The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-18
HOSPITAL AFIRE.
st. Yincent's in indianapolis
Narrowly Escapes Destruction.
One Life Lost and Several Per.
sons Injured.
PATIENTS IN A PANIC.
A Number Had Recently Under
gone Surgical Operations.
One Was Under the Knife at
Time of the Fire.

Indianapolis. April fs.-Whfle the
city fire department, reinforced by
companies from the suburbs. was be-
ing taxed to its utmost, fighting a fire.
in the Occidental hotel an alarm was
turned in from St Vincent's hospital.
When the first fire company arrived,
one life had been lost and several were
seriously injured in the panic that fol-
lowed
The Dead.
HARRIET LEAHY, jumped from the
fourth floor and was instantly killed
The Injured.
Miss Kate Beach. believed to be
fatally injured by falling from the
third floor while trying to escape by
means of a 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, a patient, VINO. az
the time of the fire, was undergoing
an operation.
Henry Nichols. ConnorsvilIe. 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 sure death
For a time It seemed that the flames,
which started among a pile of rugs
under the east stairway, would ind
their way to the upper floors.
/ At every wondow on the third and
fourth floors were crowded the panic
stricken men and women, screaming
for help to those on the street below,
who We're, for more than twenty min
utes, prevented from entering the
building by the dense smoke
4 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 ground
Harriet Leahy, an old eTnploye OF th9
1 hospital, leaped from window on me
fourth floor ana when picked up was
In the rear. men and women were
Z making ropes of bed clothing by which
they escaped to the ground oeiovs.
/ Katherine Beach, less fortunate tnaa
I the rest, lost her hold and fell fron
the third floor and is now in a critical
1 condition from internal injuries
As an unusual number of surgical
! opera tions were performed in the hos
pftal on Saturday, many OF the, pa
1 tients carried from the beds by she
i rescuers were in a critical condition,
and the physicians in charge fear that
I many fatalities may result. he pa
/ tients were carried to the male ward.
I which is on the frSL uOOEs ana VIZ
not seriously affected by the panso
/ which ragged in the upper floors.
Improvised cots and mattresses were
/ brought into use and general call TOR
medical assistance sent throughout the
city. Within a short time about hun
/ dred physicians arrived and the pa
tients were cared for.
Harry Nichols, who underwent On
| operation for appendicitis a few hours
before the outbreak of the fire, jump
| ed from his bed and ran down four
/ flights of stairs into the street. His
/ condition is critical
heroicalIy among the panic-stricken
| men and women in the third floor. Ona
| after another he pulled away from the
/ windows those who were preparing 70
I iuup to the street below and pflotsd
| them through the smoke to places or
\ safety on the first floor After saving
q nurses and patients from posslo.s
injury in this manner he lost con-
/ sciousness and was carried into tue
/ male ward, where medical attention
was given him. For a time It was
thought that he could not survive the
terrible strain to which he had been
owing to the freproof construction
the actual loss to the building win nor
That there was no greater loss OF
life is due to the prompt and Efficient
action Of the fremen and attendants.
The Occidental Fire.
Indianapolis, April 1S.-Fire which
for almost two hours threatened to
destroy the principal reaiI 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 panic was narrowly
averted-
There were many narrow escapes
from the flames and suffocation. the
inmates being compelled to leave the
) building, clad only in their night
clothes.
u The hotel which fronts for half a
block on Illinois street south Of Wash
/ ington, is valued at 100000 and is
gutted. The loss is estimated at $15,-
600. The following is the list of losses
to business houses on the ground floor
of the building:
Fergus pharmacy, $4,000; Floro' s
candy kitchen, $1,000; Ruben Cloth
ing company. $500; Rappael Milli-
merry company, $4,000; J. Ryan,
halter, $4,000; Henry Bergheim jew
eIer, $1,000; Reinie A Miller, $4,000.
A. Schomberg, $1,000.
, In every case the loss is covered BY
= insurance
BEGGING THE WEST.
-. - r-T,ra. T1T-FVf-n