Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-05

teen persOns among the scores crowded
into the Lincoln Hotel. at NO. 176 Madi-
son street, met death shortly before II
O'Clock this morning. in a fire which will
pass into local history as one OF the most
horrible Chicago has ever experienced
Death came suddenly to a few, but
with awful sowness to others, who were
penncd in the death trap. and suffocated
or burned to death. Some died IN thelr
rooms. some CHANGED all in jumping and
lost. while others were found in the hall
ways. where they had expired, with thelr
fingers dug into the cracks Of the moor.
All of the bodies were recovered. as the
hotel was not destroyed. The identified
dead are as follows:
identified Dead.
NJ. NJ. HANDY. GAINESVILLE, Wis.
EDWARD TONER, Milwaukee.
II. J. WOOD, Lebanon. Ind.
B. F. BOSWELL, Chicago.
SAMUEL L. YOCUM. Davenport Iowa.
F. L. EWING, Marietta. o.
A. B. COON. Marengo, III.
T. V. SLOCUM, Waconda. III.
WARD LOWE, Minneapolis, Ind
c. P. COWEN, st. Louis.
r. w. CAnE1 1, Duly oS' "
Two others. including one who died on
the way to the hospital, have not been
identified.
The victims were taken to Rollstons
nlorgue, and all day the place was filled
with anxious people, interested IN the
dead, or seeking to assure themselves OF
the safety of friends or relatives.
Building Il Fire-Trnp.
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 build
ing and an uncompleted tire-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 cf a woman. were
able to escape from the stairway, and
about thirty people reached safety by
means of the fire-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 still In the rear rooms.
there was now no escape. save by jump
ing. The stairway was in flames, and the
fire-escape gone.
Horror-stricken faces appeared at the
windows and cried frantically 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
fright, jumped to the pavement. and
were either killed or badly hurt
With great difficulty, the fire. although
compare lively 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 were lying stretched on
the floors, or in some cases. on their
beds.
In Their Night Clothes Only.
Some had attempted to slip on 81 gar
ment before making for the street, but
had been overcome, but most of them
were in their night clothes. Stores and
other hotels in the vicinity were filled
with men and women who had escaped
with only their nightgowns on.
An investigation will be made. a fire
wall around the elevator and other pre-
cautionary alterations had been ordered
some time ago. but the matter had been
neglected.
Of the people injured, it was necessary
to take only three to the hospitals. 9th
ers, suffering from slight cuts and bruls-
eS, or from the lnnaldllOn OI SlHOhe, were
cared for at neghboring drugstOres. and
departed without their names being re-
ported to the police.
In one instance a fireman of Engine
Company, No. 2. 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 IT'S Madi-
son street. The woman held her 7-year-
old son in her arms. She was Mrs. j..
Sheppard, and her son is named Frede-
rick She was then carried from the roof
Of the building to the Brevoort House.
where a physician was summoned 1t
was found that t-leir injuries were slight.
Clerk Held by Police.
E. c. Weber, the night, clerk. was one
of the first persons to discover smoke
on the second floor. 1t is believed that
the fire began in this section of the build
ing. Weber refused to make any state
ment and after he had secured posses
sion of the hotel register he was taken T.
the Central Station, where he is being
detained.
Proprietor's Excuse.
F. A. Smith, proprietor of the hotel,
says:
II am certainly not to blame for this
awful cata strophe. Three weeks ago tht
agents of this building were notified tc
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