Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-02-26
Flames Destroy a Flimsily-Built
Hotel at Cedar Rapids, Ia,
Early in the Morning.
GUESTS AWAKE TO FIND ESCAPE CUT OFF
Many Seek Safety by Jumping from
Windows, and FOrty-TwO Are
Thus Injured-FOur Dead Bodies
RecOvered-Five Are Still in the
Ruins,


which early Friday morning de-
nine of the guests and caused inju-
ries to AZ persons, who were scorched
or forced to jump to the frozen street
from second and third-story win
dows. After an all-day search in
the debris four bodies were recov-
ered 1t is now believed that five
more bodies remain in the ruins of
the hotel, which is said to have been
a fimsy structure, filled with dele
gates to the state Young Mems Chris
tan association convention, and the
district convention of the Knights Of
Pythias. The hotel register was de-
stroyed, thus making it difficult to
ascertain the number of missing per-
sons Forty men have been working
in the rubbish all day, and will con-
tinue to dig for The remains of the
burned persons. The loss is 100000.
The Victims.
The dead are: w. A. Mowery. of
Watcher, Ia; E. G. Young, of Min
neapolis; two unidentified men, bod
les recovered; five bodies still i'll
debris.
The fatally injured: Vina Burns,
head waitress, jumped from third
story; L. C. Burnett, Nebraska City,
Neb., badly burned.
The seriously injured: Sinda Williams,
waitress, face badly burned, leg in
iured: Lizzie Kelly, waitress, burned;
It. C. Outing, Center Point, left arm
sprained, hands burned; Emma Smith,
waitress; H. w. Bremen, Lyons, Ia;
F. r. Moore, Chicago; Beatrice Neto-
licky, Shueyville, Ia; j. U. Winniger,
Waterloo, Ia, face burned and wrist
sprained; J. E. Anderson, Chicago, back
strained; A. S. Farrow, Boone, Ia; F.
G. Gardiner. WOODBURY., Ia; d. f. Tay-
lor. Davenport, Ia, head injured and
elbow fractured, hip injured, and
burned about body; Louis Thompson,
Cedar Rapids, badly burned; A. M. Lar
sen, Oelmein, feet injured and lungs
hurt; C. w. Roberts, Cedar Rapids; L..
o. Vernon, Delta, Ia, cut and right
side injured; May Reel. waitress, badly
burned; M. P. Hoover, Tama, Ia; I. j.
Tally, Canton, ILL.,; J. A. Flear, Daven-
port; c.. l.. Benedict body burned; G..
p. Halves, DEBORAH, Ia; F. 0. Redmond,
mail clerk, Tama, Ia; n. o. Templeton,
Monticello, Ia; George Taggart, st.
Paul. hands and face burned; James
Lewis, colored porter; F. M. Gardner,
Woodburn, Ia; d. S. Taylor, Daven-
port; J. H. Dunbar Monticello; John
w. lewis, Ottumwa, bruised; DIR. S. c.
Grove, Cedar Rapids, terribly burned
while hanging to fire escape, probably
fatal; P. E. Strickland. Clinton, Ia,
jumped from third story window, leg
broken and injured internally, prob
ably fatal; Celia Williams, waitress,
badly burned; C. F. Hamburg, Leroy,
Mimi, limbs badly burned; r. c. Nc
Conahy, Aurora, ILL.,, hands and face
burned; o. j. Lamb, Center Point, Ia,
seriously burned; G. F. Kaesser, Walk
er, Ia, face and hands burned; c. A.
Roseman, Independence, Ia, legs and
arms sprained by jumping from top
floor, struck wires and landed in
snow banks; F. A. Chase, hands in
jured-
Victims Forced to jump.
The victims were literally driven by
the flames to jump. Nearly every
one of them fingered to the last mo-
ment, urged by the people below to
wait as long as possible in the hope
of assistance. Then a cry would tell
that the fire had reached them, or
the smoke had made it impossible to
breathe, and one after another
jumped, some to the street and some,
more fortunate, to the roofs CT
buildings adjoining. In short space
of time the street was filled with
men and women bruised, battered
broken-limbed and half crazed. All
were in their night garments.
Hotel Firetrap.
The hotel, three-story brick We
neer structure, is said to have been
a veritable fretrap. The flames
started in pile of rubbish in the
basement, presumably ignited by
defective electric light wires.