The Irish standard., 1906-01-13
LEAP TO Death
TO escape Flames
TN WEST HOTEL IN MINNIE
AP0LIs THE SCENE OF
SAD HOLOCAUST.
1he Breaks out in Elevator Shaft at
"a. m. While Guests are Asleep.
Blind " tn Fright Several Jump
to Pavement and Death.

to Pavement and Death.
Minneapolis, Jan. 1l-Fire broke
sat in the West hotel at o'clock on
Wednesday morning. Thousands OF
people on their wav to work watched
the horrifying scene as the terror.
stricken. imprisoned guests appeared
ut the upper windows against back
ground Of dun colored smoke, while
&remen slowly fought their way up
with pompier ladders. The regular
extension ladders had proved too short
Awakened from sound sleep, and
seeing no way Of escape, two guests
on the west side of the building at
tempted to jump to the roof of the
Unique theater, but missed, and both
were killed.
The guests who were already awake
when the alarm of fire was sounded
lad comparatively little difficulty in
sseapiug down the stairways. Others,
however, were imprisoned on the upper
hoors by the fire which had steadily
attacked the elevator shaft
One Of the most thrilling rescues
was that OF F. A. Chamberlain, of the
Security bank, and members of his
family, who were not awakened in
time to make their escape by the usual
exits.
For many minutes after it appeared
their pt sition was untenable, they re
main.d at their winnow in the top
most story at the Faith street and
Aennepin avenue corner. Mr.. Cham
a''I:'7 r'ic,ly gathered bedding
nj made rope of them
time the extension
- ueing placed into posi-
!: u', b"s found too short. The POM
pier ladders were rushed to the scene
and fireman, with a rope about him,
firmly placed and scaled the ladder to
the cheers OF thousands of excited
spectators Arrived at the window,
he took one after the other, lowered
them safely to the extension ladder,
two stories beneath, by means of the
1op'. where they were brought to
safe'y
The Gene about the burning hotel
was distressing. Half-clad guests
stood around trembling and crying
and the crowd stood awes,ruck, watt
ing breathless'y lest some me else
should appear at the windows above
them.
Miss Wood, daughter OF the late
proprietor Of the hotel was carried
down ladder in safety
The Dead and Missing.
Captain John Berwjn, of the hook
snd ladder company, was the first to
io>s' his lie He was rescuing Emily
Bar ow from the fifth floor, when both
lost their balance and fell. Captain
Kchoe, who was standing on a narrow
Ledge, cauvht the falling woman in his
arms, but Berwin fell headlonx to the
ground and was killed.
Mss NJ E Hodges, Travelled for Uni
sersity extension course, Jumped from
seventh story and KILLED.
w. s Nichols Minneapolis grain
merchant was sutfocated to death in
his room.
Two men and one woman-the latter
Alice Martin. a servant-jumped from
the eighth floor on the west side in an
attempt to reach the root OF the I'M
ique theatre. They missed and were
killed.
Mr.. Wolf q hardware salesman from
New York was burned to death on
seventh floor.
Thomas Sommerville, of Springfield,
ILL.,, suffocated in his room on sixth
floor.
Clinton Lamme worked his way to
the sixth floor and suffocated in the
hallway.
Missing:B. B. Mathews; Mr.. Mason;
II. L Palmer; G. L Janis; Nick ], Carl
soma Philip M. Lame
Beyond the fact that the fire started
In the elevator shaft the origin of the
Ere is unknown.
The fire started at the base Of the
elevator shaft in some unknown way
and leaped up the shaft to the other
shoora
The captain Of the insurance sal
wage corps estimates the loss at about
$50, 900.
A number were injured and taken
to the hospitals for treatment. Some
Of them are so seriously hurt they will
not recover
The lack of fire escapes was in part
responsible for the loss Of life and the
injury. There are but two fire escapes
on the entire building, and these are
old, tho ancient ladder type. There
was not stair escape on the building,
such as are provided by the theaters.
These would undoubtedly have pro.
vided means of escape for nearly all Of
the guests The old ladders are mar
row, allowing but one person to &C
down at time, and are of course dan
gerously slow
Still Cutting Logs.
Minneapolis, Jan. 6.-The report o.
=. G.: Winston, surveyor general o.
logs and lumber for the second district
which comprises the Mississippi river
territory, has been fled with the gov
.-o~ n,,rin~ Tho vonr ha scalAf