Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1902-12-05
DISASTER IN CHICAGO
Fourteen Lives Lost by a Fire In
the Linc9ia Hotel. 81,
MANY LEAPED FOR LIFE.
Result of Blaze In Building Which
Was Crowded With ViAitOrs
to the Live Stock Ex-
position.

Chicago, Dec. 5-Fourteen persons
among the scores crowded into the Lin
coin hotel at 176 Madison street met
death shortly before G o'clock in the
morning In a fire which will pass into
local history as one Of the most horrible
Chicago has ever experienced. Death
came suddenly to few, but with aw-
ful slownesS to others, who were pen
ned in the deathtrap and suffocated or
burned to death. Some died in their
rooms, some CHANGED all in jumping
and lost, while others were found in
the Railways, where they had expired
with their fingers dug into the cracks
Of the floorA
All Of the bodies were recovered, as
the hotel was not destroyed. The iden-
tifsd dead are: M. NJ. Handy, James
vile, Wis; Edward Toner, Milwaukee,;
81. X. Wood, Lebanon, Ind; B. F. Bos-
well, Chicago; Samuel L. Yocum, Dav-
export, Ia; J. G. Yocum, Davenport,
Ia; F. L. Ewing, Marietta, O.; A. B.
Coon, Marengo, ILL.,; T. v. Slocum, Wa
oonda, ILL.,; Ward Lowe, Sechlersville,
Wis.,, and F. w. Carey, Bucyrus, o.
Many persons jumped from the fourth
story windows. Others tried to save
themselves by climbing down the fire
escapes in 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 OF
the building on the top floors had no
chance for their lives. A narrow stair
way leading to all the floors of the
structure was afire, and the escape of
the dodgers in the rear Of the building
was cut of.
Ambulances and patrol wagons from
all parts Of the city were called to the
place, and the dead and injured were
quickly attended.
Few ChtcaHoans Among Guests.
All but fourteen of the guests at the
hotel were out Of town persons. Most
Of them came to Chicago to attend the
international live stock show. In ev'
cry room or place in which cot could
10 erected, it is said, guests had been
accommodated. A large number OF
stockmen with their families had been
turned away. L. A. Smith, proprietor
Of the hotel, says:
II am certainly not to blame for this
awful catastrophe. Three weeks ago
the agents Of this building were mott
ned to place a stairway in the rear OF
the building and also to build IRE
wall around the freight elevator shaft
In the rear. The contractors came and
looked the building over, but nothing
was done.
Our seventy rooms were all filled,
and should Judge that We had about
126 or $50 guests. From what l can
learn the fire started in the rear Of the
building on the second floor. This
probably accounts for the escape Of the |
guests who occupied front rooms on
the upper floors. They had an oppor'
tunity to reach the stairway before the
flames reached that part of the build
ing. but the occupants Of the rear
rooms were cut off by the flames. Most
Of our guests were persons who came
to Chicago to visit the stock show and
knew little Of the building"
Chief Musham of the fire department
said that in some ways 1t was the
worst fire he had attended during mis-
career as q fireman and that so dense
was the smoke that 1t was Impossible
TO reach the imprisoned guests, whe
died like rats in cage. when the
hremen finally managed to make their
way into the rooms, the sight that met
their gaze was appalling. Men and
boys lay about the floors of the rooms
and Railways, where they had fallen
In their eagerness to escape.
Fire Trap, says the Chief.
THE building" said the chief, was
sns Of the worst fire traps have ever
seen The floors in places had cracks
In them large enough to drop penny
through, and the smoke just sifted
thPouvh orh c,,fPnos tod fhA inmates OF