Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1902-06-12
PERISH IN FLAMES.
TEN PERSONS KNOWN TO BE
DEAD AND MANY MISSING.

DEAD AND MANY MISSING.
Score of Imprisoned Men Break Iron
Bars and Save Each Other From
FIre-EnveIoped Building-k'ob in
Streets Crazed With Sympathy.
Chicago, June 1O.-Nine men and
one woman were killed and about
thirty persons we're injured in fire
which yesterday afternoon destroyed
the sanitarium conducted by the st.
Luke's society, at Wabash avenue and
Twentyfirst street. The society oc-
cupied the building, which was long
known as the Hotel Woodruff, and for
brief period as the Hotel Lancaster.
By far the greater portion of the pa
tients received in the institution were
those seeking cure from the drink
to the use OF drugs. When the fire
broke out there were on the fifth floor
number of patients suffering from
delirium tremens and, some who were
deranged by drugs. Several Of these
were strapped to their beds and it
was found impossible to save them, SO
rapidly did the fire spread through
the building. The list as far as known
at present is as follows:
The dead: William Kent, alderman
of the Fourth ward; S. j. Newell,
Carl A. Carlson, Joseph Harrington,
Samuel Dalzell DR.. j. T. Stanton, G..
A. Ribbeck, j. B. Knapman, Mrs. M.
Bauman, DR.. B. H. Boyd.
iEe injured: A. w. Wattles fatally
Burned; Mrs. Amelia Wilson, will
probably die; Mary McMannus, baa:y
burned; Johr Downey, Omaha, jumped
from third story to roof of adjoining
building, 'eg sprained; Mrs. B. IL,
Bowman; Mrs. Leah, Omaha, over
come by smoke, not serious; ]. l..
Sui. jumped from third floor into net
injured internally, will probably die;
Michael Luby, will probably die; G..
S. Colt, fatally burned; ]. B. Bishop,
will probably die.
Missing: M j. Cahill, William Egg
gleston, Morris B. Loucks, George
Harrigan, Charles McGrail, Malcolm
Morris. Thomas Ryan.
AS the cry of fire yang through the
building patients sprang from their
beds and before they could be pre-
vented, several had jumped from the
windows to the pavement. The fire
department was on the scene within
few minutes and as the windows
We're filled with people shrieking for
help, the firemen devoted their first
efforts to saving lives and allowed
the fire to burn.
Spectators crazed With Sympathy.
L A scene that wrought to the pitch
of madness the great crowd that had
gathered around the building was en-
acted at fourth story window.
Across this window was heavy wire
screen and on the outside of the
screen were iron bars. ThDspace be-
tween these bars was too shall to al
low the passage of even a small boy
and behind them were gathered a
crowd of men, whose numbers were
afterwards found to be between
twenty-five and thirty. Escape in
other directions was impossible. So
fierca1y did the prisoners tug at the
screen that from the street below
streams OF blood could be seen trick
ling from lacerated hands and flowed
over the window sill. A number of
the men at the window were in
straight jackets and manacles and
those, not being able to help them
selves or others, were the widest of
all in their frantic efforts to break
through the bars. As the flames came
steadily toward the men the people
in the street jumped up and down and
screamed in helpless rage. 1t seemed
as though nothing could be done and
that all the men would die within
six inches of freedom.
Saved by Cool Head.
That any of the men escaped is ow-
ing to the work of w. e. Davis of
Cedar Rapids, Ia, a patient in the in
st1tution. He induced the men to
cease their disconnected pulling at
the screen and to unite their efforts.
After few desperate pulls they man
aged to tear down the screen and
then the bars. Then new danger
assailed the prisoners. The crowd
behind. hearing that at last the way