The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1908-05-04

foFt wayne luu'' May o ON
known dead. many missing, and thlr-
teen seriously injured is the result cf
fire that destroyed the New Avelua
Hotel, Fort Waynes principal hotel.
at an early hour today, Chief of
Police Akenbrecht said he believed
twenty bodies were still in the ruins.
Register Burned.
The hotel register was burned and
there are no accurate means Of deter
mining the missing. The known dead
are
II. s. Johnson, of Pana, Ill; M.
Hrsch. of New York; j. y Miller, Of
, Sheboygan. Wis; J, Il, Ellis, Of Car
sou, Pierce and Company, Chicago, j.
WI Deviney, salesman for Crawford
and Lehman. Philadelphia, and three
unidentified men.
The known missing are. Max Was
sem. n wrestler, of Fort Wayne, form
erly of st. Louis Frank Baxter, attor-
oney, ef Aubiir,f Iad- and companion;n
E. B. Atty, of Wabash. Ind; Charles
BENJAMIN, salesman for the Detroit
Ncckwear Company, of Detroit: Mrs.
Sarah Hathaway, of Micahawaka, Ind.
and an unknown woman companion OF
Mrs Hathaway
Completely Destroyed
The complete destruction of the
hotel makes the work bf recovering
the bodies a difficult task Some of the
bodies taken out are mangled and
charred beyond recognition
Infantry Company d. and Battery y
of the National Guards are on duty
aiding the fire and police forces To
clar away the debris,
Started in Elevator Shaft.
The fire was discovered at 80 this
morning in the elevator shaft by Night |
Clerk Hopkins. He rushed to the up
per floors alarming the guests until
the flames which had been spread
with great rapidlty, wrove him back.
His efforts, however, saved many lives.
The hotel, which was erected half a
century ago, is six stories and of brick.
The interior woodwork was dry and
burned like matchwood Within a few
minutes from the time the fire was
discovered the whole interior was a
mass of flames and all means of es
cape save by windows was cut off.
The fire department rescued many
people by ladders, but some, frenzied
by the flames, leaped from the high
windows to the street
Desperate Jump.
r. s. j. Chnson, of Pana, H. Jumped
from the fifth story His body struck
balcony. and bounded far into the
street. He died a short time later
AS the fury of the flames increased |
men and women were seen IN the win
dows of their rooms, wildly imploring |
help Some did not wait for the as
gistance cf the firemen. and leapei /
TO the street. Several were seriously |
in this way Those who left
their rooms before the flames cut off |
retreat. we're able to make their way |
to the fire escapes and were saved
with comparative ease.
Narrow Escape.
Claude Havernell of the Fort Wayne /
baseball team. his sister Mrs. John {
Hendricks, and John Hendricks of |
Chicago. manager of the Ft. Wayne |
team. together with his son. aged Ave !
years, barely escaped 9Th their lives |
HaverneIl lost all his personal belong |
ings. valued at several thousand dol /
lars Hendricks with his wife ahead /
of him. and his hoy in his arms was |
descending the fire escape from the /
fifth floor. At the third floor. the fire !
broke ont below them. He swung Mrs /
Hendricks ovor the railing aud she |
dropped to the platform Of the story |
below. He then dropped his son into
the waiting arms Of his wife aud they /
all made their wav to the ground.
Leaped Three Stories.
When the FIRE was at its height. F 4
NJ. Matthews. at a third story window /
was seen wildly waving his arms fer
? moment and then leaped from tn |
lie was picked up desperate |
Is injured 4 score or more women /
employed In the hotel were in the M /
per rooms in the rear part of the hotel.
Most of them escaped without injury, |