Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1906-01-24
CHURCH FIRE IS DEADLY,
FIFTY OTHERS HURT IN NEGRO
CHURCH AT PHILADELPHIA
DURING SMALL BLAZE.
CHICAGOEXPLOSlON FATAL
Racine Hotel Guests More Fortunate
Iowa Hostler May Die from Effort
to Save Race Horses.

ably half a hundred injured in panic
following the cry of "fre" last night in
st. Paurs negro Baptist church on the
west side of Eighth street, between
Poplar street and Girard avenue.
The services were being held on the
second floor of the building. A defec-
tive fue set fire to the chimney, causing
smoke to issue through the crevices in
the floor near the pulpit. The fire threw
the congregation into a panic.
Rush Made for Stairway.
A wild rush was made for the stairs
despite the efforts of Rev e. w. John
son, the pastor, to allay the fears of
the frenzied people. All wanted to get
out at once, and men, women and chill
dren alike were knocked down and
trampled upon by those pushing from
behind.
The stairway to the first floor had one
sharp turn in it, and the frightened peo-
pie became so tightly wedged in the
bend Of the stairs that the frail wooden
banlster gave away, precipitating many
to the first floor.
Eighteen Stamped to Death.
The crash and the screams and shrieks
of the women and children added to the
frenzy of those above. They did not
stop in their onward rush to get out
NotwithstG nding the wide open doors on
the first floor leading to the street, the
crush was SO great that eighteen per-
sons had the life stamped out of them
before the panic was ended.
A general alarm was sent in for am
balances, fremen and policemen In the
meantime the greatest confusion reigned.
Men and women ran about the streets
calling for missed ones. A great crowd
gathered and the work of rescue was
promptly started.
The dead and injured were quickly
taken to hospitals and nearby houses.
The fire was only trifing, the flames be-
ing eXtinguished before the fremen ar
rived
Pastors Attempts in Vain.
E. W. johnson, the pastor of the
church, said:
1.-The church was not crowded. The
collection was being taken when wom-
an sitting in a front pew cried, fire and
started to run down tue aisle. l
smelled smoke, but felt sure there was
no danger. My congregation, however
became panic stricken. and no human
being could stop the rush for the DOORS
[ tried my best to calm the people, but
it was no uSe.'
Death in Explosion at Hotel.
Sh1OtANO, LIZ, JAN. ia pdulC
among the guests of the Windermere
hotel, Fifty-sixth street and Cornell ave-
nue., followed the explosion Sunday of
a steam boiler in the basement. The ac-
cident caused the death of John Rap
koch, engineer, and the serious injury of
Mrs. Seeta May, a guest.
The explosion partially wrecked the
hotel building and damaged adjacent
residence and apartment buildings. The
ocfc, Of l,a loto 1of+
and many were obliged to await the ar
rival of hremen who battered down the
doors of their apartments and released
them. Fire followed the crash but was
soon under control. The damage was
estimated at $4,000.
Hetty Green's Tenement Burns.
Six persons were hurt and many res
cues were the feature of fire that de-
stroyed a threestory frame tenement
house in Cottage Grove avenue, the prop
erty of Hetty Green. John Wall, his
wife and wife's mother, Mrs. Helmes.
jumped from a window on the second
floor. Three men were injured when
the south wall fell in upon them. two of
them SO badly that their recovery is
doubtful The property loss will reach
$40, 900.
Racine Guests Escape Panic.
guests of the Racine, hotel, the leading
hotel Of this city, rushed to the lobby at
1 o'clock this morning when the fro
alarm was rung, following the discovery
Of blaze in the barber shop on the first
floor. Spontaneous combustion is said 10
have started the blaze. The fire depart
ment had the fire out in a few minutes
with a loss amounting to less than S..
There was no bad panic and an hour
after the incident the disturbed seepers
were again in bed.
Town Wiped Out by Fire.
MINOT. n. D., Jan. 22.-Lansford, a
town twenty-five miles northwest of
here, was almost wiped out by fire Sat-
urday. The estimated loss is $54 900.
The fire started in the office of the Lans-
ford Times and spread rapidly. In all
ten buildings were burned.
Chrome Works Are Burned.
BALTIMORE, Md, Jan. 22.-Fire
was discovered shortly after midnight in
the plant of the Baltimore Chrome works
and before it was controlled about a third
of the main buildings Of the extensive
plant had been destroyed. The loss is
100000.
Gas Explosion Is Fatal.
RICHMOND, Ind, Jan. 22.-Mrs.
John w. Cook is dead and four persons
of acetylene gas at the Cook home, three
miles east of this city, Saturday night.
The house was almost wrecked and Mrs.
Cook was pinioned under hot stove
Mrs. Burgoyne and two younger children
were blown through a window and
Frank Cook escaped with minor injuries.
The property loss is $1,000.
Find Jewels in Hotel Ruins.
MINNEAPOLIS, Mimi, Jan. o.
Part of the valuable jewelry which was
supposed to have been stolen from the
body of Mrs. Samuel Spiesberg, one of
the victims of the West hotel fire, has
been found in the ruins. Mrs. Charles
II. Wood, the proprietor Of the hotel, re-
covered a pearl necklace and diamond
studded watch. A ring, said to be
valued at $1,000, is still missing, but
Mrs. Wood is confident that it will be
found. Jewelry belonging to other vic
tins has also been recovered since the