The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-02-10

ST. Louis, February 9.--An early morning
FIRE. which destroyed the Empire hotel,
large three-story lodging house at 27oo-27o2
Olive street occupied by men exclusively,
caused the death of ten men and one
woman and dangerously injured eight peo-
pie.
death in the frc were more or less injured
by being frost bitten. 1t is estimated that
there were between thlrty.hve and forty
persons In the building last night, and 1t
Is believed sill have been accounted for.
The financial loss is nominal. 1t is thought
that $4,000 viii cover the damage 10 the
building and contents which were de-
stroyed The dead are.
MORRIS VAIL. senior member Of the
firm of YAH, Clark * Coweu. manufactur-
ers Of fine cut glass, formerly of chieago;
| burned to a crisp.
TOBE DAVIS, man about town; sufo-
| Gated,
JOHN c. LUEDERs. father Of Deputy
!
In jumping from third story window.
GEORGE THOMPSON, switchman at the
Terminal yards; burned to death
| SARAH HARRIS, colored, chambermaid;
! burned
B. b. wooLEY. employee of Hamilton
| Brown Shoe company; burned.
j. E. MMULLEN, carpenter; burned.
| S T. COPEN telegraph operator; In
| dianapolls. Ind. burned.
| A. j. ALLEN. sedalla. Mo. stonemason;
burned
unknown MAN who died at city hos
pItal from burns.
The Injured are.
Harry Cline medical student Of Marion,
III hands badly burned and ankle
spraned
Walter Johnson, employe Of the Hami
| ton-Biown Shoe company; hands burned,
both legs broken ana internally injured.
Harry Robinson, colored night porter
badly burned
George Lane, medical student Of Rich
Hu. Mo: ankle sprained In jumping from
second story window.
Sturgeon. dentul student: back
sprained IN Jumping from second story
window.
Harry Thompson medical student, Nash
willie. H. ankle srrained In jumping from
second story window.
]. j. Nally manager of the Empire no
tel back BADLY sprained while escaping
from building
Con Ryan, burned about. face.
About ten or twelve others are less seri
ously injured. being bruised, burned oil
suffering from exposure.
The IRE started about 800 G. N. whor
hut few persons were abroad and gained
considerable Roadway before IT was dIscov
cred and the alarm given When the en-
sines reached the scene the whole from
Of the building was In flames and the In
terror was a seethlng furnace. BY tina
time all who escaped death had gotten on
of the building by jumping from the win
dows, climbing down ropes made of be-
clothes A few escaped from the groun'
foor through the front door.
Almost everybody who got ont suffere
some Injury or was frost bitten. tn
guests barely had time to get out whe
aroused, the flames having spread so raT
Idly Some saved their clothing, but other
lost everything.
After some delay nearby houses wer
opened to the unfortunates and they wer
given shelter from the biting cold weather
If was one OF the coolest nights OF IN
= winter, the ground being covered with &c
and snow aud everyone suffered from e,
nosure. Henry Cline, Walter Johnson, Hell
nv Robinson and an unknown man, VIII
died later, were taken to the city hospita
- Robinson recovered enough to be take
4, home.
=. After short nght the bremen got II
flames under control and. assisted by Il
= pollce. made a search OF the ruins. II
: FIRST body found was that of John C. lie
ders who was killed by jumping from Il
third story.
Sarah Harris was found on the hrst noo
Her body had been burned The remail
NJ the other victims were found In the
where IueJ Neie puhoSNNSH W iva
= ed.
2 ]. ]. Lally. who managed the house Z
q his brotherin-law. J. W. Gillian, had rOor
Il on the hrst noor He stated there We
b four on the hrst floor, nine on the seeol
b and seven on the third. II all the CUES
q occupied their rooms, thirty-siH person
4 including the colored porter and ehamb'
Il maid. were in the building when 1t ourne
Rs rolly said he did not know how many p'
81 sons were in the house when the fire bro
q mt. He was awakened by hearing c
Rvan. one Of the roomers, crying IRE. L
Z ~ said he grabbed his clothing and mon
~ and hurried into the hail. which was abba
and without stopping TO dress stepped
X through the front door. Both stairws
IL were on IRE and he barely had time to
e out. being seorched and spraining his bar
Lane, Ryan and man named Nicely
cspsd ths same way. Ths only way
n, sisas 70 ser cut sliss vas aSpssh