Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-01-10
Nine LIVES
LOST INFIRE
The West Hotel, at Minneapolis,
Mimi, Burns EARLY This
Morning
MANY THRILLING REscuEs MADE
One Fireman Falls to Death, Thru
Fault of Terror Stricken Woman
Whom He Was Carrying to Safety
One Family Rescued From Peril in
Topmost Story.


Minneapolis, Jan. 10.-Nine persons
lost their lives in fire which burned
the fifth, sixth and seventh stories o.
the West Hotel this morning. The
blaze started in an unknown manner
in the packing room on the first floor.
Ascending the elevator shaft it spread
when it reached the fifth floor. Awak-
ened by the ringing of alarm bells in
their rooms, the guests. who numbered
in all about seven hundred, rushed
the upper floors were driven back into
their rooms by the smoke which filled
the Railways, and when the firemeR
arrived they were greeted by cries for
assistance from scores of men and
women, who were scantily clad and
shivering on the window lodges. Smoke
was pouring out around them and
soon two men were compelled to leap
to avoid the flames. Both were killed.
One of them was identified as j. b.
Peisinger, a travelling salesman from
New York. Miss M. e. Hodges,
ing opened the wrong win
dow on the seventh floor,
she was driven to step off the ledge.
Her body was horribly mangled. Cap
tain John Berwin, of the hook and
ladder company, having broken open
the window on the seventh floor, which
he had reached by means of scaling
ladder stumbled into the body of Mrs.
Emaline Barlow, an aged woman He
strapped the unconscious form to his
back and started down the ladder.
When midway between the seventh
and sixth floors the strap broke. He
threw the woman towards the pro-
jecting ledge on the floor below. The
woman grasped the projection and
held on. Later she was rescued. Ber-
win lost his balance and fell to the
pavement and was instantly killed.
]. E. Wolf. aged SO, travelling rep
resentative for New York wholesale
hardware merchants, was burned to
death in his room.
Thomas Somerville, of Springfield,
Ill, travelling salesman; W. G. Mich
oils, grain and commission merchant,
Clinton Lamme, trav-
cling man from West Point, NJ Y,
were suffocated in their rooms. Mrs.
Barlow may die from inhaling smoke.
A colored porter is reported missing.
Miss Hodges and Messrs. Peisinger
ing their escape by stairway cut off,
opened window which evidently they
thought led to fire escape. The blind
ing smoke obscured their view and
they stepped off the window lodges in
to space and fell to the pavement be-
low, being crushed to death. All the
hospitals sent their ambulances to the
fire and the patrol wagons were called
out and carried several persons to the
hospitals. Physicians who heard of
the fire hastened to the hotel and of
fered their services to the stricken
guests. Undoubtedly many lives were
saved by their efforts. Several guests
who escaped said red lights which in
dicated position of fire escapes were
rendered invisible by the smoke, and
the people were almost helpless in
their search for exits More than a
score of guests were carried down the
fire escapes and ladders by the fire.
men, and not a few lowered them
selves and friends by making ropes Of
bed clothing and curtains.
At 11:15 the known list of dead num-
bered nine.
Mrs. j. E. Hodges, Minneapolis.
Captain John Berwin.
Alice Larson, chambermaid.
w. G. Nichols, grain merchant,
j. P. Peisinger, New York.
j. E. Wolfe, New York.
Clinton Lamme.
w. E. Magner. Duluth.
One unknown man.
A search of the rooms continues. Mrs.
Emaline Barlow to save whom Captain
Berwin lost his life, will die from in
hailed smoke. A colored reporter is re-
ported missing.
The property loss is estimated at
s25 900.
F. A. Chamberlain, of the Security
Bank, and members of his family, were
not awakened in time to make their
escape by the usual exists. For many
minutes after it appeared that their
position was untenable, they remaine1