The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1903-02-22
TEN LIVES ARE SACRIFICED
AWFUL HOLOCAUST IN CEDAR
RAPIDS HOTEL.
Victims Driven to Jump From Win
dows by Flames-Stood Barefoot,
ed in Snow Transfixed With
Horror-Awfui Scene.

Cedar Rapids. Iowa. Feb. 2l-Ten
lives. according to the best informa-
ton obtainable. were lost in a fire
that destroyed the Clifton hotel in this
city early this morning The fire
started at 1880 o'clock and at 10
o'clock this morning the smouldering
debris furnished 50 fierce a heat that
search for bodies was impossible. The
list of dead may prove larger than the
number given.
Two persons were fatally injured
and a score or more injured more or
less severely. mostly by jumping from
windows. The work of learning the
names OF the dead is rendered difficult
by the loss Of the hotel register which
was burned
The hotel. a three-story brick We
Aeer structure, is said to have been a
veritable fire trap. The flames started
in pile Of rubbish in the basement,
presumably ignited by defective cleo
trio 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
Railways we're choked with frightened
guests. A rush was made for the
stairways. II was then that the crowd
already collected in the street heard
heart-rending cries of anguish and des-
peration, for the fire, feeding raven
ously on the tinder-like material of the
lower floor, had completely cut off es-
cape
Then followed stampede for the
windows, the only means Of exit left.
The street below was now filled with a
crowd scarcely less frantic than the
despairing ones in the fast burning
building
1T was like a Dore picture Infer
no sprung to life one spectator in
describing the scene said, "the flames
appearing blood red from rejecting
from the snow, lit up the pale, drawn
faces OF the people in the windows
with the glow that was unearthly.
The victims were literally driven by
the flames to jump. Nearly every one
Of them fingered to the last moment,
urged by the people below TO wait as
long as possible in hope of assistance
Then a cry would tell that the fire had
reached them, or the smoke had made
1t impossible to breathe and one af-
ter another jumped, some to the street
and some, more fortunate. to the roofs
Of buildings adjoining. In a short
space Of time the street was filled v tn
men and women bruised, battered
broken limbed and half crazed All
were in their night garments. In an
hour ST Luke's hospital contained fit
teen injured, while many more, chief
ly those who had escaped with com
paratively 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
number OF guests who were able
to converse calmly following their es
cape declared that they had stumbled
over PROSTATE bodies as they rushed
to the windows. The flames literally
were chasing them and the smoke
made it almost impossible TO breathe
The proprietor of the hotel placed
his estimate of the number of people
in the building at between seventy
and eighty Many of them were dele
gates to the state convention Of the
Young Mems Christian Association
which began here yesterday,
Those who were first to escape
where they were not too badly injured
stood for some time barefooted in the
snow chained to the spot and rendered
unconscious Of the cold by the horror
OF the scene.