The Pensacola journal., 1905-02-15
TEMPERATURE 20
BELOW ZERO
Kssrly 800 People
We're in Burning
Building.
FIREMEN DID HEROIC WORK AND
A NUMBER OF THEM HAD MAR
ROW ESCAPES FROM DEATH.
TONS OF WATER POURED ONTO
BURNING STRUCTURE.

-SANANAAN~ - - CAA-
Chicago. Feb. 14.-Fire partially de-
s--oyed the Brevoort House, one OF
the oldes hotels IN the city. early to-
day. causing a loss Of 500 10000 and
forcing the hurried exit of l5O guests
in a temperature Of 20 degrees below
zarO. Three hremen were injured;
one severely. The fire was caused by
crossed electric wires.
Halls Filled With Guests.
Chicago. Feb. 14-At 2:3O o'clock
flis morning a fre broke ont on the
fourth floor of the BrevoOrt House.
situated on Madison street. between
Clark and La Sale streets. The fire
vas in the rear portion OF the fourth
floor and the smoke rolling in the halls
WIS he first warning to the hotel en-
psOyes thai anything was wrong. A
hurried call was sent TO the engine
house close by the hotel but when
The firemen arrived they found that
the fire was too great for them 10
handle and a call was sent for aodi-
t.onal engines.
The halls were filed with guests in
few minutes Fastening TO the Office
allN SllEEL- ne HlO. g Vi AAAN -Ao
tel behaved in the most admirable
fashion and lent every assistance 10
The people as they came running down
the stairs and into The elevators.
They were assured that there was no
immediate danger ana that there was
ample time for all 10 escape without
trouble
Urged to Return.
a-,Fs- NTaTses,rr
street in scauty clothing and. believ-I
ing that the fire would amount to
nothing returned 20 the hotel TO finish
dressing. The rapid increase in the
number Of engines called TO the scene
alarmed them once more, however.
and thy flea TO the street. A number
of he guests Of the BrevoOrt HOuse|
FASTENED 10 the Morris Hotel. whereI
thev we're cared for. The guests on
The second floor in rooms numbering
from 230 tot3S6 experienced difficulty
ln finding exits as the Railways were
filled with dense smoke by the time
they were called by the hotel en-
pl0yes On the third floor a number
ot people experienced like trouble in
finding the exits. but all managed to-
reach the street in safety, although
many OF them suffered keenly from
the bitter cold before they were able
10 reach shelter.
The FIRE vas quickly brought under
control as the fremen believed. and
2 number Of guests were Informed
thai they could return TO their rooms
2 safety. All of them refused TO 60
his ana sought other quarters. The
wisdom OF their action was soon mani
fest for al 3 o'clock the fire, which
The iremen believed TO be practically
eTtinguished broke out anew. 1t was
ar once plain that the upper part of
he hotel would be badly damaged.
The fremen were considerably ham
pered in their work by the number Of
frozen fire plugs which they found and
The flames were at first fought only
with chemicals In the hotel when
rhe fire broke out were $50 guests and
about 30 women. employees Of the hO-
TEL all Of whom lived on the top floor.
Women Last 10 Escape.
These women were the last to es-
cape and they were compelled tol
s-ope their way through the Railways
1iled with smoke and down the stair
ways By the time a number of them
had reached the back stairway, be-
'Ween the second and third floors. il
Asd been made impossible by the
Games anC they were compelled tol
ieel their way t0 the front OF the
building and make their escape in
that direction
". D. Howard. in Room PA, was
party overcome by smoke and could
1ot be aroused until an employe Of
ne hotel had dragged him from his
oe1 and halfway across his room. 0.
" Iarr. Of this city. ana o. A. Tay-
-Ot. o. Texas. who occupied rooms on
the second floor. were almost over
come and reached the street with diff
f-ul-y.
number of guests hurried down
ne h7e escapes. Among them were
sr AID Mrs BOrts. Of Rochester. y.
q They jumped ten feet from the
ioFer end Of the FIRE escape TO the
s.'dn-. and were considerably bruis-
r.. The police took them TO the Cen
-'el Detail Office in the city hall Mr..
81 Mrs A p. Campbell of Marlin,
texas, also went down the FIRE escapeI
"-,l "are taken 10 the Central Station
he hremen were sent TO the roof
q me Laselle Theatre and tons Of
water were poured on the burning
S-.ac-Jre- Shortly after the first de-
q Ainent ~ firemen reached the roof
--e Theatre the snlOkesIack Of the
--'ng collapsed ana r-any of the
-'eaeH narrowly escaped