Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-04-23

was no immediate danger, I proceeded
to pack my effects and dress Having
thrown my things out Of the window
[ tossed my mattress and quilts out.
had them arranged SO that l could
land on them, crawled out OF the
window and dropped to the ground" "
REUBEN COHEN
Il was awakened by the noise and
after slipping on my trousers | rushed
! found the smoke so SufTocating and
dense that | stumbled and fell and
wa. forced to crawl back into my
room on my hands and knees. AS |
lowered myself from the window
saw Mr.. Whitney stumbling into my
room. He looked as though the smoke
had almost Suffocated him. My
samples, valued at about $1,000. are
practically complete loss, but am
thankful that | escaped with my life.
I have been in three different hotel
| fires but this is the closest call ever
had"
ARCHITECT CHANDLER
"My room was on the third floor and
on awakening and opening the door
the smoke poured in SO fercely that
my room was completely filed with it
at once. I managed to get TO the
window and raise it and as soon as
got breath Of air I dropped from the
window. In dropping | struck on the
sill Of the window below mine where
| balanced awhile and then dropped
the rest OF the way. In my room the
smoke vas SO dense that after it drove
me from the door | couldn't find it
again to close it,
ROSS WAssER
81 was in the second story in the
east side Of the hotel almost directly
over the place where the fire worked
up through the fiVoI leading to the
hall but the awful heat and smoke
forced me to close it quickly. / sat
down on Il chair and dressed partly
and then went to the window. AS |
climbed over the window sill onto the
kitchen roof | saw the floor sinking
where l had been sitting but moment
before. | consider that | had a very
narrow escape"
DAY CLERK A. W. FUTILE
Il was awakened by the alarm aud
the intense heat and after getting up
and dressing partly tried to escape by
the door, but the hot blasts of air
drove me back quickly. Then | rushed
to the window, let myself down from
the window sill and dropped. striking
the top Of short ladder placed for
was 70 find out whether all the guests
were out or not"
LANDLORD DIXON
81 had been sitting up with my
wife, who was i'll, until about mid
night, when | retired. / think l
dropped asleep about O'Clock and
had slept a few hours when | was
awakened by the smell of smoke. j
| passed from our room through the
parlor, into the hallway beyond The
| fire had already reached that part Of
the house and In escaping through the
| hallway door / scorched one side Of
my face. A moment later / returned
to the parlor by another door, and
help having arrived. we carried my
| wife out"
CHAs. DIXON
II was sleeping in the annex and
was awakened by the sound Of break
ing glass. | dressed hurriedfy and in
SO doing dropped my avatch on the
floor. In picking it up and placing it
on the table | noticed that it was
broken and had stopped at 4:20, by
which ] was able to fix the time
exactly. The first thing | noticed on
getting out was Mr.. Eggleston hang
ing from window, calling for help.
Then we held blankets for Whitney
and Chandler to drop into. Mr. Whit
ney, being a very heavy man, the
force Of his fall in the blanket carried
US to the ground and he fell out Strik-
ing on the stone casing of cellar
window injuring his side"
| E. E. CURTIS OF MADISON
"When awakened by the CRY of fire
| [ put on my overcoat over my night
gown, grabbed part of my other wear
ing apparel and two grips and rushed
| from my room to the fire escape,
raised the window and threw my
grips out and got on the fire escape
and as it is only few feet from the
second story window to the roof of
the basement vestibule, ] felt that [
was safe. From the roof l descended
to the ground on tree that stands
near.
| Chicago Examiners Account
Following is the Chicago Examiner IS
account of the fire:
Grand Rapids. Wis. April 21-Fire
in the Dixon Hotel yesterday placed
all the guests in peril of their lives
and it was only by narrow margin
that an awful catastrophe was averted
The interior of the hotel was de-
StrOyed at loss of $4,000.
| The fire was raging fercely when
the guests were aroused. they seeking
escape in Scanty garb by fire escapes
and by jumping.
The tiremen worked heroically
rescuing guests, but had it not been
for the hotel stand pipe heavy loss of
life would have resulted. Reuben
| Cohen, a Chicago salesman. attempted
to reach the fire escape, but was
overcome by smoke and staggered
back to his room. He jumped from a
window and was caught by tiremen,
uninju!ed.
| Joseph Whitney, aged seventy-six.
a retired lumberman, leaped from his
window into the net. He struck on
his side and was injured internally.
When George N. Wood, real esta te
agent. saw that escape by the hall was
cut off, he closed the transom, placed
q wet towel in the door crack to keep
out the smoke, then carefully threw