The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1904-04-19
TWO EXCITING FIRES.
Blaze in a indianapolis Hotel
and a Hospital.
The Former Was Quilted With d Loss
OF SIS, ooo-There Was One Life
Lost in the Latter and Sew
ersl Were Injured.


ersl Were Injured.
indianapolis, Ind, April 18.-Fire,
which for almost two hours threatened
to destroy the principal retail district,
was discovered at an early hour Sun
day morning in the Occidental hotel.
Every fire company in the city, as well
as those from the outlying suburbs,
was summoned The house was filled
with guests and a panic was narrowly
averted There we're many narrow es-
capes from the flames and suffocation.
the inmates being compelled stO leave
the building clad only in their night
robes. The hotel, which front for half
a block on Illinois street south CT
Washington, is valued at 100000 and
is Quilted. The loss is estimated at
$4,000 The following is the list OF
losses to business houses on the
ground floor of the building: Fergers
pharmacy, $8,000 FlOrO's candy kitch-
| en-. $4,000; Rubens Clothing Co., S.,
500; Raphael Millinery Co., $4,000; P.
J. Ryan, halter, $4,000; Henry Berg
helm. jeweler, $1,000; Reinie A. Mil
Ter, $4,000; A SchOmberg, cigars, ST.
O00 In every case the loss is fully
covered by insurance
While the city fire department was
being taxed to it's utmost fighting the
Occidental hotel fire Sunday morning
an alarm was turned in from st. Vim
cents hospital When the first fire
company arrived one life had been
lost, and several were seriously injur-
ed in the panic that followed.
For time it seemed that the flames,
which started among a pile of rugs
under the east stairway, would find
their way to the upper floors, resulting
in a frightful holocaust.
At every window, on tle third and
fourth floors, were crowded the panic
stricken men and women. screaming
for help to those on the street below
who were for more than 20 minutes
prevented from entering the building
because of the dense smoke
The panic that ragged on the third
and fourth floors continued until long
after the fire had been quenched Pa
tients who had just undergone surgical
operations rushed from their beds to
the windows and attempted to throw
themselves to the ground. Harriet
Leahy. an old employee of the hospital,
leaped from a window on the fourth
floor and when picked up was dead
In the rear men and women were
making ropes of bed clothing by which
they escaped to the ground below.
the rest, lost her hold and fell from
the third floor and is now in a critical
condition from internal injuries sus-
tanned.
AS an unusual number of surgical
operations were performed in the hos
pital on Saturday many of the patients.
carried from their beds by the rescu-
ers, were in critical condition and
the physicians in charge fear that
many fatalities may ensue The pa
tients were carried to the male ward,
which is on the first floor, and was not
seriously affected by the panic which
ragged in the upper floors. ImprOvised
7
use and a general call for medical as
sistance sent throughout the city.
Within a short time about a hundred
physicians arrived and the patients
were cared for.
Henry Nichols, who underwent an
operation for appendicitis few hours
before the outbreak Of the fire, jumped
from his bed and ran down four flights
of stairs into the street. His condition
is critical
James Dawson, an emaciated patient,
worked heroically among the panic
| stricken men and women on the third
floor. One after another he pulled
away from the windows, those who
were preparing to jump to the street
below and piloted them through the
smoke to places of safety on the first
floor After saving q nurses and pa
tients from possible injury, in this
manner he lost consciousness and was
carried into the male ward where med
.ical attention was given him. For a
time it was thought that he could not
undergo the terrible strain to which
he had been subjected.
Owing to the fire proof construction
the actual loss to the building will not
exceed $1,000.
Warships at Memphis.