The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-15

VI thc SVPeiahu 4ASseis "AsH S'>~
 missing. I Topeka, Kansas, Jan. 14.-The Cope land Hotel, a famous stopping place for legislators and politicians situated at Ninth and Kansas avenues. one block from the State Capitol. was de-
 stroyed by fire that started shortly after o'clock this morning.
 Every room was occupied, the
 guests numbering about 150, among
 them many persons of prominence
 throughout the State. The flames
 burned with such remarkable rapidity
 that most of the occupants were forced to make their escape by way
 of the fire escapes. Many jumped to I save their lives and received more or Hess serious injuries
 | A dozen persons were injured. suf-
 fering broken limbs and bruises and | one person Is missing
 | The dead: l. E. Lambert, of Em- poria, a prominent politician.
 The injured include:
 Mss. W. Y. Morgan, wife of the editor of The Hutchinson News, and formerly State printer, broken ankle; W. c. Murray, Kansas life insurance agent broken ankle and bruises; Bert Mordock, El Dorado, Kansas, well known editor. slight; A. W. Smith. | date for Governor, ankle broken.
 The Copeland Hotel was of brick construction, four stories in height. It was one of the oldest hostelries In the State. It had roomy lobby and | wide halls and was amply supplied with fire escapesy The main stairway, however, was built around the ele- vator and the flames, shooting up the shaft soon shut off this means of es- Ev4a toA xgl I the guests being made up principally | of members of the Legislature, their families and other prominent persons | in the State here to attend the open- | ing of the sixteenth biennial session. The fire started in the lower part ofl the building Q few minutes after q o'clock from some cause as yet un- known. The flames shot up quickly and before an alarm could be turned in were fast making their way up the wide corridors and filling the open spaces with smoke.
 Snow Broke Falls.
 When the fire apparatus arrived, 1t was apparent that the structure was doomed. A dozen guests appeared at the upper windows. prepared to jump when pressed too hard by the flames, while others made their way through the halls and down to the street through the dense smoke or clambered down the ire escapes. The nremen were unable to make any headway in fighting the flames, and presently guests appeared at the windows on all sides. Fortunately the ground was covered with snow and this partially broke their falls. But few were able to save their personal belongings.
 Within an hour after the fire start ed. the hotel was a complete loss, only the walls remaining.
 Henry Willis the colored porter, was the first to learn of the fire. A moment later William Jenkins, the night watchman, and Willis began a systematic trip through the house. | waking the guests. Men, women and children, scantily clad, were soon crowding the upper halls. About half of the one hundred and fifty guests managed to get to the lower floor | and out through the front and side | doors before the stairway was cut off | Half Q dozen were forced to jump | from windows while the others were | rescued by firemen from the windows | of the hotel. from tops of adjoining | buildings to which they had jumped | and from fire escape landings. But | few of the guests had time to collect | their personal belongings and most of | the guests got out of the building only l in their night clothes. The ground was covered with snow and the refu- gees tramped barefoot and scantily clad to the Y M. c. A. building and nearby drug stores where the injured were cared for.
 There were many thrilling escapes The only one of the guests whose con dition is regarded as serious is A. w Smith. of IMcPherson, former depart ment commander of the Grand Army of the Republic and once a candidate faV pnUar nVR ket. Smith and H. A. Rowland also of McPherson, were sleeping in a room on the fourth floor, near the south side of the building. There was little chance for their receiving outside aid, so the two made a ladder of their bed clothes and suspended 1t from the window. Each in turn descended IS far as possi- ble on the rope ladder and dropped to the ground. Smith crashed into an areaway. striking on a railing. He sustained a broken ankle and internal injuries. Rowland followed Smith the ladder and also fell He was pick ed up unconscious and both were taken that Smiths condition was serious. Rowland suffered three ribs broken. Webb McNall. of Smith county, former state superintendent of insurance, likewise made a sensational escape. McNall was sleeping in a room with him was a suit case containing $55,000 of Kanasas municipal bonds, the pro- perty of a fraternal organization and just purchased for 1t by committee of which McNall was a member.
 Waited For Ladder.
 McNalI waited patiently in the front window of his room while the firemen and spectators below were making frantic efforts to get a ladder up to the window. The first was too short. A fireman had in the meantime reach ed a fro escape ten feet from the win dow ledge. There he waited until an- other ladder was sent up to him. Hold ing this across the gap. the fireman supported McNall while the latter climbed to the first ladder and to safe ty. McNall first had thrown his treas ured suit case to the ground. Mir. Me Nall said:
 T guess I was Iucky-all right was one of the first ones out of the building and saved all the bonds I | had in my grip. All lost was a It, tie clothing"
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