Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-02-28

did SO in scanty attire. They were
carried to- drug store across the
street and a near BY restaurant.
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 tele-
phone. He rushed out and found the
pany in flames and turned in a second
and third alarm, which brought out
the entire downtown fighting force.
When the firemen arrived the build
ing was in mass OF flames and fire.
men saw q number Of persons at the
windows in the upper two stories. Be-
fore ladders could be raised the roof
began to cave in on the unfortunates
and not a single person was rescued
by the ladder men.
Probably Forty in Ruins.
That the basement. into which the
burning interior fell within half hour
after the Are started. contains the
bodies of not less than forty people,
is the belief of Fire Chief salter.
There was. no way in which to reach
them for many hours after the build
ing collapsed. The rear wall fell in on
the mass and all were buried beneath
hundreds Of tons of debris.
It is believed the fire started in the
the basement. Persons In the vicinity
at the time say there was an explosion
and in a few minutes the entire in
teirior was in flames.
Newsboy Hero.
lizzie Steiss, World Herald paper
carrier, was one of the heroes Of the
fire. He was preparing to start with
his morning route and was one Of the
first at the fire. Even before the fire.
men arrived he rushed into the building
and assisted in rousing the sleepers.
He helped drag several half-dazed per-
sons from the building and then, half
suffocated, went to a near by drug
store, where Alban P. Smith. night
clerk, administered stimulant. He
stepped outside and collapsed, entirely
overcome by the effect Of the smoke
forced thru his lungs. He was removed
to the emergency hospital and later re-
vived.
Jesse Mold, who represents the man
agement of the hdtel, probably saved
the lives Of over score of persons. He
h1Yst t3a- 90
half dressed, hurried thru the smoke
filled Railways arousing guests. He
succeeded in getting number of per-
sons out, all Of them half clad. They
were taken to near by places Of refuge
for the time.
Fire Hose Freezes.
Winter cold mads. conditions almost
unbearable. The nFemen had hardly
started streams onsthe burning hotel
until frozen pipe lines began to burst.
They caused an impediment to the
efforts of the firemen and reduced for
some time the efficiency Of the fire
fighting force.
1t is now believed the loss of life was
caused by a ges explosion in the rear
OF the building. Only few weeks ago
there was discovered a leaking gas
main which caused the mana cement Of
the hotel to arouse all the guests. A.
that time 1t was necessary to cut of
the supply, and open the windows and
doors of the entire building to prevent
the asphyxiation of the guests. The
explosion today is believed to have re-
suited from similar condition.
Gas Aids Spread Of Flames.
The raptdity. Of the spread of the fire
indicated that this condition existed.
The firemen had pushed a ladder to the
third floor just as the explosion oc-
CURED. Il send the ladder 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
seriously injured. -...4- .@-sg-.----,. i
After six hours. during which six to
a dozen streams were kept playing on
the ruins. 1t was not possible for the
fiTemen TO enter the building.
/. Remarkable Story Of Escape.
How many bodies will be found was
still a matter OF, conjecture and 1t was
not known positively that more than
fifteen were in the ruins.
Mary Hemmingway who lives at
Ewing. Neb. was a guest at the hotel.
He tells a remarkable story Of escape.
Being aroused by the cry. of fire he
rushed down stairs to the second floor
to find that part sof the building in
flames. He could! find no avenue OF
escape and groped his way back. to his
room above. Hers he collapsed for