Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1906-01-18
EIGHT LIVES LOST
As result OF FIRE
FLAMES BREAK OUT IN FAMOUS
EOTEL WEST IN MINNIE
APoLIS, MINI.
Guests Thrown Into Panic-Five Suf-
located and Two Leap to Death from
W1ndows-Heroic Fireman Killed
While Rescuing Woman.

While Rescuing Woman.
minneapolis, Mimi, Jan. 11.-Eight
persons dead from suffocation or from
leap1ng from a fireproof building, a
score or people more or less injured by
having their hands cut and gashed from
smashing in windows, a magnificent
property subjected to the ravages of
ire, smoke and water is an epitome of
the great disaster which befell the
West hotel at 7:2O o'clock Wednes-
Gay.
The Victims.
Following is list of the dead:
Capt. John Berwin, of Truck No. l.,
fell from the fourth floor to the Fifth
street sidewalk; was attempting to
save Mrs. Marlow's life at the time
W. G. Nichols, Minneapolis, Cham
Der OF Commerce; suffocated in his
room on the sixth floor.
Thomas Sumerville, travelling man
from Springfield, Mass, suffocated in
lis room on the sixth floor
J. E. Wolf, northwestern agent of
the Sperry & Alexander company, Of
New York; suffocated in his room on
the seventh floor.
Clinton B. Lamme, travelling man
from New York; suffocated in room
No. ISL
j. B. Peisinger, travelling man from
New York; jumped from the seventh
story window on the south side Of the
building.
Mrs. NJ. E. Hodges, Minneapolis;
Jumped from the seventh story window
on the south side of the building; was
an employe of Prof. Schryver, Skyes
building
William Black, New York; suffocat-
ed in room.
Guests in a Panic.
The fire in itself was Insignificant,
being confined to the elevator shaft
and the top floor in the corner of the
building, but the wild excitement
which followed the first alarm hurried
people into halls and out upon window
lodges in frantic attempt to save
themselves. There was really no help
for several who lost their lives The
wood in the elevator shaft burned like
finder and a sheet Of fame 20 feet wide
mounting to the seventh story fright
eDed the guests out of their senses and
induced panic which struck terror tc
the stoutest hearts. 1t was the huge
volume of smoke that stampeded the
guests, as the moment a door was
7 opened the room was filled with smoke
| s.th 1 ri
compelled to beat out the windows tt
prevent instant suffocation. Many
used their hands against the windows
others their feet, and in almost every
instance ugly wounds resulted.
/ Work Of the Firemen.
Following the first alarm, the de
partment was quickly on the scene anc
, the splendid work of rescue began
Although the hour was early, hundred!
OF people thronged the streets ant
gazed up at the great hotel whose
windows were alive with guests fran
tically watching the flremen below ant
yelling to them to hurry. Here ant
there men were crouched on the Ledge
of the windows, ready to obey the in
sane impulse of self-preservatio1
which suggested a leap to the ground
The crowd realized this, and from .
thousand Threats the cry franticall!
went up don't Jump, don't jump
1t was lucky that this advice wa
given, for several men declared after
wards that they certainly would hav'
made the leap if the crowd had no
encouraged them to hold on.
The FIRE loss will not go over $50,
900, although the catastrophe was on
of the worst ever experienced in thi
city.
? Fireman Meets Death.
Capt. John Berwin, of the hook an
ladder company, having broken opel
t window on the seventh floor which
he had reached by means of scaling
ladder, stumbled onto the body of Mrs
! Emaline Barlow, an aged woman. H
strapped the unconscious form to hi
: back and started down the ladder
l When midway between the sevent1
: and sixth floors the strap broke
! Bending over to balance the body 70
7 a moment, he then leaped, at the ris
of his life, and threw the woman tt
ward projecting ledge on the. foo
below. Apparently being revived b
: the fresh air or by the shock, the age
woman grasped the projection an
held on. Later she was rescued. Blu
in throwing the woman to safet
Capt. Berwin lost his balance and fe
to the pavement. He was Instant
killed. ..s
Body Cut in Two.
J. B. Peisinger, a travelling ma
from New York, lost his head Will
running for his life. Awakened b
smoke, he ran to the seventh stor
window. Apparently dazed, he climbe
up onto the window sill and an insta1
ID later was turning and tumblin
"A through the air. He struck a railin
near the Hennepin avenue side Of Il
S b,to1 md was 1ifora1lvt c11f in fwn