Omaha daily bee., 1910-10-31
ONAHANS FIGURE IN FIRE
Local Men and Women Have Thrills
at St. Elmo Hotel.
SAVE LIFE. BUT sCANT CLOTHES
France ana wives Forced to Es-
cape Flames In NeEIlEce
Gnrb at Excelsior Springs.

Omshans climbed down ladders Jumped
out OF windows, ran around IN pyjamRs and
silk hats or night gowns and opera cloaks.
traded stockings for socks rode TO Kansas
City wrapped up In blankets and did other
queer and unusual things as a result o.
the fire at the New Elms hotel at Ex-
celsior Springs early Sunday morning
Some Of the Omahans caught in the IRE
narrowly escaped with their lives and
saved these and nothing more. Aenong
these last was Charles Black. who lost
everything but a few articles Of clothing
which ne had on when he Jumped from a
third story window onto the roof OF
two-story building. Others caught in tine
flames and narrowly escaping were MI
and Mrs. Frederick r Wing Mrs. Wing
was Miss Ruth AIoorehead until a week
ago She saved her treasseau, but her
husband lost his.
Joseph cullen Root sovereign commander
Of the Woodmen OF the World got out
without being singed but not so a cousin
Of his from the east who was The last
man to leave the third floor MI Black
making his getaway Just ahead OF him.
Mr Roots cousin escaped only because a
ladder was raised to him in the nick Of
time.
DeFrauce FIirts with Death.
W Il. DeFrance. the attorney, also had
a Irritation with eternity, and 50 did Frank
Burleigh, receiving teller at the United
States National bank. with Mr. DeFrance
was his brother-in-law Victor Parrish,
sporting editor OF the st. Louis Republic,
who has been an Omaha visitor
In the hotel, too we're MTs. Charles Co
miskey and Mrs Ban johnson, wives OF
the base ball magnates Each lost 5000 or
1900 worth Of clothing and iewelry.
1T was a weird and wonderful sight,
said Charles Black who returned home
Monday morning. The women all rescued
their opera cloaks and in some cases not
much else. Many of them had no stock
ings and men who had escaped with some
of their baggage gave them socks. Mum
bers OF women rode to Kansas city with
blankets protecting them from cold.
''NIr BurleiEh. l think was one Of the
men who emerged as sockless as Jerry
Simpson was once reported to be. I my
self had on shoes. trousers, the upper
part Of a pair Of pyjamas but no collar
or tie ] lost everything | had with me
except a ring and the clothes enumerated.
Thought It False Alarm.
What caused ali the trouble was this.
An alarm was raised and we all ran out
| from our rooms into the corridors. Then
word came up from the first floor that
! the fire had been out and on this assur-
ance from the office all clambered back
/ into bed.
Fifteen minutes later when ! again
/ awakened a real fire was burning. I
dashed out IN the hall which was full of
! flames / was so instantly scorohed and
filled fuli OF smoke that nearly lost CON
sciousness, even in the fraction of a min
ute the door was open l rushed back into
the room, slipped on my shoes and trousers
and kicked out the window
Then | jumped to the roof Of the two
story building, one floor below mine.
In a window Of the second story OF the
hotel [ saw a woman whose name learned
later was Mrs. Roy. She is a Chicagoan
/ She was trying TO collect her possessions
| but since no time could be lost / shouted
| 10 her to jump out toward me, It was
about six feet and she came down in
safety Then we dropped another story
on the roof Of the veranda and thence
made our way to the ground.
Outside the hotel was queer sight
The hotel had been filled with guests and
these were assembled in motley and mos
incongruous array. piecing out one another
attire to help fight the cold and subserv,
a sense OF decorum.
All sympathize with Groom,
III the hotel had not given us the baC
steer we would have got away with all oul
things. but as IL was, most Of us were
lucky to have whole skins. We had it'll,
besides, Everyone was glad that the bird,
saved her trousseau, and sympathized Will
Mr. Wing whose new outfit went up II
smoke A deplorable thing was that many
things saved were stolen when put dowI
on the ground outside
Frank Elliott, the wing shot was on,
OF the coolest men in the fire. lie tied hit
bedding together, and lowered his trunl
by this to the ground
Press dispatches from Kansas City re
late that Mr.. Burleigh was not entirel!
unshod. He emerged from the hotel II