Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-02-20
Burned 10 Death
In a Hotel FIze
Zen Llres Lost in Destruction Of clifton House, Cedas
Ra6'dS, A.-Sllany Injured BY Jumping From Vim.
docs 70 Escape The Flames place Was Uentable
Fi'e Hqo-Sone SeuenH os Eighty Guests.

Cedar Rapids, Ia, Feb 2O,-Ten lives
according to the best information OBJ
tainable under difficulties, were lost IN
a fire which this morning destroyed the
clifton hotel In this city. The FIRE
started at 2;3O O'clock and at 10 o'clock
the smouldering debris furnished so
fierce a heat that search for the bodies
was impossible The list of the dead
may prove larger than the number Civ
en-, but II Is hoped that the informa-
ton which accounts Tor all but this
number Is correct
Two persons were fatally injured and
two score or more injured more or less
severely mostly by jumping from win
dows, The work Of learning the names
of the dead is rendered difficult by the
loss of the hotel register, which was
burned,
A VERITABLE FIRE TRAP.
The hotel n three story brick vener
structure Is said to have been a yerl.
table fire trap The flames started In
pile Of rubbish IN the basement pre-
sumably ignited by defective electric
light wires, The night clerk was on
the third floor when the cry of fire.
raised by a bell boy, startled him. He
TOOK up the cry and In an instant the
hall ways were choked with frightened
guests. A rush was made for the stair.
ways II was then the crowd already
collected In the street heard heart -rend
Ing cries Of anguish and desperation.
for the fire, feeding rapidly and raven
ously on the tinder-like material of
the lower door, had completely cut on
escape. There followed a stampede FOR
the windows. the only means Of exit
left. The street below was now filled
and the crowd was no less frantic than
the despalring ones In the fast burning
building.
1T was like Dore picture Of Infer
no sprung TO life" said one spectator
In describing the scene. The flames
looking blood red from reflection
against The snow, liz up the pale. drawn
faces OF the people In the windows with
q glow that was unearthly.
DRIVEN BY THE FLAMES.
The victims were literally driven by
the flames 70 jump, Nearly every one
OF them fingered TO the last moment.
urged by the people below TO wait as
long as possible In the hope OF assist
ance. Then a cry would tell that the
fire had reached them, or the smoke
had made II impossible 10 breathe, and
one after another Jumped. some to the
street and some, more fortunate, 70
the roofs Of buildings adjoining. In a
short space Of time the street was filled
with men and women bruised, battered.
broken llmbed and half orazed All
were In their night garments. In an
hour St Luke's hospital contained 10
injured. While many more, chiefly
those who had escaped with compare.
lively slight hurts, were being cared
for IN buildings near the scene of the
tragedy. Some who Jumped owe their
lives to the fact that their falls Were
broken by telegraph wires which inter.
posed In their downward flight.
NUMBER IN HOTEL.
a number OF guests who were able to
converse calmly following their escape
declared that they had stumbled over
riostrate bodies rs they rushed 20 the
windows. The flames literally were
chasing them and the smoke made Il
almost Impossible to breathe The pro