The Red Cloud chief., 1913-03-06

| Preparations for removing the
bodies were completed rapidly under
the guidance of Charles A. Salter. fire
chief The gaunt walls of the burn
ing building that menaced the lives
OF every fireman were town down and
this mass OF brick and mortar was re-
moved first of all.
Raze the Tottering Wall.
Chains attached to heavy ropes.
the latter being operated by means
OF blocks and tackles, were attached
to the walls, and then hundred or
more men supplied the power neces-
sary to raze them. With a roar that
could be heard for blocks. the shaky
piles OF brick fell into the streets,
sending the curious scattering in all
directions
BY pulling the walls outward the
work of recovering missing bodies
was greatly facilitated. The debris
already covering the victims Of. the
holocaust Is many feet thick and held
solidly together by the ice. To have
tumbled the walls inward would have
served only to increase the firemen's
work
w. +. Caldwell, a soldier at Fort
Omaha, was struck in the face by q
brick. His upper lip was severely cut.
He was volunteer aiding city en-
ployes in razing the walls.
The exact number of lives lost In
the fire still is problematical. Like all
the other hotels in the city the Dewey
was well filed with visitors, many OF
them from towns several miles from
here. The house register is believed
20 have been destroyed, but even its
recovery, it is declared. would not aid
matters materially.
Among the first pieces of known
property to be removed from the ruins
was trunk belonging to Charley
Cummins. the dead bartender.
Loss Estimated at $t85,000.
The estimated loss in the fire Is
S1S5,000, the larger share of this be
ing confined to the hotel, The
WHICH occupied the first floor, PLACED
its loss at $4,000, partially covered
by insurance.
Representatives OF John D. Creigh
ton declined to place n valuation OF
the property. but others interested
said the building and it's furnishing
were worth about $4,000.
The Hitler Liquor company, locate,
, at 1909 Farnam street, sustained Sc
600 loss, largely from water. Most o
this Is covered with insurance. Th
Adams Express company, 1907 Fan
nam, suffered about $3.50 damage.
A Story Of the Fire.
The most graphic story Of the COZ
I ditions in tho hotel Is told by Mar
/ Hemenway OF Ewing, Neb,
: my room was on the third floor,
7 said Iiemenway. 81 awoke to find tn
Q room filed with smoke, and hear
shouts in the corridors. | put on
), the hallway. "A cloud Of smoke seen
ed to fill the room Immediately.
"The smoke was hot and acrid
* could not see the walls. | ran dow
L the Railways. and found the stairs.
I II went down some stairs, / do nc
$ know where they We're, and found a
exit. I do not know where it wa
r The exit was locked tight and l coul
n not break down the door.
u Il finally got to the front wall an
'e ran into window. 1t was closed.
10 jammed my barred hand through II
O. pane, and broke out the glass. an
~ dropped from the window to the fiji
~ escape,
IL Dundee Man Rescues Many.
J. ]. Foy, a broker. residing at Du
le dee, corroborates the story of Heme
oil way that the door OF the hotel W;
ID locked. He was passing the hot
sn when the fire broke out and at on
In started in the work OF rescue. Wi
n the aid Of another man he broke
u. the doors at the Thirteenth street g
trance.