Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-06-30
TEN TO 70
PERISH IN
FLAMES
Fire in Ruins Follows Collapse
Of Ruff Building in Sioux
City When Undergoing
Remode|ing.
By Associated Press.

The toll of dead in the Ruff
building, a three-story brick
structure at Fourth and Doug
las streets, which collapsed at
1870 p. m. today and was
burned, was estimated tonight
at 10 to 20, with a score more
injured. Most of the injureI
are not seriously hurt. The fl
nancial loss is placed at $780,
900.
The Ruff building was being
remodeled and the collapse is
believed to have been due to
removal of old supports. The
structure was erected nearly SO
years ago and was one of the
oldest buildings in the city.
The known dead are
Louis Soiseth, Sioux City.
Walter Nelson, Sioux City.
Roy Ostranger, Sioux City.
Louis Schuler, Lemars, Ia.
Charles Kugel, Sioux City.
One unidentified.
Otis BoruF, critically hurt, was dug
out at 10 o'clock tonight.
The Missing.
Alfred Hanson, one of the owners of
the Ruff Drug company.
Frank Harp, market man.
Five tailors employed on the third
floor of the Ruff building are believed
to be buried in the basement. They
are: Herman Feddern, Olof Roissum,
John Stutz, John Louma and Olof
Running.
Two other tailors, Louis Fretheim
and Nels Vindine, escaped. They fell
clear of the ruins when the building
toppied over. o."
When the Ruff building collapsed
the east wall fell on the Chain gro-
cery and Beaumont and Braunger
meat markets, two stories, .crushingd
both as If they were eggshells. A
number of persons are believed to be
buried in the ruins of these buildings. |
Fire, which broke out in the ruins |
Of the Ruff building, added to the
perils OF those imprisoned. ALI the
fire departments in the city,. assisted
by hundreds of volunteers, aided in |
fighting the flames and in searching !
the ruins. -,
Has Miraculous Escape.
The escape of Oscar Ruff, one of the
proprietors of the store, from death |
bordered on the miraculous. After |
being imprisoned under ton of de-
bris for over eight hours he was
dug out by rescuers at 9 o'clock to-
night, practically unhurt. He was
taken to his home and declared that
after he had had a bath he would re-
turn and aid the rescuers. Fire,
water and burning chemicals added |
to the perils of the tons of debris |
which threatened for hours to crush |
out Ruff's life.
R. F. Kugel, an employe of the Ruff
Drug company, who was in the build
ing when it collapsed, was able to
reach safety. His father, Charles Ku-
gel, and brother, Merle Kugel, were
caught in the ruins. Charles Kugel, a
carpenter. was taken out dead. Merle
Kugel, a clerk in the store, is still in
the ruins. Hans Aspner, a bookkeeper,
was rescued after being pinned in the
ruins for hours.EHe was not seriously
hurt.
Telephones for Assistance.
Frank Harp, one of the owners of
he Beaumont & Braunger market, is
believed to have been burned to death
in the Office of the market.
Soon after the accident occurred,
the telephone in another Beaumont &
Braunger store at Sixth street rang.
For Gods sake come and help me
get OUT voice shouted indistinctly
over the wire. 81
F. Ricketer, an employe OF the mar
ket at Sixth and Pearl streets. an
swered the telephone. He says that it
sounded like Harp's voice. Efforts
were made to cut through the back
and reach the imprisoned man. A hole
was cut through the ice box in the
rear of the establishment, but debris
blocked the entrance to the Office.
Rescuers could not reach the .inl-
prisoned man.