The Irish standard., 1912-03-16
PERISH IN FLAMES
SIX BODIES ARE RECOVERED
FROM HOTEL THAT BURNED
IN CHICAGO.
CAUGHT LIKE RATS IN A TRAP
Many Women Among Those Caught on
Upper Floors of Structure-Sieep-
ers Suffocated in Their Reds-Ono
Killed by Leap.

Chicago. March 11.-Six persons
We're killed, more than a score were
injured and 100 were thrown into
panic and forced to flee for their lives
IN fire which attacked the Barnett
house, lodging house at 651 South
Clark street.
Thrilling escapes were made by
scores of men and women trapped in
the building. Many leaped into life
nets. Others clambered down fire
escapes. A number that fed down
stairway found the bottom door lock-
ed and We're forced to ascend through
the smoke to the second floor and
make their way out on the fire escape.
The men who were killed were
trapped by the flames, like so many
flies in bottle, on the third floor OF
the burning structure. One was killed
by leaping from the fourth floor to the
pavement below.
Five of the bodies were identified
by H. c. simms. night clerk at the
lodging house.
List Of the Killed.
The dead are:
COLLINS, JOHN, So years old.
DERMoDY, j., 81 years old.
OLSON, JOHN, or John Miller. 81
years old.
WAGNER, PAUL, IS years old.
M'MAHON, THOMAS. who leaped
from fourth-story window.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN. about AZ
years old.
Scenes OF Panic Follow.
The flames started in a closet on the
second floor, in which excelsior for
mattresses was stored. In an instant
the fire spread throughout the build
Ing and scenes of wild panic followed.
Women-there were many OF them in
the hotel-screamed and ran to the
stairways, where they found escape
cut off. Men shouted and cursed and
some Of them climbed out of windows
and hung, till their fingers bled, to
the window lodges to escape the heat.
One man, John AIcMath, jumped from
the fourth floor. His body struck some
wires, and, turning over and over, it
was dashed against the curb below.
lie died almost instantly.
The flames spread from the second
to the fourth floor within few min
utes. and when the men tried to reach
the street they found their escape by
the front stairways cut off by flames
end Iense smoke. Hurrying back up
the stairways to the second floor the
frightened dodgers clambered out on
the fire escapes. =.
Fircmen to the Rescue.
Members OF truck companies raised
ladders to the fire escapes, fearing
that the excited dodgers would strug'
gle on the escapes and that fatalities
would follow. The firemen assisted
most of the men down the ladders as
we'll as the escapes.
The flames ragged in the second.
third and fourth floors of the lodging
house, and tiremen, although reports
reached their ears that eight or ten
luen were trapped on the third floor.
we're powerless to 60 to the aid of the
victims.
Several dodgers who were In rooms
on the third and fourth floors could
not be reached by the attaches OF the
lodging house, who sought to spread
warning to the occupants, and were
suffocated while asleep in bed.
By the time the first tiremen reach
ed the burning building hundreds OF
persons had gathered in South Clark
street and many Of these saw McMath
lump to his death from the fourth
story window. They also saw Oscar
Amen leap from third-story window
into the life net.