The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-02-28
MANY PERISH
 IN HOTEL FIRE
Fifty Guests Trapped in IinderbOX SruC-
 lure Early Today
Flames Force Firemen to Re. treat, Leaving Terrified Victims
 to Their Fate

Omaha, Ne0., Feb. 2s-PoIice and frenlen estimated that over 20 lives have probably been lost in the Dewey Hotel fire, early today. At 10 a. m. three bodies had been identified and it was believed that 20 were in the ruins. although the register was burn ed and no list of the guests is avail able.
 The three known dead are: Charles Cummings, 55, bartender; Mrs. Alice Bonneview; unidentified man, 50.
 The known injured are: Vivio Stiff, 14, overcome by smoke; Tina Nelson, chambermafd, leg broken; Mrs E. c. Wilkinson, badly burned.
 Later it was found that A R. Porter and Dwight Bruce, of Broken Bow, Neb., had perished in the flames. This raises the known death list to five. The two men were in room A and it was in a portion of the building that was completely destroyed.
 The Dewey Hotel was a three story been five stories. The upper floors had been condemned and removed. Owing to the age of the structure and its character, it burned like finder.
 The police estimate of the dead is made on the authority of Jess Noe1d, leave the building and who said that at least 50 people were registered there, last night. At least a. dozen of them were women In addition to the dead and injured, 20 persons have not been accounted for and are believed to be in the still smouldering ruins
 B. T. Conner, of Ealinwood, Neb., who was a guest in the hotel declares he was awakened by the cry of fire. He rushed from his room and saw the hallway packed with screaming, F1.1 T, %< through the wall of flames and smoke He rushed to the rear and luckily To- cated window near a, fire escape and made his way to the street. He is positive that all of the frantic guests who were jamnaed in the halls and rooms perfshed.. E-4
 J. Foy, a broker. was passing the hotel at 4:3o 3. n1. when a. man rush ed out and asked him to help carry some people out. He found six per- sons lying unconscious just inside the door and by the time these were oar ried to the street, the building was a mass of flame.
 According to guests who escaped, the first intimation of the fire, came when a woman's scream awakened them. The building was then filled with smoke and within half an hour 1t was in ruins.
 Mrs. c. B. Wilkins says she was awakened by her sister Mrs. Bonne- view and upon opening their cham. Der door saw the halls. filled with smoke and flames. They broke a window in their room. Mrs. Bonne- view dropped unconscious and was carried to the window by Mrs. Wilk- ins who then was almost overcome. Bremen rescued Mrs. Wilkins but Mrs. Bonneview was burned to death.
 Tina Nelson, a chambermaid, rush ed from her room to the front of the
 
 second floor and leaped out. She was picked up unconscious and bleeding. At the hospital it was stated that her left leg was broken and she may have sustained internal injuries. Shortly after the maid jumped the body of Charles Cummings, bartender, was picked up from the sidewalk. He had leaped from the third stody in his nightclothing. His body was horribly mang1ed.
 Policeman Schwager. who was call ed to the fire, carried out two un- identified women and he himself nar- rowly escaped being burned to death in attempting to re-enter the building. He said that at least a dozen uncon- scious persons were lying on the thres- hold when he entered. These were carried out by J. Foy, a broker.
 Of the other unfortunates who were guests in the hotel, little can be learn ed. The flames spread quickly that few could have escaped. It is believed at least 20 are in the ruins. There are, conflicting stories as to the cause of the fire. A night watch man in a neighboring building saw sparks coming from the chimney and turned in an alarm. A drug clerk across the street declared he heard an explosion but this is discredited.
 The hremen were handicapped in fighting the flames by temperature n or6- ships.
 For time it seemed that the en- tire block would go but the fire was finally confined to the hotel and the stores beneath it. The hotel build ing burned so rapidly that ladders were burned under the fremen as they sought to reach the upper floors calling for aid.
 All the firenen who entered the ho- tel tell of the pitifu1 screams of the frantic women, the horror of stumb ling unconscious form in the dark.
 The work of rescue had barely started when the rotten walls gave way. Many of the hremen had nar- row escapes. Scores of the freight CTS staggered forth with hands and faces burned to a crisp and overcome by the tragedy then were forced to abandon their efforts.
 The futile attempt to drown the flames was hindered by poor pressure and the cold weather. Two nozzle men, standing at the rear of the building, directing their stream in the flames were unable to remove their hands from the hose. Ice had formed on the handles and encased their hands
 Acting Manager Noe1d, of the hotel. declared this morning, that the entire loss, including the furnishings, would