River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1908-05-07

swung Mrs. Hendricks over the railing
and she dropped to the platform OF
the story below. He then dropped his
son into the waiting arms of his wife
and all made their way to the ground.
Other rescues as thrilling and escapes
as narrow were numerous.
When the fire was at it's height a
man at third-story window was seen
wildly waving his arms. He shrieked:
My God! Men, save me! Will no
one save me?" and then leaped from
the window and went whirling to the
pavement below. He was picked up
desperately hurt. He was E. M. Mat
thews of Columbus, o.
A score or more of women employed
In the hotel were in the upper rooms
in the rear part of the hotel. Most
of them escaped without injury, but
some in their frenzy 1eaped to the
alley.
May Be Many in Ruins.
Many who were thought dead in
the ruins were found to be alive
through having sent kilograms to their
homes. That there are still many
bodies in the ruins is the belief Of
Fire Chief Hilbrecht and Chief of Po-
lice Anckenbruck. Chief Ancken-
bruck basing his estimates on the re-
ports of the police, gave the number
of dead yet in the ruins at 20. At that
hour eight bodies had been recovered.
A guest on the fifth floor, who was
OF he IF
and escaped, says he believes very few
on the fifth floor or in the rooms in
the mansard escaped. Other bodies
are believed to be at the foot of the
elevator shaft.
Among the missing are two aged
women, Miss Hathaway and her com
panion Of Mishawaka, Ind. They came
here to receive some children for an
orphanage with which they are con-
nected at Mishawaka.
Hotel Building Was Old.
The New Aveline hotel was six
story building of brick in the business
center of the city. It's erection was
begun in 1852, but it was not COM
p1eted until several years later. In
1895 the building was extensively re-
modelled and two stories were added.
The hotel and furnishings were valued
at $80OOO
Throughout the framework of the
interior was of wood, dried like finder
from half century's seasoning and it
burned with great rapidity. Within
a quarter of an hour from the time
the fire was discovered in the elevator
shaft, practically the entire building
was wrapped in flames. The whole in
terror became roaring furnace and
from basement to roof all was blazing
at once. In rapid succession the floors
fell to the basement, carrying their
toll of dead.
Other occupants of the hotel block
and their losses are: Jones & Stevens,
proprietors hotel, personal, $4,000; G.
H. Brown, saloon, $4,000; G. B. Wood
worth & Co., drugs, $4,000; Postal
Telegraph company, $4,000; Strauss
Bros, bankers, $4,000; George Stretch
er, barber shop, $4,000; Lee Twins,
cigars and news stand, $4,000; Bass
block, adjoining hotel, $1,000. All
losses in the hotel block save the
Strauss bank were total. The bank
vaults are intact Losses are fully in
sured.
Escape But Lose Clothing.
John p. Strohecher of New York,
after a thrilling escape from death in
the flames, reached the ground almost
naked. He had no time to gather up
his apparel, the flames having burst
into his room before he was awakened.
Scores of men and women reached the
ground with nothing on but their night
clothes. None of the guests had time
to save their effects. Dry goods and
clothing stores were thrown open to
men and women and all who needed
apparel were supplied without ques-
ton.
R. S. Lewis of Chicago was driven
from his room on the third floor to the
window ledge. The flames were lap
ping about him and he swung down
from window to window. Firemen
hoisted a ladder to aid him, but it
became entangled in wires. Lewis
became exhausted, his grasp lossened
and he dropped just as the ladder was
raised under his feet, but he managed
to save himself.
A. r. Sallot of New York had an al
most similar experience. The flames
were in his room when he awoke. He
CROPPED his way through the smoke to
a window and crawled out upon the
ledge and chung there precariously,
edging away an inch at time as the
flames curled from the window. He
was just about to take chances in a
leap of four stories to the hard as
phalt beneath when a hand was thrust
down to him from the roof adjoining
and he was pulled to safety.
AIgoma steel Works Closing.
Sault Ste Marie, Mich, May 4.-The