Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1920-12-21
Injured AS
.Ho1l1eBurns
Legs and Ankles Broken as
They Jump From Second
Story of University Hos
pital Nurses Home.
~ Trapped by Flames

home of the University hos
pital, Forty-second street and
Dewey avenu< early yesterday
morning.
Twenty-seven nurses who were
asleep in the building had thrilling
experiences and made narrow es-
capes from the flames. Six of the
nurses we're injured, two of them
sustaining broken legs and two
broken ankles in jumping trom sec
cnd-story windows. The following
are the injured, all nurses:
Miss Nettie Fitch, fractured left
leg, cuts and bruises, possible in
ternal injuries.
Miss Frieda Consigny. left leg
fractured, cuts and bruises,
Miss Arta Lewis, broken ankle
Miss Emma Ream, broken
ankle, stunned.
Miss Rieta Eisenmarger, cuts
and bruises.
Miss Grace Styer, cuts and bruises.
Doorway in Flames.
The fire was discovered by Anna
Fay Schriefar, nurse, at 4:20 yes
terday morning. The flames had al
ready gained great headway and the
only door from the building was a
mass of flames.
Miss Schriefar spread the alarm
with scream and ran from room
to room, rousing the nurses.
By this time the flames were roar
ing up the stairway. cutting off es-
cape from the second floor by that
means t'
The building, which was of frame
and stucco. yielded so rapidly to the
flames that for a time it seemed
nurses on the second floor could
not escape. There was an impend-
ing panic.
Make Rope of Sheets.
Calmer minds, however, mar
shalled the trapped nurses on the
second floor and planned thesescaps.s
One nurse helped two others down
by means of rope made of two
sheets tied together. She then low
cred herself part way and jumped
to the ground, sustaining some in
juries.
Nearly all the nurses escaped in
their nightclothes. Reaching the
ground in the cold and darkness,
they ran barefooted across the snow
and ice to the hospital building, 100
teet away.
Eighteen nurses, on night duty in
the hospital, also assisted in the es-
cape of the other 27 nurses from the
burning building.
So fierce were the flames that a,
general fire alarm was sent out. and
all the fre-hghting apparatus OF the
city rushed to the scene. Not until
$50 were the flames under control.
Wind Fans Flames.
For time it wa; feared the flames
might reach the main hospital build
ing, 100 feet away. The prevailing
wind at the time. however, tanned
the flames away from the hospital
building and aided the hremen in
preventing any damage there. 1t
was reported this morning that some
of the patients were moved away
from the part of the hospital near
est the burning building.
The origin of the fire has not been
determined. There was no fire for
heating or cooking purposes i'll the
building. 1t was heated by steam
from the hospital heating plant.
Damage is s35.ooo.
The theory is that the fire started
in the janitor's room of the build
ing. An. investigation will be made.
Dean Irving Cutter stated that the
loss is $35,000.
A temporary dormitory for the
nurses will be established in a large
ward of the main hospital until new
permanent quarters can be provided.
The burning of the structure dem
onstrated the need for additional
fire hydrants about the hospital, DR..
Cutter tolG Fire Battalion Chief
Crager.
AS soon as Crager arrived one
hose line was laid from water plug
in the hospital grounds. The water
could not reach the top of the blaz-
ing building so pumper was at
tached.