The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-02-28
Only Estimates on Which to
Base Number of Dead.
ONLY Is OF 100 ESCAPE.
Fear of Fire Drives Two WOm-
en- Guests Insane.
Gas Explosion Believed Cause
of Deadly Blaze.

have been caused by a gas explosion,
cost fifteen or more lives here today
The Dewey hotel. a second class hos
telry at Thirteenth and Farnam
streets. was destroyed by flames
which swept the three story building
with a sheet that precluded attempts
at rescue.
Some of the guests had time to
reach the stairway but others were
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 instant death or mortal injury.
Only Twenty-Five Accounted For.
Accounts of the number of persons
in the building differed to such an ex-
tent that accurate estimates of the
death list were impossible today. The
register burned, but some of the hotel
employees said that many of the
lodgers were 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 a.
score or more of those who had
escaped left the neighborhood without
revealing their Identities
Zero weather hampered the firemen
and added to the sufferings of the in
Jured. Several business firms had
quarters in the building and their
losses added to those of the hotel own
ers, brought the financial damage to
about $25.0OO
OF the few rescued alive some were
iataIly injured, and at least two
poth Women-Were made mad by the
horror of the fire. The loss of the
hotePs register makes an accurate list
OF the victims unavailable. The Dewey
burned like tinder. 1t was a mass OF
lanes 1tl s, from roof to sidewalk when
the flrst fire company arrived and
every effort to save the building was
futile 1t was total loss a few hours
after the fire was discovered and the
were also gutted.
No Chance TO Escape Flames.
trapped by flames that seemed tn
purst from every part of the building AZ
once the guests on the upper floors
had hardly a chance to get out. Terror
s.- strlcken they rushed to windows and
IRE escapes and at least one man
CHARLES Cummins leaped from a high
balcony, only to be dashed to deatl, ON
the pavement below
Men and women clambered up on
easements and shrieked to the firemen
to save them. Doubtless more would
have plunged to the ground. to escape
the flames but before they cauId do so
the roof of the hotel caved in.
Bodies Under Tons of Debris.
With the tons of debris. the entrapped
victims were hurled into the basement.
Efforts he.
f1remen to rescue them of course were
futile, for they themselves were driven
back from the furnace by the spouting
flames and terrific heat
Nearly half a hundred bodies most
of which will be burned beyond hope
of recognition, lie in the basement. Il
is believed. White hot iron girders and
pipes and timbers still blazing made
impossible any attempt to recover more
than very few bodies.
lizzie Steissa. World-HeraId paper
carrier was one of the heroes Before
the firemen arrived he rushed into the
building and began assisting the night
clerk to arouse those asleep. He
helped drag several half dazed persons
from the building and then half suffo-
Gated, collapsed. Later he revived
Jesse Mold, who represents the man
agement of the hotel probably saved
the lives of nearly a score of persons.
He was awakened by the cry of fire
and half dressed, hurried through the
smoke filled halls arousing guests. He
succeeded in getting a few persons out
of the burning building all half clad.
They were taken to nearby places of
refuge.
Bitter cold made conditions worse.
The firemen had hardly started
when frozen pipe lines began
to burst, reducing the efficiency of the
fire fighters.
Gas Explosion Causes Fire.
1t is now believed the loss of life
was caused by a gas explosion in the
rear of the building. A few weeks
ago a leaking gas main caused the
to arouse the guests to
prevent their asphyxiation. The ex-
plosion during the fire today is be-
lieved to have resulted from a similar
cause.
The suddenness with which the fire
secured headway indicated that this
condition existed. The firemen had
pushed a ladder to the third floor on
the alley side just as the explosion oc-
Cured. 1t sent the ladders back and
prevented several persons at windows
from escaping. At least one person
was shaken from the ladder when the
explosion occurred, but he was not
badly hurt.
After six hours during which from
six to dozen streams were kept con-
tinually playing on the ruins. ii was
not possible for the firemen to enter
the burned building.
Survivor Tells Story.
Mark Hemmingway of Ewing. Neb.,
a guest OF the third floor told a
thrilling story of escape. Being
aroused by the cry of fire, he rushed
TO the second floor That part of the
building was in flames and he was
forced to grope his way back to his
room. He collapsed for a moment but
soon jammed his fist through the
and climbed out He was
'escued by firemen on a ladder Hem
ningWay had several bad cuts but 9TH
erwise was uninjured.