Omaha daily bee., 1902-12-05

among the scores crowded into the Lincoln
hotel at 176 Madison street, met death
shortly before o'clock this morning In a
fire. Death came suddenly to a few. but with
awful slowness to others who we're penned
in the death trap and suffocated or burned
to death. Some died In their rooms. some
chanced all in jumping and lost. while 9TH
ers we're found in the Railways, wnere they
had expired with their fingers dug into the
cracks OF the floor
All the bodies were recovered. as the
hotel was not destroyed.
List of the victims.
NJ. NJ. HANDY, GAINESVILLE, Wis.
II. X. WOOD, Lebanon. Ind.
SAMUEL L. YoCUM, Davenport, la.
J. C. YOCUM, Davenport, la.
+. L. EWING. Marietta, o.
A. B. COON, Marengo, Ill.
r. V. SLOCUM, waconda, Ill.
WARD LOWE, sechlersville. Wis.
+. w. CAREY, Bucyrus, o.
ED TONER, Milwaukee.
b. F. BOSWELL, lived at hotel.
THREE PERSONS, including one VIII"
died on the way to the hospital, had not
been identified up to noou.
Among the injured was William NJ. Sny-
der of Loom City, Ia, bruised by falling
downstairs.
The victims were taken TO Ralston's
morgue. and all day the place was hlled
with anxious people interested in the dead
or seeking TO assure themselves OF the
safety of friends or relatives.
Building is Fire Trap.
| The building was a fire trap OF the worst
kind, according to experts. There were but
two exits a narrow stairway leading down
| the four floors of the building and an in
complete fire escape in the rear
| The fire started on the second floor, pre-
sumably from a lighted cigar dropped on
the carpet. Guests occupying upper rooms
in the front part of the hostelry, aroused
by the screams of a woman. were able to
escape down the stairway. and about thirty
people reached safety by means of the Ore
| escape. To add to the horror, however, this
! gave way while others were attempting to
| escape and three men we're dashed to death
| on the pavement of the alley below.
! For the people in the rear there was no
escape save by jumping. The stairway wac
| in flames and the fire escape gone. Horror
stricken faces appeared at the windows and
cried for help. Firemen cried back to them
to wait until nets or mattresses could be
brought, and those who did in most cases
escaped with slight injuries. But some,
crazed with fear, jumped to the pavement
Fire subdued with Difficulty.
With great difnculty the FIRE. although
comparatively a small one, was subdued,
but it 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
I stretched on the floors, and in some cases
on their beds. Some had attempted to slip
ON a garment before making for the street,
| hut they had been overcome, although most
of them were in their night clothing.
Every store and hotel in the vicinity was
Allied with men and women who had escaped
| with only their nightgowns.
Hotel Not Badly Damaged.
Little damage was done to the hotel. but
the smoke was so dense that many were
4 overcome and died before assistance could
reach them Many jumped from the fourth
story windows or tried to save themselves
by climbing down the fire escape in the
front of the building, only to lose their
prasn on the cold iron bars and fall to the
street
The persons sleeping in the rear OF the
building on the top floor had no chance
for their lives. A narrow stairway leading
to all floors OF the structure was afire and
the escape OF the dodgers in the rear OF
the building was cut on.
Firemen and policemen were not reticent
in speaking OF what they witnessed at the
scene Of the catastrophe. They con-
demned the building as a "fre trap"
Ambulances and patrol wagons from all
parts Of the city were called to the place
and the dead and injured were quickly at
tended to. All but fourteen Of the quests
at the hotel were out-of-town persons.
Most Of them came to Chicago to attend
the international live stock show.
House Filled with Guests.
Up to 10 o'clock last night persons were
taken in at the hotel and in every room or
place where a cot could be erected guests
were accommodated. At that time a large
were turned away.
Shortly after the fire broke out the fire.
men rushed up the stairway and began the
work OF rescue. Men, women and children
we're carried down ladders, FIRE escapes and
smoke filled halls In one instance a hre-
man of engine company No. saved a
woman from running 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 i7S
I Madison street.
The woman held her 7-year-old son In her
. arms She was Mrs. ]. Sheppard and her
sons name is Frederick. She was then
carried from the roof OF the building TO
the Brevoort house where a physician was
summoned. II was found that their INJURIES
were slight
The building is constructed Of brick. with
a but one stairway leading TO the upper
floors and a FIRE escape in the front OF the
building but a fire wall around the freight
elevator and other precautionary altera-
Y tions which had been ordered had not been
carried out.
r r. C. Weber, the night clerk. was one Of
the first 10 discover smoke on the
second hoor. II 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