The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1909-02-11
Destruction of the Halliday House
With a Loss of Seven Lives
Recalled by Pioneers
TRAGEDY OF EARLY KENoSHA
Fire Which Brought the Greatest Loss
of Life in the History of the
City Occurred Trity-Eight
Years Ago This Week

This has been a week OF memories
to many of the earlier settlers of the
city at it is recalled that the great fire
which destroyed the Halliday Hotel
and resulted in the loss Of seven lives
took place 38 years ago. The story
of the fire makes one of the most in.
teresting as well as thrilling chapters
in the history Of Kenosha and in order
, that the younger generations may know
the story of the catastrophe the story
Of the fire as given in the issue Of the
telegraph Courier Of Feb. 2, 1871 is
given below
The most terrible calamity we have
ever been called upon to record, is that
Of the burning Of the Halliday House
on Tuesday morning last, at which time
six persons were burned to death, one
burned so badly that he lived but few
hours, and a number Of others seriously
injured.
The fire was first discovered and the
alarm given at about half past four o.
clock, by some young men who had at
tended the masquerade at the Park City
House in the north ward, and they did
all they could to assist the inmates Of
the hotel in making their escape.
Several of the male boarders that
roomed in the fourth story, jumped
from the windows of their rooms, and
escaped with slight injuries, while 9TH
ers rushed for the stairways and came
near suffocating in getting out.
Mrs. J. B. Merrill and four children
persisted. Capts. Everett and Haen,
sailors, and also Mr.. S. D. Hastings of
this city, who rendered good and timely
assistance to many, state that they
heard the lady and children screaming
for help in the third story, and a min
ute later the room in which they were
was enveloped in flames and smoke
About nine O'Clock the remains Of
Mrs. Merrill and the four children
were found in the ruins of the base
ment, where they had fallen through
from the third floor, and presented
a sickening spectacle as they laid in
| the doorway. The mother had the
youngest, child about two years old,
clasped in her arms, and the little
child s arms were tightly wound around
it's mothers neck.
Osmond Capron, a brother of Capt
Capron, of this city, and clerk in the
store Of Capron & Stevens, was taken
from the burning building fearfully
burned, and his night clothes were still
in flames as they carried him across
the street to the residence of Henry
Andre. His injuries are such that lit
tie hope is left of his recovery.
The clerk, Simon Fuller, who has been
clerk in the hotels Of this city for years
was sleeping in the parlor on the sec
ond floor, and might easily have saved
himself by jumping from the window,
but he rushed up into the burning
building and endeavored to save 9th
ers he thought in danger. He was
taken out in an almost insensible con
dition, and after untold agony died at
four 'clock in the afternoon at the
residence Of w. F. Halliday, on Market
street.
A man in the employ Of one of our
hardware firms roomed in the third
story Of the hotel, and when he first
heard the alarm endeavored to get out
by going down the main stairs, but
the sitting smoke drove him back and
he jumped from a. window, striking on
the roof of the short piazza on the
east side of the building The roof be-
ing covered with ice he slid off to the
ground breaking his thigh, and received
other injuries that will lay him up for
long time if it does not render him
cripple for life.
Austin B. Wattles, of Jewett's liv-
cry stable was in room on the third
floor. He made his way to the head
of the stairs on the third floor and
threw himself over the banisters to the
floor Of the office which was filed with
flames and dense smoke, and here he
became almost suffocated. Making one
more effort he fell over the railing to
the stairs leading to the front door
and rolled down to the bottom. He
was taken out badly burned but will
recover.
"Zacho Wilder jumped from the
fourth story to the roof Of the walk on
the east side Of the hotel, and fell to
the ground, but fortunately received no
injuries except a few bruises.
Sam Ranney jumped from the fourth
story on the north side of the eastern
portion Of the hotel. Zach Wilder
braced himself against the side of the
building and endeavored to break the
force of his fall, and was pretty badly
bruised. Ranney got off with a few
slight cuts and bruises, which was mir
aculous, considering the distance he
| fell
Charley Brown, well known among
our horsemen, had narrow escape in
his night clothes Col. F. S. Lowell
also escaped in his night clothes,
though not till he had been somewhat
burned. A gentleman named Mitchell
i En