The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-01-10

Extraordinary coo1headness among
che guests and wonderful daring of the
firemen held the list of casualties to a
remarkably low figure, considering the
multitude Of grave perils in the way of
escape and rescue. Never before in the
history Of the city has fire of such
dangerous proportions been so we'll han
died and the almost miraculous escapes
30 many.
Ladders without and fremen who de.
fed a veritable hell of fire and suffo-:
eating smoke within, carried many to
safety, but had it not been for the re-
markable presence of mind of the
guests themselves and their consistent
acquiescene to the advice of their res.
euers, the list of unfortunates who met
death would have been double.
In the throng Of men and women who
surged into the street, thinly clad were
heroes whose deeds during the dark
hour will 90 unrewarded. Guests tell
of man and woman who risked death
from fire and suffocation to rush thru
the corridors and alarm persons who
were sleeping thru the peril; Several
others who had fallen suffocated and
dragged them from danger. The alarm
spread by the hotel employees saved
many who slept on the upper floors,
and but for the ringing of the gongs and
the shouts of f'Don t jump, don t
jumpl' that rang thru the, halls. the
death list would be larger. 'Ns'@.'s'5
) Wet Towels Great Aid.
The fremen rushed into the hotel
armed with wet towels. These resusi-
nearly overcome by smoke, who had
laid down in the halls, oblivious Of the
manifold dangers. were carried to win
dows by fremen, and taken down lad
ders midst the vociferous cheers of the
thousands who saw the acts. The weak
were carried into drugstores, tailor
shops and all stores near by, and there
ministered to by scores OF volunteers.
Narrow escapes were the rule. Not
a man or woman Of the scores on the
upper floors got out without facing
grave danger and the presence Of mind
exhibited by nearly every one was
probably without parallel In the annals
Of hotel fires, where pandemonium
usually is responsible for the majority
Of deaths.
80 Probably one of the most miraculous
ESCAPES was that of Mr.. and Mrs. F. A.
Chamberlain.
Of all those who were in such close
proximity to death, none can tell such
thrilling tale Of rescue from the very
jaws Of doom as President F. A. Cham
berlain Of the Security National bank,
and Mrs. Chamberlain, who showed
wonderful fortitude in the face of
grave danger.
Most Thrilling Escape.
Mr.. and Mrs. Chamberlain faced
death in all it's horrors and agony be.
fore they were rescued, and nothing
but the remarkable nerve Of the two
was the means Of saving their lives
Caught in the very heart of the fire on
the seventh floor with help only at the
eleventh hour, their ordeal was most
ing Of the experience said:
"The first thing that apprised us OF
the danger Of fire was the alarm warn
ing people to leave their rooms. We
rushed to the door in an attempt tc
find where the fire was, but to our hor
TOR we were forced back into the room
by volumes of dense smoke and angry
flames, which licked in their angry heat
along the thick carpets and forced thei1
way towards our door. By the time we
looked back into our bedroom we fount
it on fire. Our first move was to close
all the doors and transoms, shut off thu
conn between the parlor and bed
: room and think Of what to do. Their
was not much to be done, except t.
trust to our Maker and to keep on
heads: . j., 80, 49, ,r
Chamberlain or myself think Of jump
ing; we would have done it only if tn
flames had eaten their way thru tn
door into our room. But the agony o
waiting, with the roaring fire benin
us, the flames creeping up along tn
door, the smoke pouring thru every Iii
tie crack and the heat and smoke an
flame breaking the glass in the tra1
som. Once we looked back before W
took refuge on the window stills out
side Of the room; just once. The sigh
told us that death was near.
''As soon as we appeared on tn
window sill the army of anxiously wait
ing people down below shrieked at I
frantically not to jump. There was tn
hook ladder, but what of it's ]
only reached to the fifth floor. w
were cut off entirely. And while tn
flames were creeping nearer and nea
er, while the smoke grew denser an
denser behind us, those on the stree
yelled at us to cheer up, that the fiji
was out in the building and we wei
safe. They did not know that it VIZ
burning and burning and that in thu
mass of seething flames and dead
smoke human life was perishing.
In despair / made life-saving roI
from our curtain, a sheet and heav
rope, twisting it tightly and instructor
my wife to let herself down toward tt
ladder reaching to the fifth floor. "
were only clad in the scantiest attir
but what of it, There was life
fight for and we did it.
We waited and made ready for II
worst, descent on the line, it mig
have meant death to either Of us, b.