The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1904-04-22

Indianapolis, Ind, April 1S.-While
the city fire department, reinforced by
companies from the suburbs. was be-
ing 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 in
jured in the panic that followed.
The Dead.
Harriet Leahy, jumped from the
fourth floor and was instantly killed.
The Injured.
Miss Kate Beach, believed to be ia
tally injured by falling from the third
floor while trying to escape by means
of rope made of bed clothes.
Sister Superior Stella, seriously in
jured by shock, following a surgical
operation.
Sister Nordica, seriously injured by
shock.
William Schneider, patient, who at
the time of the fire was undergoing an
operation.
Henry Nichols of Connorsville, just
operated upon for appendicitis, ran
down stairs.
Several other nurses and attendants
were more or less bruised in their en-
deavor to escape from what they
thought was instant death.
For a time it seemed that the flames.
which started in a pile of rags under
the east stairway, would find their way
to the upper floors, resulting in
frightful holocaust.
Panic Stricken.
At every window on the third and
fourth floors were crowded with men
and women screaming for help.
The panic that ragged on the third
and fourth floors continued until long
after the fire had been extinguished-
Patients who had just undergone sur
gical operations rushed from their
beds to the windows and attempted
to throw themselves to the ground.
In the rear men and women were
making ropes of bed clothing by which
they escaped to the ground below
= Kate Beach, less fortunate than the
rest. lost her hold and fell from the
Nhll VI nOOl anu 10 iON III a. SAiNASdi OOh-
T.. dition from internal injuries sustained
n An unsual number of surgical opera
K tions were performed in the hospital
on Saturday. Many of the patients
n carried from their beds by the rescuers
were in a critical condition. and the
+, physicians in charge fear that many
. fatalities may result. The patients
: were carried to the male ward, which
is on the first floor, and was not seri-
ously affected by the panic which
o ragged on the upper floors.
!. Improvised cots and mattresses were
brought into use and a general call
= for medical assistance sent throughout
the city. Within short time about
- a hundred physicians arrived and the
: patients were cared for.
Harry Nichols, who underwent an
operation for appendicitis a few hours
before the outbreak of the fire, jumped
L from his bed and ran down four flights
. of stairs into the street. His condition
D. is critical.
Heroic Work by Patient.
James Dawson, an emaciated pa
d tient, worked heroically among the
g. panic stricken men and women on the
'c third floor. One after another he pull
> ed 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 81 nurses and pa
Z tients from possible injury in this man
ner, he lost consciousness and was car
u ried into the male ward, where medica
y attention was given him. For time il
was thought he could not undergo the
terrible strain to which he had beer
;. subjected.
Owing to the freproof construction
u the actual loss to the building will no