The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1920-09-10
TEN ARE DEAD
AS RESULT OF HOTEL
FIRE IN OREGON
HOUSTON HOTEL AND PART OF
BUSINESS SECTION OF KLAM-
ATH FALLS DESTROYED. LOSS
PUT AT 100000.

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. Sept.6.-
Ten persons are known to have burn
ed to death here early today when fire
swept the Houston hotel and part of
the business district with a property
loss estimated at more than 100000.
Four other persons are unaccounted
for and officials believe they perish
ed in the fire 1t is thought many
more have perished, for the inciner-
ated parts of many bodies were re-
ported visible in the embers
The Main street court house, an
unoccupied building now in litigation,
has been commandeered by the Red
Cross and the refugees are being TAX
en- care of there. Fifty cots have
been installed Organized labor has
started relief fund for the victims,
the labor council here making the first
contribution.
The identified dead are:
Mrs. Little Vlderback, Ashland
Ore.
Miss Leona Vilderback, Ashland,
Ore.
Miss Margaret Hanley, chamber
maid, klamath Falls.
-. Shadrick, first name and ad-
dress undetermined.
Known dead, but unidentified:
Four unidentified men; girl Of
about II years of age from Medford,
Ore.
Sixteen bodies are believed to be in
the ruins of the hotel. Seven guests
Of the hotel who escaped incineration
are suffering from burns sustained BY
jumping.
Mrs. Mary Camporo, to whom a
baby was born only three days ago,
threw the infant from hotel room
window into blanket held by res
cuers, then jumped herself. The in
fant was uninjured but Mrs. Camporo
sustained painful injuries. She will
recover, physicians said.
Difficulty was experienced in iden
titying the bodies that have been tax
er from the ruins. The bodies of four
others have been definitely located,
but the heat was so intense rescue
was not practicable late today. All
the deaths occurred in the hotel build
ing, its 38 rooms being filled to capa-
city. 1t is estimated that close to 100
people went to sleep in the hotel last
night.
The flames were discovered about
, o'clock this morning, but they had
gained great headway before water
could be thrown on the building. d
three-story frame structure. Guests
were fleeing from the hostlery when
the first equipment arrived, many of
them jumping from the second and
third story windows. Three men ap-
peared in third story window. ac-
cording to Fire Chief Ambrose and
then they were seen to fall back into
the blazing building.
The fire had its inception, fire Of
ficials say, in a pile of rubbish be
meath a back stairway It ate into
the frame fabric of the hotel, the
flames enveloping the entire build
ing within few minutes. Leaping
the street the Houston opera house
was ignited and a frame business
block adjacent. Before it was check
it had consumed nine buildings. in
cluding the Houston hotel and opera
house, three lodging houses, two busi-
ness structures and two residences.
Many persons were injured or
badly burned in trying to get out Of
the burning hotel. The injured in
clude H. Mechanics, William Morse.
Thomas Higgins, James Pofder (the
latter from MADEIRA. CALI
Klamath Falls was crowded with
hundreds of visitors who had come
here to participate in a Labor day
celebration.