River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-04-21

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companies from the suburbs, was be-
ing taxed to it's utmost fighting the Oc-
cidental hotel fire Sunday morning, an
alarm was turned in from st. Vincent 5
hospital When the first fire company
arrived one life had been lost and sew
eral were seriously injured in the panic
that followed
The Victims.
Harriet Leahy, jumped from the
fourth floor and was instantly killed.
The injured are: Miss Kate Beach.
believed to be fatally injured by fall
ing from third floor while trying to
escape by means of rope made of
bed clothes; Sister Superior Stella,
seriously injured by shock following a
surgical operation; Sister Nordica,
seriously injured by shock; William
| Schneider, a patient, who, at the time
of the fire, was undergoing an opera
ton; Henry Nichols, COnnersville, just
operated upon for appendicitis; fell
! 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.
Panic Among Inmates.
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 the 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 by the
dense smoke. The panic that ragged on
the third and fourth floors continued
until long after the fire had been
quenched Patients who had just I'M
dergone surgical operations rushed
from their beds to the windows and at
tempted to throw themselves to the
ground
Harriet Leahy, an old employe 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 be-
| low. Katherine Beach, less fortunate
than the rest, lost her hold and fell
from the third floor and is now in d
critical condition from internal injuries
sustained.
AS ar unusual number of surgical
operations were performed in the hos
pital on Saturday many of the patients,
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
ragged in the upper floors. ImprOvised
cots and mattresses were brought into
use and a general call for medical as
sistance sent throughout the city.
Within a short time about 100 physi-
clans arrived and the patients were
cared for.
A Heroic Patient.
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 II 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 fireproof construction,
| the actual loss to the building will not
exceed $1,000. The greatest fears were
| entertained that many would be killed
by jumping from the windows or
trampling upon the cripples who were
utterly helpless. That there was not
greater loss OF life is due to the prompt
and efficient action of the firemen and
attendants.
Occidental Hotel Burned.
Indianapolis, Ind, April 1S.-Fire,
which for almost two hours, threaten
ed to destroy the principal retail dis
! trict, was discovered at ar early hour
! Sunday morning in the Occidental no.
tel. Every fire company in the city,
as we'll as those from the outlying sub
urbs, were summoned. The house was
| filled with guests and panic was mar
rowly averted. There were many mar
row escapes from the flames and suf-
location, the inmates being compelled
| to leave the building clad only in their
night robes.
The hotel. which fronts for half a
block on Illinois street south of Wash
ington, is valued at 100000 and is
Quilted. The loss is estimated at S75,-
000 The following is the list of losses
to business houses on the ground floor
of the building: Ferger's Pharmacy.
$4,000; Floros' Candy Kitchen, $1,000;
Ruben's Clothing company, S. 500; Ra-
phae1 Millinery company, $4,000; P.
J. Ryan, halter, $4,000; Henry Berg
helm, ieweler, $1,000; Reinie A Miller.
$4,000; A. Schromberg, cigars, 81 ,O00 In
every case the loss is fully covered by
insurance.
AT THE PLAY.