Willmar tribune., 1909-01-20
S0[0NS flee Fire
Copeland Hotel, Topeka,
kanq., Is Destroyed.
THRILLING SCENES ENACTED

THRILLING SCENES ENACTED
One Man Missing as Result Of Be.
struction Of neutrality-suspicious.
and Families in Wild Tumult-
Many Are Injured.
Topeka, Kan, Jan. 15.-Topeka's ia.
nous hostelry, the Copeland, noted as
the stopping place of legislators and
politicians. was destroyed by fire yester,
DAY. l. E. Lambert of Emporia, one
of the most prominent attorneys and
politicians in the state, was missing
and was believed to have been burned
to death. A dozen of the $50 guests
were injured, but none is thought to
have been fatally hurt. There were
many sensational escapes, several per-
sons jumping from windows.
The monetary loss was estimated at
$15O:000.
The dead:
I. E. Lambert, Emporia, Kan.
The most seriously injured: Mrs.
w. Y. Morgan, wife of the editor of
the Hutchinson News, and formerly
state printer; broken ankle. w. c..
Murray, Kansas City, Kan, life in.
surance agent; broken ankle. Thomas
Benton Murdoch, Eldorado, well-known
newspaper editor; slight. A. w. Smith,
Mcpherson, former department COM
mander G. A. r. and once Republican
candidate for governor; ankle broken.
Oldest Hotel in Kansas.
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. It had a
roomy lobby and wide Railways, and was
plentifu]ly supplied with fire escapes.
The main stairway, however, was
built around the elevator, and the
flames shooting up the shaft soon
shut off this means of escape. The
fire started shortly after four o'clock
IN or near the kitchen, apparently
from escaping gas. The flames had
gained great headway when discov-
cred and when the fire apparatus first
arrived the rear stairway had been
cut off as means of escape Henry
Wills. the colored porter, was the
first to learn of the fire. A moment
later William Jenkins, the night
watchman and Wills began a system
attic trip through the house, waking
the guests. Men, women and children,
scantily clad, were soon crowding the
upper halls. About half of the $50
guests managed to get to the lower
floor and out through the front and
side doors.
Some Jump; Others Rescued. ..
Half a dozen We're forced to iump
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 in their night clothes. The ground
was covered with snow and the refu-
gees tramped barefoot .and scantily
clad to the Young Mems Christian as
sociation building and nearby drug
stores, where the injured were cared for
Within an hour after the fire started
the hotel was a mass of ruins, only
the walls remaining.
There were many thrilling escapes.
The only one of the guests whose con-
d1tion is regarded as serious is A. w.
Smith of Mcpherson, former depart
ment commander of the Grand Army
of the Republic for Kansas and once
candidate for governor on the Re-
publican ticket. Smith and H. A.
Rowland, also of Mcpherson, were
sleeping in q room on the fourth
floor near the south side of the build
ing. There was little chance for their
receiving outside aid, so the two made
ladder of their bedclothes and sus-
pended it from the window. Each in
turn descended as far as possible on
the rope ladder and dropped to the
ground. Smith crashed into an area
way, striking on a railing.
Two Burned to Death.
Everett, Wash, Jan. 15.-Two per-
sons were burned to death, another fa-
tally burned and two painfully in
jured in the destruction of the Great
Northern hotel by fire. yesterday. Ig-
milton of gasoline caused the fire. The
hotel was a two-story frame structure.
Howard Findlan lighted gasoline
heater to make coffee, and the flames
f1ared, setting fire to the wall paper.
He aroused the 20 guests in the hotel.
but two were unable to get out, and
their charred bodies were later found.
as,AhanaA