Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1902-12-11
WORST IN CITY'S HISTORY
VICTIMS PENNED, WITH LITTLE
CHANCE TO ESCAPE
NO CHANCE FOR LIFE
Hostelry Overcrowdcd, and slighV
Regard given for saTety--Num-
Der burned aud Others
SufiOCnted

Chicago, Dec. 5.-Fourteen persons
among the scores crowded into Lin
coin hotel at 176 Madison street, met
death shortly before O'Clock Friday
morning in fire which will pass in
to local history as the most horrible
Chicago has ever experienced.
DEATH came suddenly to a few, but
with awful slowness to Others, who
we're penned up in the death trap
and suffCcated or burned to death.
Some died in their rooms, some chan
ced all in jumping ana were lost while
others were lost in Railways where
t ley had expiraed with their fingers
dug into The cracks to the floor.
All of the bodies were recovered, as
the hotel was not destroyed.
The victims were taken to Raj
ston's morgue, and all day the place
was filled with anxious people in
terested in the death or seeking to as
sure themselves of the safety of relat-
ives or friends.
The building was fire trap of the
worst kind, according to experts.
There were but two exits, 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, presumably from a lighted
cigar dropped on the carpet. Guests
occupying upper looms in the front
part or the hostelry, aroused by the
| screams Of woman, were able to
| escape down the sta rSay,and al out
| thirty people reached safety by
means of the fire escape. To add to
the horror, however, this gave way
while others were atemptn to escape
and three men were 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 was in flames and the
fire escape gone. Horror stricken
faces appeared at the windows and
CRED for help. Firemen cried
back to them to wait until nets or
mattresses could be brouht, and those
who did In most cases escaped with
slight injuries. But some, crazed
with fear, jumped to the pavement
ana were either killed or bady hurt.
1t was an awful scene which met
their gaze. The dead or unconscious
lying stretched on the floors. and in
some cases on their beds. Some had
attempted to slip On garment be-
fore making foi the street, but
they had been overcome, although
most of them were in their night
clothing
Every store I'm hotel in the vicin-
thy was filed with men and women
who had escaped with only their
night gowns. An investigation will
be made. A fire wall around the
} freight elevator and other precaut-
ionaTy alterations hal been ordered
some time ago. but the matter had
been neglected. Little damage was
done to the hotel. but the smoke
was so dense that the persons who
met their death were overcome ano
died before assistance could reacf
, 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 grasp on the colo
J iron bars and to fall to the street.
Ambulances and patrol wagon!
: from all parts Of the city were called
to the place and the cead and in
jured were quickly attended to, AL
: but fourteen of the guests at tn,
: hotel were out-of-town persons
a Most Of them came to Chicago t,
Z attend the International i've stool
show.
l. Up to ten O'Clock last night person
h were taken in at the hotel and IL
t every rom or place where a CO
/ could be erected, 1t is said, guest
@ were accommodated. At that time
large number OF stockmen, with thei
! families, were turned away. Tb
G hotel was filed. Shortly after tn
, fire broke out the firemeu rushed u
tie stairway into the place aud be
= gan the work of rescue. Men, VIC
n men and children were carried dow
II ladders, fire escapes and smoke file