Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-02-10
ELEVEN DE IN A FIRE
Burning OF a St. Louis Hotel
Causes a Frishtful Loss
OF Life.
Eleven People Lose Their Lives
and Many Others Are
Severely Injured.
Guests Compelled to jump From
Windows-Big Building
in Ashes.

sons were killed and eight severely In
jured Sunday in an early morning hr'
which destroyed the Empire hotel, {
llarge three-s story lodging house at 21O'
and 1902 Olive street, patroniZed by
men exclusively. Many others were
slightly hurt and ten or more who hae
marrow escapes from death in the fire
were frost bitten after they had flee
out into the cold.
Thirty-five to forty persons were In
the building, and 1t is believed that al
have been accounted for. 1t is thought
that $4,000 will cover the damage te
building and contents, which were to-
tally destroyed.
The dead:
Norris Yall. senior member firm Yall
! Clark & Cowen, manufacturers of fine
cut glass. formerly of Chicago, body
burned to crisp.
Tobe Davis, suffocated.
| John c. Lueders, father of Deputy
City Marshal Leo Lueders. skull frac-
tured in jumping from third story win
dow.
| George Thompson, switchman Termi-
nal yards. burned
Sarah Harris, colored chambermaid,
burned.
r. F. Woodley, employe Hamilton
Brown Shoe Company, burned
j. A. McMullen. carpenter burned.
S. T. Corey, telegraph operator, Mer-
chants Terminal Association.
Vance Marlin. civil engineer, Indian
apolis, Ind. burned.
burned.
Unknown man. died at city hospital
from burns.
The more seriously injured:
Harry Cline medical student, of Mar
ion, H.. hands badly burned and ankle
sprained taken to city hospital.
Walter Johnson, employe Hamilton
Brown Shoe Company, hands burned,
both legs broken and injured Internal
ly; taken to city hospital.
Henry Robinson. colored, night por-
ter, badly burned: taken to city hospit-
al, and thence to his home.
George Lane, medican student. of
Rich Hill, No. ankle sprained in jump
ing from second STORY window.
- Sturgeon, dental student, back
sprained in jumping from second-story
window.
Harry Thompson, medical student,
Nashville, ILL.,, ankle spraired in jump
Ing from second-storY window.
j. ]. Lally, manager Empire hotel,
back badly sprained while escaping
from building.
Con Ryan, burned about face.
The fire started about $3.50 a. m
when but few persons We're in the
street, and it gained considerable
Roadway before 1t was discovered and
the alarm was given. When the en-
gines reached the scene the whole
front of the buildings was In flames,
and the interior was a seething fur
mace. BY that time many had got out
of the building by jumping from the
windows or by climbing down ropes
made of bed clothes. A few escaped
from the ground floor thru the front
door.
Almost everybody who got out suf-
fered some injury or was frost bitten
The flames spread SO rapidly that few
saved their clothing. which they car
ried In their hands while the majority
lOSt every liilHS. fAhtSA SONY NSNs
nearby houses were opened to the
unfortunates, and they were given
shelter from the biting cold weather,
while physicians were summoned. 1t
was one of the coolest nights of the
winter the ground being covered with
ice and snow.
After short fight the firemen got
the flames under control, and, assisted
by the police. they made search of
the ruins The first body found was
that of John c. Lueders. His body
and those of the others found later
were taken to the morgue, where
friends and relatives later identified
them. Sarah Harris was found on the
first floor. Her body had been burned.
The remains of the other victims We're
found In their rooms, where they We're
suffocated or burned.
]. J. Lally, who managed the house
for his brother-in-law, j. w. Gillian.
had rooms on the first floor He said
that he had no means of knowing just
how many persons were in the house
at the time the fire broke out. He
was awakened by hearing Con Ryan,
one of the roomers, crying FIRE."
Selling his clothing and money,
Lally hurried into the hall, which was
ablaze, and, without stopping, ran out
thru the front door. Both stairways
were on fire and he barely had time TO
get out, being scorched and spraining
his back. Lane, Ryan. and a man
named Nicely. escaped the same way.
The only way for the others who got
was thru the windows. the burning
stairways cutting off other escape.
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