Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-03-01
Fifteen or More are Be
lieved to Have Lost Lives
During the Blaze This
Morning.
GAS EXPLOSION
SUPPOSED CAUSE
Suddenness of Fire Makes
Escape Difficult and One
Man Jumped to Death
From Third Floor.

Omaha, Neb., Feb. 2s-Fire, believed
to have been caused by gas explosion
cost fifteen or more lives here today.
The Dewey hotel. a second class hos
telry at Thirteenth and Farnam street.
was destroyed by flames which swept
the three story building with q speed
that precluded attempted rescue.
Some Of the guests had time to
reach the stairways but others wer1
caught by the collapsing roof OF the
structure before they could be rescued
from window sills on which they had
taken refuge.
Several Of the victims jumped or
fell from windows and met either In
slant death or mortal injury.
Accounts of the number of persons
In the building differed to such an
extent that accurate estimates of tho
death list were impossible today. Tho
register of the hote, burned but some
of the hotel employees said that many
Of the dodgers we're not registered. AT
noon only about twenty-five out OF
sixty persons estimated to have been
in the building had been accounted for
definitely but it was known that
score or more OF those who had
escaped left the neighborhood without
revealing their identity. Zero weather
hampered the firemen and added to the
sufferings of the injured
Several business firms had quarters
in the building and their losses, added
to those of the hotel owners, brought
the financial damage to about $3.50, 900.
Tho Dead and Injured.
The known dead are:
MISS ALICE BONNEvIE.
CHARLES CUMMINGS, jumped
from third story, breaking neck.
CHARLES BEVERLY, waiter.
UNKNOWN NAN.
Some Of the injured:
Mrs C. e. Wilkins. went insane.
Lydia Nelson, 1924 Dodge street,
burned on face and body.
Iona Jennings, overcome by smoke.
Mark Hemingway, Ewing, Neb.,
overcome by smoke; may die.
Clara Newman, overcome by smokes
burned; will probably die.
Swedish housekeeper, Tina, went In
sane.
r. C. Stiss, overcome by smoke.
The cause of the fire has not been.
determined. 1t started in the rear Of
the building but had gained great head
way before 1t was discovered. Tho
lower floor of the Dewey hotel build
ing Is occupied by the RappaelPred
Clothing Co., the Hitler Liquor Co., the
Adams Express Co. The stock Of all
these companies is entirely destroyed.
Killed In Leapins From Window.
So suddenly did the flames reach
every part of the building that few OF
those asleep on the different floors
had time to reach windows, and mona
were able to get to the fire escapes.
One man, Charles Cummings, bar
tender, who had room on the Farm
am street side of the hotel, opened
window and plunged from the third
story to the sidewalk He struck
head first on the concrete walk and
was mashed into misshapen mass.
Mrs. c. E. Wilkins. wife Of the pro-
prietor of the hotel who with her
sister had room on the second floor
facing the alley in the rear dragged
her sister, Miss Alice Bonnevie, to the
window. There Miss Bonnevie col
lapsed and Mrs. Hawkins was forced
to jump for her own life. Two police
men broke her fall but she was badly
injured. Her sisters body is In the
ruins.
Jesse D. Mold, night clerk, was the
last living person to leave the build.
ing. He opened the door Of his once
on the second floor, when he heard
an explosion and was driven back BY
puff Of smoke and flames. He at
tempted to arouse few guests on that
floor but was forced to go to the street
almost overcome to save his own life.
The few guests who escaped from
second story windows or from the one
entrance on the Thirteenth street side.
did SO in scanty attire. They were
carried to drug store across the
street and to nearby restaurant and
later cared for at neighboring hotels.
Waterman Sounds Alarm.
A block watchman who had entered
the office of the Adams express COM
pany, which Is located in the hotel
building, to report, discovered the fire
and turned in still alarm by telephone.
He rushed out and found the clothing
store of the pael-Pond Co. in flames
Continual on Page 81