The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1914-06-30
Chickasha Man with Wife and Lit
tie Daughter Have Narrow Es-
cape in Blazing Building
in North Carolina
RESCUED BY FIRE
LADS WITH LADDER
Access to the Fire Escape Cut
Off Crack Of the Flames and
Cries for Help Heard
on Every Hand

L. C. Hutson and family of this city
had thrilling experiences in the Gull
ford hotel fire in Greensboro, n c.,
a few days ago. The blaze was dis
covered about a. m. and at that
time smoke was filling the house, be-
ing dense even on the fourth floor
where one death occurred, with many
thrilling escapes. The fire was finally
put out with a loss OF from $4,000 to
$4,000
Judging from letter written TO a
personal friend here, Mr., Hutson is
quite proud of the heroism displayed
by his wife and little daughter while
in grave peril, and all will no doubt
agree that he has a right to be so.
Mr.. Hutson's letter was not written
for publication but the Express is
permitted to quote from it as fol-
lows:
1--WE certainly had Wild exciting
experience. The hotel is large, old,
out of date structure, and when Mrs
H. awakened me and said The hotel
is on fire, my first thought was how
quickly such as tructure would "
when once started. / opened our hall
door to be met with hot fumes and
smoke too strong to breathe in.
could hear the crack of the flames
and the cries for help from every
side. Quickly closing all openings tC
prevent a draft to keep the atmos
phere In the room so we could a
least live for awhile rushed to thu
window, tearing out the screen an
looking for the nearest fire escape
None was close enough that | had an
chance to reach it with Mrs. III. ant
the child. A travelling man stumble'
in the door praying like a lost sin
ner. | pushed him out and told hin
where the fire escape was. to get ol
all fours and take his chance o
reaching il thought this his bes
chance, while | had figured out tha
my best chance was from the fireme
and ladders, as they would answer tn
cry of Women and children first.
| put Mrs. H. and Mildred in the viii
dow and told them to attract all a
> tention possible.
Z Tears Of pride and admiratio
come to my eyes every time thin
: of how she sat on a window sill thre
3 stories above rock paved alley wit
Mildred, telling the people below thu
I she and the baby had no chance I
escape except they hurried with Il
i hook and ladder. at the same tin
directing me where to find her purs
rings, some dresses, etc. She thre
the dresses and her hats from Il
window. Think of such nerve wht
men by the score were hanging fro
the windows on our side of the bull
J. ing all around us crying like babie
some praying and one poor fello
@ cursing in such manner as to
e most counteract the deadly smoke al
y fumes from behind us. Finally t
IS ladder wagon came UP the alley
looked good. They seemed very sic
and awkward. They raised the Ia
is ders twice, enly to let them fall bac
s. finally it got close enough that
could catch hold of the top of 1t. rh
called to them that could steady
Z to fasten their braces Then fl
4. man came up and got Mildred a
:. Mrs. H. and / followed. The grou
= looked good when we reached IT. N
= dred never even cried. The cro'
, treated her like heroine. When tn
+ asked her what she going to do II
= fire had burned us she said she W
+ going to pull mother and daddy o
+ When we got to another hotel, $
+ said, I'll bet Boyd Gilkey was ne
s.iis a fire like that.
; 81 don't want you to get the wrc
+ impression from my remarks abb
+ the. men and the fire departme
: They are far from modern in mf
= things, but shall always take
= hat off to the good old Carolina fol