The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1906-01-17
A Brave Fireman's Sacrifice ia
Effort to save Woman.
a FATAL HOTEL FIREo
Many Leaped to Their Death. Eight
Persons Killed and Number lds
iured While Fleeing From. the
/. West Hotel in City Of
Minneapolis.

1u mt1AOiAkStAo3 SS6AV PCe.
sons dead of sufocauion orof injuries
sustained III lesping from a fire
proof" hotel building, score Of per-;
sons injured and building damaged
s25, 900 by fire, smoke and water In
an epitome of the revised ravages
caused by a disaster which befell the
West hotel, Hennepin avenue snd
Fifth street, Wednesday, throwing
seven hundred guests and employees
into a panic.
The dead:
Fire Captain John BerWIn, fell from
the fourth floor to the Fifth street
sidewalk while attempting to save o
Woman's life.
W. G. Nickels, Minneapolis, sufo-
Gated In his room on sixth floor.
Thomas 'Summerville, Springfelds
Mass, salesman for Atkins 81 Co.,
suff ocated in his room on sixth
floor. q
J.E. Wolfe, Northwestern agent for
Sperry s. Alexander company OF New
York, suffocated in room.
Clinton B. Lamme, New York,
travelling man; sufocats5 In his
room.
]. B. Peisniger, New York, travel
ing man, jumped from the seventh
story.
Mrs. n. E. Hodges, Minneapolis.
Jumped from seventh story,
VIM, Black, New Yoik, sufocated
in room.
The fire was s1nhned to the eleva.
tor shaft and the two top floors In one
corner of the building, but dense
smoke pervaded everywhere and the
wild excitement which followed the
first alarm hurried people into halls
and out on window ledges In frantic
attempt to save themselves, The Ere
started In q packing room on tte first
floor near the elevator. The wood in
the elevator shaft caught fire and
burned like tindeF. A sheet OF fame
% feet Wide mounted the shaft to the
seventh story, carrying an immense
volvme Of smoke which frightened the
guests out of their senses and started
a panic. The smoke spread to most
all parts OF the hotel, causing many
persons to lose their way in the coR-
fusion. Five persons were found suf-
located in their rooms after the fire
was out.
Capt. John Berwin Of hook and
ladder company, having broken open
a window on the seventh floor which
he had reached by means Of a scaling
ladder; stumbled onto the body Of
Mrs. Emeline Barlow, an aged women
He strapped the unconscious form to
his back and started down the ladder,
when midway between the seventh
and sixth stories, the strap broke.
Bending over to balance the body for
a moment, he then leaned at the risk
OF his life, and threw the woman to-
ward projecting ledge on the floor
below. Apparently being revived by
the fresh air or by the shock, the aged
woman grasped the projection and
held on. Later she was rescued. But
In throwing the woman to sarety,
Can't. BerWin lost bis balance and fell
to The pavement. He was Instantly
killed.
J.E. Wolfe, SO years old, travelling
representative for Sperry & AleIan-
der, wholesale hardware merchants Of
New York, met q horrible death. Hs
was burned in bis room and the con-
dition of the furniture indicated that
he had fought the flames until the
last. All the clothing had been torn
from the bed and it was apparent that
the man had sought to smother tina
flames which eventually consumed
him.
The excitement was so intense that
J. B. Pslsniger Of Nsw York and Mrs.
NJ. E. Hodges of Minneapolis, who
were on window ledges near an alley,
not being encouraged by the corwd In
Fifth street, leaped from the seventh
floor to the pavement. Peis1iger's
clothes caught fire and he Gunbled,
burning, through the air. He struck
a railing near the Henuepin avenue
side OF the hotel and was cut In two.
There were many thrilling rescues
from the top floor.