Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1909-01-20
Topeka HOTEL IS
RUINED BY FLAMES
!. z. LAMBERT is KILLED AND
FOURTEEN INJURED.
NAMES or THE VICTIMS
Fire Makes Complete Wreck of the
Copeland, One of the Old
est Hotels in
Kansas.

topeka, Kan, Jan. Io.-WlLn Wills
blackened by smoke, bullying to the
danger point and threatening to cave
in at any time on an interior of utter
ruin, all that remains of the Copeland
hotel, the rallying point of the Repub-
lican party of Kansas for years, is a
mere hulk of building, the result of
the fire Thursday.
The body of Isaac E. Lambert, ex-
United States district attorney for
Kansas, was found in the ruins last
night with the head, arms and legs
burned off. The body was found in
the northeast corner Of the building.
Lambert's room was on the fourth
floor directly above. Fourteen of the
guests were more or less seriously
hurt.
Names Of the Victims.
The dead: Isaac E. Lambert, EN-
poria.
The injured: A. w. Smith, McPher-
son, broken ankle, broken arm and
cuts; Mrs. w. Y Morgan, Hutchinson,
Kan, broken ankle; Tom A. Hubbard,
Rome, Kan, cuts on arms; w. A..
Rowland, Mcpherson, three ribs
broken, arms cut; Robert c. McMur-
ray, Kansas City, Kan, ankle frac-
tured; S. C. Wescott, Galena, Kan,
foot sprained; Chief G. o. Wilmarth,
head cut; Col. T. B. Murdoch, right
leg injured, knee twisted, and ankle
sprained; ]. W. Davis, Greensburg,
overcome by smoke: Mrs. B. L..
Thompson, Harrington, back hurt;
Paul Richa, Coolidge, back, side and
wrist sprained; w. A. Elstun, Moline.
Kan, sprains and bruises; H. C. Bow
man, Newton, ankle and back
sprained: G. H. Lamb. Yates Center,
back injured.
Hotel a Complete Loss.
The hotel is complete loss, esti-
mated at 100000 Insurance was car
ried to the amount of $4,000. The
porticos are intact and the front of
the building was not burned out. But
inside is complete ruin, all four of the
floors have caved in. An attempt was
made last night to wreck the walls
with stream of water, but it proved
ruthless.
Word was received from White City
that w. H. Doddridge and his son.
who were in the hotel during the fire
and who had not been accounted for
all day, were at home there safe.
Injured Will All Recover.
None of the injured is considered in
dangerous condition. A. w. Smith
OF Mcpherson, who was the most seri-
ously injured, is considered out OF
immediate danger. Dr. Keith, coroner,
says his recovery is probable, unless
he received some injuries not known.
The seriously injured were cared for
at local hospitals. The Topeka Y. M.
g. A. building, across the street from
the hotel, was thrown open and used
as temporary home for the refugees
from the fire, many of whom waded.
scantily clad and in their bare feet.
through four inches of snow.
The firemen were busy all day fight
Ing the fire. At short intervals the
little tongues of flame would burst
out In some corner of the wreck where
it was thought the fire was complete
ly extinguished.
Old, Four-story Hotel.
The Copeland hotel was of brick
construction, four stories in height. 1t
was situated at the corner of Ninth
and Kansas avenues, one block from
The state capitol, and was one of the
oldest hotels in Kansas. 1t had
roomy lobby and wide Railways, and was
plentifully supplied with fire escapes.
The main stairway, however, was
built around the elevator, and the
danes shooting up the shaft soon
shut off this means of escape The
Are started shortly after four o'clock
in or near the kitchen, apparently
from escaping gas. The flames had
gained great Roadway when discov-
cred and when the fire apparatus first
arrived the rear stairway had been
cut off as a means of escape.