The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1904-12-23
WALLS OF FIRE.CUTTED BUILD
ING CRASH DOWN ON CROCK.
Err HOTEL.
TEN PEOPLE ARE MISSING
BODIES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE
BURIED IN RUINS OF THE
WRECKED HOTEL.

Minneapolis, Dec. 21.-The Croker
hotel. Fifth street, between First and
Second venue south, was wrecked
about l o'clock this morning by the
falling of the south wall of the Peck
building which was Quilted by the big
fire in Minneapolis last week.
Nearly a score of people are sup
posed to have been killed or injured in
the disaster. Ten people are missing
at the present writing and are sup
posed to be buried in the wreck. Sew
en- badly injured have been removed
from the ruins and taken to the hos
pital.
The wall was blown over by the
wind, which was blowing a gale, fall
ing on the roof of the four-story brick
hotel building. The fire department
responded to an alarm. when it was
found that the wall had carried the
entire interior of the hotel building
into the basement. The cries of the
Unfortunate Victims
could be heard calling for aid and the
tiremen and others who volunteered
their assistance at once began the
work of rescue.
After a few minutes work they sue
ceeded in finding the first victim, who
was badly injured and was immediate
ly placed in an ambulance and sent to
the hospital. Within the next fifteen
minutes four more of the victims
were recovered and sent to hospitals.
Injured Cry for Help.
Pitiful cries for help were heard,
and the firemen worked with frantic,
heartbreaking energy to reach the suf-
fering victims pinned under the ter
rife weight of the fallen wall and the
floors of the hotel. Means and shrieks
came up from the black depths of the
piled debris, and it was with great diff
ficulty that the u succeeded in
locating the persons they were striv-
ing SO bravely to reach. AS each of
the injured that the firemen succeeded
in digging out was carried to an am
bulance, a sigh of relief ran through
the gathering crowds. With each
rescue the possibility of an appalling
death list was lessened. AS soon as a
limp, almost lifeless form was brought
out it was hurried to an ambulance,
which was rapidly driven to the hos
pital.
Whole interior Carried Down.
The structure ruined by the great
mass of brick was a four-story brick
building. 1t was built many years
ago. The roof reached to about the
ceiling of the third fioor of the Peck
building. The south wall of the Peck
building, which fell upon it, was prac-
tically intact after the fire last week,
and when it fell it carried the whole
interior of the hotel with it into the
basement.
The building was a black chasm Of
ruin, n the work of the firemen was
extremely difficult. A small blaze wac
located in the ruins and streams OF
water were turned on it before the fire
had a chance to spread.
The fire department arrived on the
scene a few minutes after the collapse
and the work of rescuing the victims
was Immediately begun. Within a few
minutes the firemen began to bring
out the bodies of the injured. Hospi-
tai ambulances were on hand to take
them to the hospitals without delay.
Information as to the number of
guests in the house was very meager
and the extent of the disaster could
only be conjectured by the horror
stricken onlookers.