Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-12-08
HOLOCAUST IN
HOTEL IN
CHICAGO
LINCOLN HOTEL, ON MADISON
AVENUE, is BURNED AND IA
PERSONS PERISH IN THE
FLAMES.

CHICAGO. Dec. L-Fourteen persons
among the scores crowded into the LIN
coin hotel at 176 Madison street, met
death shortly before 6 O'Clock this morn
ing in a FIRE which will pass into local HIS
tory as one Of the most horrible Chicago
has ever experienced.
Death came suddenly to a few but
with awful slowness to others, who were
penned in the death trap and suffocated
or burned to death. Some died in their
rooms, some CHANGED all in jumping and
lost, while others were found In the hall
ways, where they had expired with their
fingers dug into the cracks Of the door.
List Of Dead.
AL Iof the bodies were recovered as the
hotel was not destroyed. The dead:
NJ NJ. HANDY, GAINESVILLE, Wis.
II. X. WOOD, Lebon, Ind.
sAMUEs. L. YoCUM, Davenport, Ia.
]. c. YOcUM, Davenport, la.
F. L. EWING. Marietta, o.
A. b. COON. Marriage. III.
T. V. SLOCUM, Waconda, Ill
WARD LOWE, Minneapolis, MINI.
f. w. CAREY, Bucyrus. o.
ED TONER, Milwaukee.
b. +. BOSWELL. lived at hotel.
THREE of the victims still unidentified.
FIVE OTHERS, including one who died
on the way to the hospital, had not been
identified up to noon.
The fire started on the second floor,
presumably from a lighted cigar dropped
on the carpet. Guests, occupying upper
rooms in the front part Of the hosiery,
aroused by the screams of a woman, were
able 70 escape down the stairway, and
about thirty people reached safety by
means of the IRE escape. To add to the
horror, however, this gave way while
others were attempting to escape and
three men were dashed to death on the
pavement OF the alley below.
For the people in the rear there was
now no escape except by jumping. The
stairway was IN flames and the fire es-
cape gone. Horror stricken faces APP
peared at the windows and cried frantical-
ly for help. Firemen cried back at them
TO walt until nets or mattresses could be
brought and those who did In most cases
escaped with slight injuries, But some,
crazed with fright, jumped to the pave
ment and were either killed or badly hurt
Flames Hard TIE Fight.
With great dificulty the fire, although
comparatively a small one, was subdued,
but II was some time before rescuers
could penetrate the dense bank of smoke
which filled the place. 1t 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 attempted to slip on q garment
before making for the street, but had
been overcome, but most OF them were In
their night clothes.
Every store and other hotels In the vi
cinity was filled with men and women who
had escaped with only their night gowns.
An investigation will be made. A fire
wall around the freight elevator and 9TH
er precautionary alterations had been or
dered some time ago, but the matter had
been neglected.
LATHE damage was done to the hotel,
but the smoke was so dense that the per-
sons who met their death were overcome
and died before assistance could reach
them.
Many jumped from the fourth story win
dows. or tried to save themselves by
climbing down the fire escapes In tho
front OF the building, only to lose their
grasp on the cold iron bars and fall to
the street.
Shortly after the IRE broke out, the fire.
men rushed up the stairway into the place
and begun the work OF rescue. Men
women and children were carried down
ladders. IRE escapes and smoke-filled
halls.
In one instance a fireman of Engine
Company No. saved woman from run
ming to the rear Of the building to certain
death on the fourth floor only to be forced
to drop her from the third floor to the
roof Of the building at No. ITS Madison
street. The woman held her seven-year-
old son in her arms.
Escape Was Miraculous.
She was Mrs. j. Sheppard, and her son
is named Frederick. She was then car
ried from the roof of the building to the
BrevOort house, where a physician was
summoned. IL was found that their in
juries were slight.
r. c. Weber, the night clerk, was one OF
the first TO discover smoke on the second
moor. 1t is believed that the fire began
in this section of the building. Weber
refused to make any statement, and after
he had secured possession Of the register
he was taken to the central station, where
he is being detained
Allen Olderf, of Milwaukee. made a
perilous descent from the fourth floor by
scaling the wall by means OF the iron
shutters. Olderf stated that he had seen
at least a dozen persons on the top floor
vainly endeavoring to make their way
from the building by means of the front
stairway.
Many OF the bodies were found in the
beds In positions OF slumber. Some were
found in the hallway, face downwards,
in positions that mutely portrayed how
they vainly endeavored to save their lives.
Some were half clad and others wore
nothing but night clothing. 1t was by
means of articles and letters in the peck