Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-11-01
.OMAHANS FIGURE IN FIRE
Local Men and Women Have Thrills
at New Elms Hotel.
SAVE LIFE, BUT sCAET CLOTHES
Messrs. Black, wins, Root and ne
France and wives Forced to Es-
cape Flames I'm NeHIiEee
Garb at Excelsior Springs.

Omahans climbed down ladders Jumped
out Of windows, ran around in pyjamas and
silk hats. or night gowns and opera oloaks.
traded stockings for socks, rode TO Kansas
City wrapped up in blankets and did other
queer and unusual things as q result OF
the fire at the New Films hotel At Elk
celsior Springs early Sunday morning
Some OF the Omshans caught in the fire
narrowly escaped with their lives and
saved these and nothing more, Aslong
these last was Charles Black who lost
everything but a few articles Of clothing
which he had on when he jumped from
third story window onto the roof Of
two-story building. Others caught in the
flames and narrowly escaping we're Mr..
and MIS-. Frederick T. Wing Mrs. Wing
yyas Miss Ruth MOorehead until a week
ago. She saved her trousseau, but her
husband lost his.
Joseph Cullen Root sovereign commander
Of the woodmen of the World got out
without being sinGed. but not so q cousin
Of his from the east, who was the last
man to leave the third floor, Mr. Black
meldng his getaway just ahead Of him.
Mr.. Roots cousin escaped only because a
ladder was raised to him in the nick OF
time
DeFrRnce FIirts with Death.
w H AtA ldlAA6s lue dNlolutgs ulEO itho
a filtration with eternity, and so 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, were Mrs. Charles Co
| misBey end Mrs. Ban Johnson, wives Of
the base ball magnates. Each lost 5000 OF
5000 worth of clothing and jewelry.
1T was a weird and wonderful sight"
! said Charles Black. who returned home
| Monday morning THE women all rescued
their opera clOalSs 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. Num-
bers of women rode to Kansas City with
blankets protecting them from cold.
Mr. Burleigh, l think was one of the
men who emerged as sockless as Jerry
/ Simpson was once reported to be- l my
self had on shoes, trousers, the upper
part of a pair of pyjamas, but no collar
or tie. l lost everything / had with me
except 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.
"FYfteen minutes later when 1 again
awakened, a real fire was burning. l
dashed out in the hall which was full of
flames. l was so instantly scorched and
filled full OF smoke that nearly lost con-
seriousness, even in the fraction Of min
ute the door was open 1 rushed back into
the room, slipped on my shoes and trousers
and kicked out the window
Then 1 jumped to the roof OF the Two
story building, one floor below mine.
I'm a window of the second story Of the
hotel I saw 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
to her to jump out toward me. II 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 sympathiSe with Groom.
IF the hotel had not given US the bat
steer we would have got away with al oul
things but as 1t was, most OF us were
lucky to have whole skins. We had llttl'
besides. Everyone was glad that the brid'
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 down
on the ground outside.
Frank Elliott, the wing shot was on,
OF the coolest men in the fire. He tied hi
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
| lou aboas btIt M