Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1907-05-16
MANY NARROW A
Building Was Occupied by Numerous
Artists and Musicians and Was
Completely Destroyed-Stu-
dents in Wild Pa mic.

stitetS, causing Il property loss eSu-
mated at S250,0O0. one life was lost,
six persons are missing and may be
buried in the ruins and fifteen per-
sons We're more or less seriously in
jured. The debris is still burning and
cannot be searched until tomorrow.
The building was occupied by Mont
by numerous artists and musicians.
who lost everything.
The known dead:
GEORGE DE MARE. aged 81. an art
instructor.
The injured:
Miss Alexandria Blumberg, a Russian
countess. Skul fractured and nay die.
Maud Speyer. fell :rom ladder, ser
ious.
Miss Eva Boyle. Sheridan, Mo. fell
from fire escape; serious.
j. Nj. K~ranchfield, fireman, leg
broken.
William Van Duzen, fireman: serious.
Peter karagaard. violin teacher. fell
from ladder; severe.
Among the missing is Miss Maud
Witteborl. piano teacher. last seen at
the window of her studio on the fifth
floor.
Y. N. C.. A. Abandoned Il as Unsafe
The University building was built by
the Pepper estate. of Philadelphia. for
he Y. NJ. C.. A., and h. corner
stone was laid by eX-Prcsident Grover
Cleveland during his first administra-
ton. The building was of brick. five
stories high. and extended 100 feet
north Oh Locust street and half a
block west on Ninth street. Because
of the unsafe condition of the build
ing it was abandoned by the Y. NJ. G.
A.. ten years ago.
Fire Starts in Basement.
Ten minutes after the fire broke out
the flames began shooting up the eleva-
tor shaft and all escape save by the
fire escapes WAS shut off. The halls
quickly filled with smoke. dense and
silffocating. and ten minutes later when
the first fire apparatus arrived on the
scene people crowded almost every Win
dow appealing for help. while scores
of others, mostly wonen and girls.
filled the fire escape and We're climb
| ing wildly to the ground. In many of
the studios pupils We're taking lessons.
The firemen were slow In getting TO
work. and the first ladders rlaced by.
them against the building failed to
reach above the third floor.
Women's Convention in Panic.
Inside the widest panic prevailed.
When the alarm of fire was first
sounded the women in the atheneum
rooms considered that Il joke was be-
ing perpetrated and no effort was made
to leave a moment later. as the room
filled with smoke. there was a wild
scramble for the exit.
George de Mare, aged 80 years. art
Instructor in the Central high school
and Il portrait painter, who came to
this country four years & from Paris.
jumped from his studi window on the
fifth floor and was picked up dead. De
Mare recently married a prominent So
ciety woman She was waiting i'm n
nearby drug store, where her husbands
dead body was brought in. and tainted.
Russian Countess Seriously Hurt.
Miss Alexandria Blumberg. a Russian
countess, who came to America two
years ago. and who had a studio on the
fourth floor, was overcome by smoke
and carried TO her room by Il fireman.,
who started dow a ladder with her.
When the two were within thirty feet
of the ground the tiremen below in
their excitement turned IA stream OF
water on them. knocking them from the
ladder. Miss Blumberg was picked up
unconscious. suffering from n fractured
skull. She is seriously. II perhaps ia
tally. hurt. The fireman was painfully
injured.
Escape Of Composer Busch.
Carl Busch. II noted and
viOliniSt. and his wife. who is a pianist,
we'll known in Europe, escaped after
exciting experiences. Both lost all their
musical Instruments. which included
two priceless Stradivarius violins and
several manuscripts or operas written
by Busch.
There We're many thrilling escapes.
Miss Helen Barnes. who has Il studio
on the fifth floor. stood at Il window
calling for help while flames played
within Il few feet of her. a ladder put
up toward the window failed to reach.
and a fireman stretched out an iron
rod and urged her to climb down It.
The woman slid down the rod to the
laddei. and was finally landed safely
on the ground.
The total loss is estimated at $3.50.
600, with insurance of perhaps $3.50. 900.
The building which was sold some time
ago by the Pepper estate to William A.
Rule. of Kansas City. was valued AT
$175.O 600 and is Il complete loss. The
loss sustained by Montgomery Ward
& Co. will not exceed s25. 900.
Hope for Miss Wittebori Abandoned
Late last night the friends and rela.
tives of Miss Aurora Witteborl. the
missing piano instructor. abandoned all
hope of her having escaped alive. Miss
Witteborl was last seen In a room or
the fifth floor and was with George de
Mare and Professor Joseph A.. Farrell
an instructor on the violin, when al
!. means of escape were cut off except
down the fire ladders. Farrell started
panions TO follow him. AS Farrell de.
seconded the body Of DeMare swished
, throurh the air. almost striking Far.
rell. Farrell was the last person tc
see Miss WittebOrl and he was sure she
persisted.