Delaware gazette and state journal., 1902-12-11
TWENTY THREE Perish
IN CHICAGO FIRE-TRAP
Flames Were Discovered in the
Lincoln Hotel, on Madison
Street, Thursday.
DAMAGE TO PROPERTY IS SLIGHT
But the Number of Lives Lost
is Large.
Many Persons Were Injured by jumping
From Fourth-story Windows or Falling
From Fire-escapes-Most of Those Dead
We're Overcome by the Smoke.


We're Overcome by the Smoke.
Chicago, ILL.,, Dec. 4.-Twenty- three
persons met death in fire in the
Lincoln Hotel, Ito Madison street, at
o'clock this morning. Nineteen of
| the bodies have been recovered. Little
damage was done to the hotel, but the
smoke was so dense that the persons
who met their death were overcome and
| died before assistance could reach them.
| Many jumped from the fourth story
| windows, and others attempted to save
themselves by descending the fire.
escapes on the front of the building,
| only TO lose their grasp on the cold
iron bars and fall to the street. The
persons sleeping in the rear portion Of
| the building on the top floors had no
chance for their lives. A narrow stair
way leading to all floors of the structure
was atire, and the escape OF the loagers
in the rear portion Of the building was
cut off. Firemen and policemen were
| not reticent in speaking of What they
witnessed at the catastrophe. They con-
demned the building as tire-trap.
| Ambulances and patrol wagons from
all parts of the city were called to the
place, and the dead ana injured were
| quickly attended
All but IA of the guests at the hotel
were out-ot-town persons. Most of
them caIne to Chicago to attend the
International Live Stock Show. Up
to 10 O'Clock last night persons we're
taken in at the hotel, and in every
room or place In which cot could be
put, it is said, guests were accom-
modated. at that time many stock
men, with their families, were turned
away, as the hotel was tilled.
Shortly after the fire broke out the
firemen rushed up tho stairway and
began the work of rescue. Men, women
and children were carried down ladders,
the tire-escape and smoke tillei halls.
In one instance a fireman of Engine
Co. No. . saved woman from running
to the rear portion of the building to
certain death on the fourth floor, only
to he forcsd to drou her from the third
floor to the roof of the building at 17s
Madison street. The woman, Mrs.
Sheppard, held her 7-years-old son in
her arms. She was carried from the
roof to the Brevuort House, where a
physician was summoned, and it was
found that the injuries of the woman
and child we're slight
The building is constructed of brick,
with but one stairway leading to the
floors and firs.escape on the front oi
the building.
E. O. Weber, the night clerk, was
one of the first persons to discover the
smoke. 1t is believed that tho fire
began on the second floor. Weber re.
fused To make statement. and aftel
, he had secured possession Of the hote
register he was taken to the Centra
Station, where he is being detained.
A short time after the fire was dis
covered CONSERVATION reigned on the
upper floors. Mrs. Sheppards son wa!
one Of the first persons to be awakened
by the smoke. He awakened hi!
! mother, and both began screaming
Many persons were thus warned of tht
danger, and made their escape. Tht
woman'was so anic-stricken, however
; that she was not among the first per
} sons to attempt to escape, and she was
, making her way into the mos
! dangerous part of the building wher
fireman seized her and her son ant
conducted them to the floor below
where he dropped them out of a win
dow. j. E. Herbert of Salineville, o.
! jumped from the fourth floor, where b
: had been sleeping. He struck on Tn
roof of 17S Madison street, near wher
D Mrs. Sheppard fell. His right leg wa
f broken, and he suffered internal in
: iuries. He vas taken to the count
hospital. ". j. Thomas, mail cleri
= of Cedar Rapids, jumped through
Q window on the fourth floor, and in hi
$ blind haste narrowly escaped fallinI
t to the street. He managed TO make hi
o way to the fire escape, and descended
4 to the ground. Previous to Thomas
: escape 20 to 30 persons had descende
, the fire escape to tho street. All wer
in their night clothing.
The dead: II. r. Woods, Lebanon
g Ind; p. v. Slocum, Oconda, Ill.
n Samuel Yocum and L. @. Yocum, be
r lieved TO be brothers, Davenport, Ia.
Edward Torner, Milwaukee, Wis
- Van Fleet, Richardson, IEd. NJ
N. Fardy, GAINESVILLE, Wis. Georg
Morris. Richmond, Wis
y From what could be learned fror
persons who escaped, it was believe
y that the ire was accidentally started
y probably ry dropping a lighted ciga
!. on tho carpet in the hallway on th
second floor, The smouldo.ing fire file
i, the building with heavy smoke, an
|; many persons were sutfocated
Z Allen Jldorf Of Milwaukee made
: perilnus descent from the fourth floc
u by scaling the wall by means of tn
=. iron shutters. Oldorf stated that b
n had seen at least a dozen persons O
d, the top floor vainly endeavoring [
make their way from the building b
or means of the front stairway.
~ Many of the bodies we're found i
40 the beds IN positions of slumber. Othel
we're found in the Railways, lying fat
downward in positions that mutel
portrayed how they had vainly 81
deayored to save their lives. Son
o. were half clad, and others wore nothir
l. but night clothing. 1t Was by mear
ie of articles and letters in the pockets
tn what little clothing some of the dea
pe persons wore that many identification