Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-02-28
Fifteen DIE IN
BEDS AS BIC FIRE
DESTROYS HOTEL
Loss of Life in Omaha
Blaze May Even
Be Greater.

OMAHA, Neb., Feb. 28.=-Fire, be-
explosion, cost fifteen or more lives
here today and caused a loss Of
$250,O0o. The Dewey Hotel, a second
class hostelry, at Thirteenth and Far
nam streets, was destroyed by fire,
which swept the three-story building
with a speed that precluded attempts
at rescue.
Some of the guests had time to
reach the stairways, but others were
caught by the colIapsing roof of the
tructure 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
stant death or mortal injury.
At noon only twenty-five out of
sixty persons estimated to have been
in the building had been accounted
for, but it was hoped that the death
list would be smaller than at first
estimated, as it was known that a
score or more of those who had
escaped left the neighborhood without
revealing their identities.
Business Firms Suffer.
In addition to the loss on the hotel
proper. several business firms who
had their establishments in the build
ing suffered.
When the firemen reached the burn
ing hotel they saw a number of per-
sons at windows in the two upper
stories. Before ladders could be
raised, however, the roof began to
cave in and no one was rescued by
the ladder men.
Charles Cunning. bartender. who
had room on the Farnam street side
of the hotel, jumped from third
story window and met instant death.
He struck head first on the sidewalk.
Mrs c. E. Wilkins, wife of the
proprietor. who had a room on the
second floor dragged her sister, Miss
Alice Bonnevie, to window. There
Miss Bonnevie collapsed. Mrs. Will
kins jumped, and though two police
men broke her fall, she was badly
injured. Her sisters body is in the
ruins.
James Proxies. a eoppersmith, and
Charles Beverly, a waiter, are also
known to have perished.
lizzie Steiss newspa per carrier,
was one of the heroes of the fire. Be
fore the firemen arrived, he rushed
into the building and assisted the
night clerk to arouse those who were
asleep He helped drag several half
dazed persons from the building and
then collapsed from the effects of
smoke. He was removed to a hospital
and revived.
Jesse Mold, an employee of the ho-
tel, probably saved the lives of TWEEN
ty persons He was awakened by the
cry of fire and half-dressed hurried
through the smoke-filled halls arous-
ing guests. de got number of per-
sons out of the burning building, all
of them half-clad
1t is now believed the loss of life
was caused by a gas explosion in
the rear of the building. Only a few
weeks ago there was discovered a
leaking gas main which caused the
management of the hotel to arouse
all the guests At that time it was
necessary to cut off the gas supply
and open all the windows and doors.
Todays explosion is believed to have
resulted from similar condition.
After six hours during which from
six to a dozen streams were kept
continually playing on the ruins, it
was still impossible for firemen to
enter the building. How many bodies
will be found was then still a mat
ter of conjecture.
Bitter cold weather added to the
discomfort of those who had to flee
for their lives and frozen@hose lines
Handicapped the firemen.