Omaha daily bee., 1913-12-04
Men in Front Half of Fourth Story
Have No Chance.
ONLY ONE BODY IS IDENTIFIED
Grand Jury and Mayor fitzgerald
Begin Inquiries.
MANY JUMP INTO LIFE NETS
Fire Escapes Crowded with Scream
ing Men when Fircmen Arrive
Many Escape 60 Roof of
ADJOINING BUILDING.

BOSTON, Dec. 3.-Twenty-seven men
we're killed in fire, which swept
through the upper floors OF the Arcadia
hotel, a lodging house In the south cid
early today. Others are missing Scores
were taken to hospitals
Nearly all the bodies were terribly
burned. making Identification impossible.
The victims were men in poor circum-
stances Caught in the crowded hunks
on the top floor of the five-story brick
building and in the small rooms on the
fourth floor. they were helpless. When
they were aroused the stairways were IN
flames and there was a mad rush for
fire escapes at the rear.
Practically eli the. men we're naked
Many were rescued by the firemen and
police. Some escaped by walking a shaky
plank. stretched to an adjoining build
ing or by jumping across a five-foot
alley TO neighboring roofs
The property loss Is only So, 900 The
Arcadia was located at the corner OF
Washington and Laconia street The
lower floors were occupied by stores.
The fire apparently started in a hall
way closet on the street floor. The flames
swept up the wooden stairs and burned
! through the roof. According 20 William
. Walsh. the night clerk. there were IT'S
dodgers in the building when the fire was
discovered by a passing newshoy. After
turning In an alarm. he rushed Into the
building awakening the men with his
shouts na'atA tAaass-s-
.. Hall Doors Locked.
The top floor was one large ROOM,
filled with cots and bunkse. On the fourtS
floor where tho loss OF life was heaviest
there were thirty tiny room, like cells
with two cots In each A hallway ran
| through the center Nearly all those oc-
cupylng rooms on the front of the build :
ing pershed. The men I'm the rear rooms
opening on the firescape had locked tho
doors when they went 10 bed and those In
front were unable to reach the fire es-
cape.
Two more bodies were found during
tho forenoon, bringing the death list up
TO twenty-seven. The only body identi-
fled was that of Georg5 r. ADAMS OF
Boston. One OF the injured Is Frank
Harris OF Chicago.
Two Investigations were begun one
was undertaken by the grand Jury, who
viewed the scene and prepared to hear
testimony regarding the manner In which
the owners and lessees of the property
had observed the building and fire reg
ulations. Another was started by the
building inspection department under or
ders from Mayor Fitzgerald.
When the firemen arrived flames were
! shooting twenty feet in the air from the
windows on the fourth and fifth floors
and the fire escapes and the roof were
mass OF shHeking. struggling human
ity. Despite shouts OF assurance from
below. three men jumped from the roof
aud two were killed The third. who had
wrapped mattress about himself. es-
capped with few bruises.
Life Nets save Many.
Life nets were quickly stretched by the
firemen and many rescued in this man
ner. Others were taken down ladders
with the flames sweeping about them
The intense heat soon drove the firemen
from their ladders and made il neces-
sary to fight the fire from the street