The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-07-18
FIRE lMPERlLS
INFIRM W0ME
Aged Inmates Of County Poor House
Are Rescued With Difficulty
RETURN AFTER KEEPsAKEs
DEPARTMENT. HAMPEREp iN
WORK BY WATER SHORTAGE.
= LANES pressed hard on the Heels
OF rescuers, threatening me lives

Z LANES pressed hard on the heeis
OF rescuers, threatening me lixez
of twenty-eight helpless women,
inmates OF the county inhrmary yosfer-
day noon. The main building of che
institution at 1873 South state street.
was burned to the ground bS z fte
which did its work in an hours time
The loss is estimated at about $3.50 on
building and contents, with about SS.D99
insurance Several narrow escapes p3-
CURED.
The buiIding was used as a Nomen :
department. and the home OF the @at-
perintendent, w :. Jones. with his fam
lily At Ills q. M a thread OF zracSe
was discovered under the caves or tire
east end, just back Of the kitchen hue
y ain attempts were nllde to exJlngulSn
the FIRE These were temporarily aban-
dOned for the rescue OF the in1rm in-
mates.
While the fire department was maxi
ing a long. hOrse-kiliing run Gown
State street, street carmen, ditch Dig
gers and employees of the INSTITUTION
carried out the bedridden and crippled
women Time and again some OF these
returned to the burning buildinE
searching for little treasures and helr-
looms. After the fire Department had
arrived Chief Bywater and the meln-
bers of the department found some o.
these aged people almost cut or hy
brought them again 10 safety.
Danger For the Firemen.
The chief himself and members Of the
truck and engine crew were caught in
more than one ugly position Failing
ceilings and timbers made their work
dOubly dangerous Several sustained H
slight injuries and saw masses of
heavy material faH within q few feet
Of where they stood.
Lack of water. the long distance cf
the run. and confusion caused by inn
proper turning in of the alarm DELAYED
fire-fighting- The necessity for prompt
rescue work All the difficulties attends
ing ii still further aided the progress OF
the flames. which licked their way over
everything combustibie and left only
the walls standing.
The employees were busy prepa ring
the noon meal when the smoke was Iirst
seen The fire had eaten its W2y be-
tween the rear walls of the kitchen
having started, Chief W H Bywatar
believes, from a detective flue. Mrs.
Mary Stewart, wife Of the cook. saw
this. She hurried into the house and
told Mrs. Jones
Don't get excited said she. Get
some help to get out the women There's
time enough. The buildings on fire
Mrs. Jones ran to the phone the re-
ceiver of which A F. Kendall. re
steward, was just hanging up after. cali
ing up an undertaken to take charge OF
the body of James Doherty. an inmate
who had died OF consumption The
steward notified the fire department. =
Several of the employees went ouiet4s-
TO work with a garden hose, but dis
covered at once that they could not stop
the fire.
Women Are Rescued.
Meantime Mrs Jones. Mrs. kendall
and several others began moving out
the women. Frank Hall and John Post
conductor and mOtorinan Of car No. 81
of the Murray line. saw the smoke and
stopped the car in front of the infirrn-
airy. They ran at once into the burning
Z Continued on PAGE 2.