The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-05-04

WINDOWS and curled about the frees
capes. Some of the more hardy ones
braved the flames and made their way
through smoke and fire down the iron
stairways.
Many Narrow Escapes.
There were many thrilling escapes
Claude Fl. Varnel of the Fort Wayne
baseball team; his sister. Mrs. John Hen
bricks. and John Hendricks of Chicago
manager of the Fort Wayne team, to-
gether with Master Hendricks, aged 5
years. barely escaped with their lives.
Narnell lost all his personal belongings,
valued at several thousand dollars. Hen
bricks. with his wife ahead of him and
his boy in his arms, was descending the
fire-escape from the fifth floor. At the
third floor the fire broke out below them
He swung Mrs. Hendricks over the rail
ing 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 are thrilling and escapes
as narrow were numerous.
impossible to Aid Him.
When the fire was at its height a man
at a 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 win
dow and went swirling to the pavement
below He was picked up desperately
hurt. He was E. NJ. Matthews of Column
bus, o.
A score or more of women employed in
the hotel were in the upper rooms in the
rear OF the hotel Most OF them escaped
without injury, but some in their fright
leaped to the alley and were more or
less injured.
Many Bodies in Ruins.
That there are still many bodies in the
ruins is the belief of Fire Chief Hilbrecht
and Chief of Police Anckenbruck Chief
Ackenbruck. basing his estimate on the
reports Of the police. gives the number
of dead in the ruins at o'clock at TWEEN
ty. At that hour eight bodies had been
recovered. A guest on the fifth floor,
who was aroused at the outbreak of the
fire and escaped. says he believes very
few on the fifth floor escaped. Other
bodies are believed to, be at the foot of
the elevator shaft
Among the missing are two aged wo-
men, Miss Hathaway and her compan-
ion. of Mishawaka. Ind. They came here
to receive some children for an orphan
age with which they are connected at
Mishawaka. Their bodies are still in the
ruins.
Travelling men who escaped are search
ing for acquaintance who were known
to be in the hotel.
Hotel a Fire Trap.
The New AveIine hotel was a six-story
building of brick in the business center
of the city It's erection was begun in
1852, but ii was not completed until sew
efdl years later. In 1895 the pudding was
extensively remodeled and two stories
were added. The hotel and furnishings
were valued at $4,000.
Within a quarter of an hour from the
time the fire was discovered in the ele-
vator shaft practically the entire building
was wrapped in flames. The whole inte-
rior became a 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
John p. Strohecher of New York, aft
er a thrilling escape from death in the
flames, reached the ground almost nude.
He had no time to gather his apparel.
the flames having burst into the room be-
fore ne was awakened. Scores of men
and women reached the ground. some of
them with nothing on but their night
clothes. None of the guests had time 10
save his effects. Dry goods and cloth
ing stores were thrown open to men and
women, and all who needed apparel were
supplied without question.
Ladder Broke His Fall.
R. S. Lewis of Chicago was driven
from his room on the third floor to the
window ledge. The flames Were tapping
about him ana he swung down from win
dow to window. Firemen hoiSted a lad
der to aid him. but ii became entangled
in wires. He became exhausted, his grasp
lOosened and he dropped just as the lad
der was raised under his feet, but 1t broke
his fall and he escaped with his life.
A r. Sallot of New York had an ar
most similar experience. The flames were
I'm his room when he awoke- He CROPPED
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