyed the build
ing, the old Woodruff hotel, Wabash ave-
nue. and Twenty-frst street, but of late
occupied by the St. Luke society as a hos
pital for inebriates.
One OF the victims was Alderman VIM.
Kent, or the fourth ward, in Chicago.
Blind Billy as he was known, ended a
remarkable careersin a manner SO horrible
that even dramatistssswould. hesitate to
depict 1T. He had been reelected to the
council last April after a bitter fight con-
Quoted against him by the Municipal Vot-
err League and other reform agencies.
"A. w. Wattles had gone to the sana-
tortum with the alderman as his attend
ant. He will probably die from his burns.
Kent was manaeled and in a straight
Jacket because of delirium tremens. He
was left. screaming and cursing in hall
way while Wattles fed for his life.
The, flames swept through the sana-
toriurl as II driven by cyclone and al
most before the fremen arrived, the
building was ablaze from the basement to
the roof Crazed men fought with each
other to reach the windows while crazed
throngs below, in frenzies of sympathy,
fought for vantage points from which to
shout to the imperiled ones above.
A scene that wrought to the height Of
madness the great crowd that had gath
cred around the building was enacted at a
fourth story widow. Across the window
was heavy wire screen, and on the out
side of the screen were iron bars" Behind
them gathered crowd of men number
ing between twenty-five and thirty,
Escape in another direction was impos-
sible, for the fire filled all the halls and
was steadily eating it's way toward the
window at which the men were standing.
The men closest to the screen tore and
tugged at it in "a vain attempt to tear
it from it's fastenings and the men behind
them fought madly to- get close enough to
the screen to fasten their fingers in it..
So fiercely did the prisoners pull at the
screen that from the street below were
plainly visible tiny streams of blood that
trickled from lacerated fingers and hands
and flowed over the window sill.
The crowd in the street watching the
desperate situation Of the men behind
the screen was simply an insane mob.
That any of the men escaped at all is
owing to the work Of w. 3. Davis, of &C.
dar Rapids, Iowa, patient in the insti-
tuition. He induced the men to cease
their disconnected pulling at the screen
and to unite.
Nerved to the work the bodies of the
men swayed back and forth as they put
all of their strength into one last effort.
And finally down it came, the men IN
desperation pulling with it large piece
Of mortar in which its. sides had been en-
bedded. IS +? 49, go
The screen was gone but the bars re-
manned, and they were =. heavy. placed
there for the purpose of withstanding all
the efforts Of insane men no matter how
strong they might be, AS many men as
could place their hands on the lower bar
took hold III t%t,SN >" ,:[
ut bent, almost doubled, and six men
went to the-floor with a crash holding to
the bar. u - ~ Gt ~ ''t&'.
Another bar was torn away and the
path to safety was opened. y = =; :
The men at the windows fought tc
keep their places until the firemen could
raise the ladders, and the men in the rear
some of whom were already being reached
by the flames, fought to gain the window
The first man through was DR.. G. a
Anderson of Chicago. No ladders were
in front of the window, and Anderson s
one hope was to reach the platform of a
fire escape in front of the window jus
west OF where he was.
He hesitated for an instant and then
sprang for the fire escape, clutched it and
was safe. "< .'.
The next man through the window was
G. S. Gott of Lavergne, Ill. ~ :. ~ -.
Anderson was SO much exhausted that
he was not able to drag Colt after him
and Colt was so badly burned that he
was not able to make the leap himself
He crouched on the window sill while the
men on the inside clamored for him tc
jump: ~ ,-...-.. ...-- -.
Clinton Osborne, real estate. dealer Of
New York city, was the third man. He
crawled out beside Colt and told the mel
inside to grasp his feet: ~. ".
This they did and telling Colt to take
hold of his wrists and drop over the
window sill, Osborne, hanging head down.
ward, swung Colt to and fro until he hat
swung him up and on to the landing o.
the fire escape, where DR.. Anderson seizei
and held him. '.r.
He and Gott then formed, chain, Got
holding to the FIRE escape, and Anderson
tightly held by Gott, with one hand
reaching out toward the window, so thai
the men, one by one, as they craWlec
through, were able to take one stem or
ledge, and make short leap to the plat
form of the fire escape, down which they
made their way to the ground.
Twenty five men made their escape II
this manner, and when the last one
passed under the iron bar, the building
was furnace behind them. - -.
With the Violent Patients.
On the fifth floor. from. which the ten
men escaped, were the wards for violent
patients. Men who were victims of the
most serious disorders from drink and
drug habits were here quart cred. Many
were little short Of maniacs. others were
lying in delirium tremens, when the cry
of fire echoed through the halls.
These men were most affected by the
| peril threatening them. Shrieks, exhorta-
lions, curses, and prayers rang through
the wards. The rafting of chains and
bars added terror to the scene. WILD
eyed men who had escaped from their
| rooms ran through the smoke. One man
armed with hammer, was seen stagger-
ing through the smoke, and terrorlzine
those with whom he came in contact
The only fire escape that was available
was situated at disadvantage, as the
nearest window was five feet to the east
Many of the attendants had specia
patients and they made great efforts te
reach their charges. Some Of them were
able to do so, and left the building drag
ging the inmates behind them. Others