Richmond planet., 1902-06-14
SANITARIUM BURNED
Chicago Hosnital Proved a Death
Trap For Inmates.
TEN DEAD AND MANY INJURED

Flames Spread So Quickly That Many
Persons Had to Jump From Win.
dows-Sensational Escapes From
Fourth-story Window.
Chicago, June 10. - Nine men and
one woman were killed and about 80
persons were injured, several fatally,
in fire which yesterday afternoon de-
stroyed the sanitarium conducted by
the Saint Luke's Society, at the cor
ner OF Wabash avenue and Twenty
first street
By far the greater portion of the pa
tients received in the institution were
those seeking cure from the drink
habit and those who were addicted to
the use OF drugs. When the fire broke
out there was on the fifth floor q
number of patients suffering from de-
lirium tremens, and some who were ue-
ranged by drugs. Several Of these
were strapped to their beds, and it was
found impossible to save them, so ra-
pidly did the fire spread through the
building.
The fire originated in the basement
TO the upper stories through the eleva-
tor shaft The blaze was discovered
by Jamec Newell, a grocer, who was
driving through the alley in the rear
OF the building. Newell shouted tc
several men in the alley to give the
alarm and to alarm the inmates of the
building. Several hurried to do this
but by the time they reached the FIRST
floor of the building, the flames hac
been carried TO the roof, hau eaten
through ii and were leaping high in the
air.
Several OF the patients jumped from
the windows to the pavement The
tre department was on the scene in
a few minutes and as the windows were
filled with people shrieling for help
the iremen devoted their first efforts
TO save lives and allowed the fire &c
burn. While this was the means OF
saving large number OF people. who
were carried down the ladders by the
firemen, II gave the fire such a head
way that there was almost no chance
for those on the upper floors of the
building to make their escape, and such
of them as were not suTocated were
killed or badly injured by leaping from
the windows.
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 on the
north side. Across this window was
a heavy wire screen, and on the out
side OF the screen were iron bars run.
ming parallel TO the sill Behind them
was gathered a crowd of % men. Es
cape in other directions was impossi
bic. for the fire filled all the halls ana
was steadily eating its way toward
the window at which the men were
standing The men closest to the
screen tore and tugged at it in a vain
effort to tear it from its fastenings
and the men behind them fought mad /
ly TO get close enough to the screen &c
tasten their fingers in II. So fiereely
aid 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
Finally the screen was torn from are
fastenings, and after several minutes
OF hard tugging the bars were alsc
torn out
Then a new danger assailed the
prisoners. The crowd behind. hear
ing that at last the way was omen
pushed forward with such haste that
those near the window were nearly
forced through to meet death on the
sidewalk, four stories below. The first
man through was DR.. G. A. Anderson
or Chicago. He hestitated for an in.
slant, then sprang for the fire escape
cIutched 1t and was saved. The next
man through the window was G. &
Gott. Anderson was so much ex
hausted that he was not able TO DRAG
Gott after him and Gott was 90 badly
burned that he was not able tn make
the leap himself. Clinton Osborne
erawled out beside GOtt and told the
men inside to grasp his feet. This
they did, and, telling Gott to take hold
Of his wrists and drop over the window
Sill, Osborne, hanging head downward.
swung Gott to and fro until he had
acquired sufficient momentum. and
then swung him up and onto the land.
ing OF the fire escape, where DR.. An.
derson seized and held him. He and
Gott then formed chain, Gott hold.
ing to the fire escape, and Anderson
tightly held by Gott with one hand
reaching out toward the window. SO
that the men one by one as thev
crawlSd through were able to take one
step on ledge and make a short leap
TO the platform of the fire ESCAPE.
down which they made their way 20
the ground. twenty-five men made
their escape in this manner. and when