Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-06-12
BURNED 10 DEATH WHILE
STRAPPED TO THEIR BEDS
Horrible Fate of Inmates OF a
Sanitarlum at Chicago.
THE VICTIMS NUMBER THIRTEEN
And List of Wounded VIII Elk
oeed Thirty.
One OF tho Dead Men Was u Mcmbernt me
Chicago board of Alderinen-scehcs OF
Exc tcmeni Attend the Attempts ="
Roscue tho Doomed Inmates oil tho
Itlnning building.

RssCue tho BoOmed Inmates OF tho
Hunting building.
isCnicago. H., June 9.--Twelve men
and orc woman were killed and about |
so persons we're injured in lire which |
this afternoon destroyed the sanltarluin
conducted by the st. Lnke's Society ut
the corner OF Wabash avenue and
Twenty first street The society occu-
pied the building which was long
known as the Hotel Woodruff, and for
n brief period rs the Hotel Lancaster.
by far the greater portion OF the
patients received in the institution
we're those seeking cure from the drink
habit and those who wore addicted to
the Use of drugs. When the fire broke
out there were on the fifth floor "a
number of patients suffering from
delirium tremens and some who were
deranged by drugs. Several Of these
were strapped to their beds, and it was
found impossible to save them, so
rapidly did the fire spread through the
building.
The list Of dead, as far as known is
as follows S. j. Newell. Carl A..
Carlson, Michael Luhy, Joseph Har-
rington, Samuel Dal2ell. DIR. J. L.
Stanton, ]. B. Bishop Of st. Louis,
Mo George a. Ribneck, hiilsGale,
Mich. q. S. Colt, Lavergne,
III. William Kent Alderman of the
Fourth ward, Chicago: John u. Shnap-
man: Mrs. NJ. Baumann: b. II. BOYD,
rs years of age, and member OF the
meGical star a The institution.
Tho fire originated in the basement
of the building, and spread rapidly to
10, CT ips tbrDliob the elevator
shaft. The blaze was discovered by
James Newell, grocer, who was
driving through tho alley in the rear
of tho biilding. lie noticed smoke
coming from ono Of the basement
windows, and ran into the engineroom
to discover its cause. Behind the
boilers in the centre Of the cellar, and
within u few feet of the elevator shaft,
he SAW u small flame. The next instant
the flames were caught by the draught
in tho elevator shaft and carried up
with a roar Newell shouted to several
mon in the alley to give the alarm and
| to alarm the inmates of the building.
| Several hurried to do this, but by
tho time thoy reached the FIRST floor of
| the building the flames had been car
ried to the roof, had eaten through it,
and were leaping high in the air.
As the cry Of fire was given through
tho building, patients sprang from
their beds. Before they could be pre-
vented several had jumped from the
windows to the pavement.
The fire department was on tho scene
within few minutes. As the windows
were filled with people shrieking. for
help the firemen devoted their first
efforts to save lives, and allowed the
fire to burn. While this was the means
of saving large number of people,
who we're carried down the ladders by
tho fremen, it gave the fire such a
Roadway that there was almost NJ
chance for those on the upper floors o.
the building to mako their escane anc
such Of them as were not suffocater
were killed or badly injured by leapins
from the windows.
Alderman Kent was in room OF
the fifth floor with his attendant, A
w. Wattles. The alderman, who ha
been totally blind for many years, wa
in strait jacket. and his hands wer
manacled to belt that passed aroun'
his waist When tho alarm of fire wa
sounded Wattles ran to investigate
He found the elevator shaft mass Q
= flames, and ran back to help the alder
] man. who, blind, and unable TO d
anything with his hands, was almoa
( mad with fear, and was shouting like q
f insane person. He had CROPPED his VA
to the door, and by the time his attend
n ant had reached him, had fallen to tn
5 floor, overcome with smoke. Wattlc
seized him and tried to drag him dow
the hall to a place of safety, but KeI
!, had become so crazed that it was in
y possible to do anything with him.
n Wattles was finally compelled to ri
Il for his Lie, MS the flames were alrcad
j scorching his clothing. He ran to
window on the south side of the built
if ing across which were iron bars. Wa
I. ties managed to tear two of these fro
:, their fIstenings, and two other me
W who rad followed him climbed out {
= the sill They wore seen by the fir
- men, who called to them to rema
NJ where they were and they would sa
ar them. A ladder was run up as his
a as possible and the two men wi
sc Wattles were taken down. ~
I'd Wattles became crazed with eScit
ne ment, and not waiting for the return
J., the firemen sprang for a net viii,
81 some men were holding OH the sid
walk beneath. He fell partly in
on and partly on the sidewalk, and ST
tanned injuries which probably W
ty cause his death in u short time.
J, Kent was left lying on the floor
Mt his room, and evidently died Of suffot
n. ton. His body was badly burned aft
death. Three hours after the outbre
~ of the fire, it was found on the floor
~ his room, one leg burned to crisp a
IL the head burned off. lie was identit
- by means of his clothing.