The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-02-21
Some Of the Dead and Injured Were
Delegates tn n. VI. G. A. and knights
of Pythias Conventions.
BUILDING WAS BRICK VENEER
AND THE INSIDE BURNED WITH THE
RAPIDITY OF TINDER.
Escape by Stairway Cut OF and n
Rush Made for the windows by
the Panfcstricken Guests.

CEDAR RAPIDS. Ia. Feb. 20.-Fire early
this morning destroyed the Clifton Hotel,
cremated nine OF the guests and caused in
Juries to forty-two 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 have been recovered. 1t
Is now believed that five bodies remain
In the ruins of the hotel, which is said
to have been fiimsy structure, filled with
delegates to the State Young Mems Chris
tian Association convention and the district
convention of the knights of Pythias. The
hotel register was destroyed, thus making
1T difficult to ascertain the number of miss
ing persons. Forty men have been work.
ing in the ruins all day, and will continue
to dig for the bodies of the burned persons
all night The loss Is $4,000
The Dead
w. A. MOwERY, Watcher, Ia.
Z. G. YOUNG. Minneapolis.
TWO UNIDENTIFIED MEN, bodies
charred.
FIVE BODIES still in the debris.
The Injured
VIVA BURNS. head waitress. jumped
l. A c. BURNETT, Nebraska City, Neb.
badly burned.
DR. s. C. GROVE. Cedar Rapids, terribly
burned while hanging to fire escape.
p. E. STRICKLAND. Clinton, Ia, jumped
from third-story window, leg broken and
:. CELIA WILLIAMS. waitress. badly
burned.
C.. E. HAMBURG. Leroy. Mimi. limbs
badly burned.
R, C. McoNAHY. Aurora. H.. hands
o. ]. LAMB, Center Point. Ia, seriously
burned.
e. F: KEssER, Walker. Ia. face and
hands burned
c. A. ROSEMAN, Independence, Ia, legs
floor; struck wires and landed in a snow
bank.
F. A. CHASE. hands injured.
SINDA WILLIAMS. waitress, face bad
ly burned. leg injured.
LIZZIE KELLEY, waitress, burned.
F. c. OUTING, Center Point. left arm
sprxined, hands burned.
EMMA SMITH. waitress.
r.. w. BREMER, Lyons, Ia.
F. p. MOORE. Chicago.
BEATRICE NETOTICKY, Shuyville, Ia.
J. U. wINNIGER. Waterloo, Ia, face
burned and wrists sprained.
J. E. ANDERSON. Chicago. back
strained.
As DARRow. Boone. la.
F. G. GARDINER. woodburn, Ia.
ID. +. TURNER. Davenport. Ia. head in
Jured and elbow fractured, hip injured and
burned about body.
LOUIS THOMPSON. Cedar Rapids, badly
burned.
A NJ LARSEN. oeIwein. 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
n. II. HOOVER. Lama Ia
T. ]. HALLICK, Canton, Ill.
j. A. FLAIR. Davenport
c. l.. BENEDICT, body burned.
G.. III. JAMES. Decorah Ia.
f. o. REDMOND. mail clerk. Lama. Ia.
w. o. TEMPLETON, Monticello, la.
GEORGE TAGGART, st. Paul hands and
face burned.
JAMES LEWIS. colored porter.
F. NJ GARDNER, Woodburn, Ia.
ID. S. TAYLOR, Davenport
j. Nj. DUNBAR, Monticello
JOHN w. LEWIS. Ottumwa, bruised
The hotel. three-story brick veneer
structure, is said to have been a veritable
fire trap The flames started at 2:SO a. m.
in a 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 bell
boy. startled him. He took up the cry, and
I'm an instant the Railways were choked
with frightened guests. A rush was made
for the stairways. liz was then that the
crowd already collected in the street heard
heart-rending cries of anguish and despera-
tion. for the fire. feeding ravenously on the
tinder-like material of the lower floor, had
completely cut off escape.
There followed a stampede for the win
dows, the only means of exit left The
street below was now filled with a crowd
scarcelessly less frantic than the despair
ing ones I'm the fast-burning building 1T
was like Dore picture OF Inferno sprung to
life" said one spectator In describing the
scene The flames. looking blood red from
reflection against the snow lit up the pale,
drawn faces of the people In the windows
with a 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 possible in
the hope of assistance. Then a cry would
tell that the fire had reached them or the
smoke had made IL impossible to breathe,
and one after the other jumped, some of
) them TO the street. and some. more fortu-
nate. to roofs OF the buildings adjoining.
In a short space OF time the street was
filled with men and women. bruised. bat
tered. broken limbed. half crazed All were
In their night garments
In an hour ST. Luke's Hospital con-
tanned fifteen injured. while many more.
chiefly those who had escaped with COM
paratively slight hurts. were being cared
Ger In buildings near the scene OF the IRE.