The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-20
Walls OF a Burned Building Fall
on Adjoining Hotel.
Tons of Brick and Mortar Crash
Through to Cellar.
CAME In THE NIGHT.
While the Victims We're Sleep
ing i'm Their Beds.
Wreckage Pushed Through the
Walls of Another Building.

Minneapolis, Mimi, Dec. 20.-The
side wall of the o. H. Peck buildin g
in Fifth street south, which was left
standing by the great fire of last
Tuesday night, toppIed over in a high
gale early today onto the Crocker
hotel, three-story structure adjoin-
ing The tons of brick and mortar
crashed completely down through the
building, carrying floors and all into a
mass of debris in the basement. There
was no warning of the disaster, and
the fourteen persons who were sleep
ing in the various apartments were
caught in the crushed structure. Nine
of them were killed.
The Dead.
HANS ANDERSON. employed at
JAMES HAMILTON, employed at
ROnner'S livery.
c. NJ. KENYON, foreman of DAN
iels' linseed oil mil.
WILLIAM LILYBLADE, employed
at Daniels linseed oil mill.
MRS. MAGGIE McCLAIR, cook.
WILLIAM EMERSON, 1aborer.
WILLIAM BRAR, contractor
JOSEPH VIOLET, coachman.
The Injured.
Mrs. Carrie Boyce, cut about face
and body, bruised.
w. J. Crocker, badly bruised and
suffering from exposure.
Mrs Jennie Murphy chest injured;
Mrs. Evelyn Williams, face cut and
badly bruised.
Mrs Anna McNevins, face cut and
badly bruised.
Some of those injured were in the
Belmont hotel, adjoining the Crocker,
and were hurt by the debris that
forced through the walls separating
the two buildings.
The persons in the Crocker house
Crocker, wife of the proprietor;
Hanna Crocker, her 15-year-old
daughter; Willie Crocker, her 8-year-
old son; Baby Williams, months old,
her granddaughter and Mrs May
A passerby who heard the crash.
promptly turned in a fire alarm ana
the department arrived to check blaze
in the wreck and the hremen ana Pc,
licemen at once turned their attention
to rescuing those still alive and recov-
ering the dead.
This work was carried on under great
difficulties in the darkness and the
danger from falling walls. Mrs Anna
McNevins had a wonderful escape. She
was on the second floor in bed when
the crash came. The firemen took her
out of her bed in the basement The
debris had arched over her in such
way as to preserve her from serious in
juries. Hans Anderson who was On
the second floor was pinned down by
D6aT1S across the lowe Pal / u lis OCoJ'
He cried piteously for help. The fire
men worked desperately through the
wreckage, fearing every moment that
they might dislodge some beam upon
him. It was like playing jack straWs
with death. But they could not reach
him His sentences became fewer and
with less of the note of pain in them
At last his voice was stilled and the
workers knew their efforts had been in
vain.
found pinioned beneath a radiator, and
was taken out more dead than alive. He
will recover Mrs. Carrie Boyce, who was
on the second door, was ore Of the first
taken out and was not seriously injured
Jennie Murphy was on the third floor di-
rectIy under the wall that fell, but some
how escaped injury. The first body recov-
cred was that of Lilyblade.
The responsibility for the accident Will
be the subject of a thorough investigation
J. G. Houghton. the building Inspector
had made an INSPECTION OF the standing
walls only yesterday, but had given no
orders concernlag them. lie had earlier
ordered the demolition of the other parts
of the walls that threatened to fall. The
inmates of the hotel had been much wor-
ried at first by the proximity of Pecks
wall and had moved elsewhere. But as
nearly a week had passed and the wall
stood apparently firm, they had come
back