The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-04-10
ESCAPES
CUT OFF
BY DOOR,
HE Says

'oSSe's "N'09 " ~
coin Called Before Jury
investigating Tragedy
Lincoln hotel guests had tn
break thru = pane Of thick
ribbed glass. unbcit a door fast
ened on the opposite side, and
then smash q ribbed glass win
dow to reach the fire escapes.
L. r. Ward. assistant manager
of the hotel. admitted Saturday
at the coroner's inquest
ment OF the county-city building TO
deterrsine who Is responsible for the
fire which destroyed the hotel
wednesday and caused the death OF
Miss Blanche Grove, 2o-ycar-ojd
stcnographer. and at least three
others
The inquest adjourned Gf noon
until Tuesday morning. The jury
was to view the ruins af Fourth ave.
and Madison st Saturday afternoon.
Ward was the third witness called.
He was preceded on the stand by
Assistant Firs Chief Harry Hale.
and Captain Oscar H Epptnxhouze.
of truck company No. .. Who re-
moved the body Of Miss Grove from
the ruins.
Questioned by Carroll Graves, con-
ducfins the inquiry for Coroner c.
C. Tiffin. Ward explained that he
was employed as assistant manager
last November by Maltby 4 Thurs
ton. who. he understood. we're the
hotel owners.
BREAK GLASS;
PAINTED on DOORS
There were usually between 80
and 800 guests in the hotel Ward
said In the sub-bascmcnt, where
the fire is believed to have originaf-
cd. he said there was a laundry.
paintroom and engineers tool room
The laundry was operated by steam
generated by coal
In detail he described the lobby
floor and the elevator shaft. which
the flames. giving them access 10
all the seven floors In the interior
OF the building. he said. was a light
court extending down TO the lobby
roof Surrounding this run wen-
were rooms occupied by guests.
There were three fire escapes rec
ognized by the employees, he testi-
fled. One OF these, in the light
court. Is said 10 have been impassa-
bic "Wednesday because OF the flames
and smoke roaring up thru the
the court and elevator shaft Tho
other two were approached by a door
opening off the halls ON each floor.
On the door was painted the sign
Fire Escape. Break Glass"
BUT DOORS WERE
STILL BOLTED
after breaking the glass IN the
upper part OF the door, did the per-
son have to crawl thrug" asked At
torney Carroll.
mo" replied Ward. -On the IN
side OF the door was bolt This
could be reached after the glass was
broken. The door could be unbolted
and opened"
WAS this glass corrugated or re
inforced?"
'lt was ribbed glass;
How thick?"
II can't say
After breaking the ribbed glass.
unbolting the door and opening 1t.
could one climb onto the fire
escape7"
THEN HAD TO GO
THRU BATH ROOM
NO. That door opened into q
bathroom. At the other end OF the
bathroom was window. BY break
ing that window, a person could
reach the escape"
"Why did one have 70 break
that Window"
1t was locked to keep out
burglars for the protection Of
guests"
What kind Of glass was in the
Window"
Ribbed glass"
''Then. after breaking one pane OF
ribbed glass. unbolting door and
breaking a ribbed glass window. one
could get out onto the fire escape?"
Yes"
Assistant Chief Hale described the
finding of Miss Groves body. badly
burned. and lying face down on
mattress about 15 feet inside the west
wall of the building.
Capt. Eppinghouse said Chief Hale
had called him and pointed out the
body.
About all the clothing that
wasn't burned off was the corset
Eppinghouse told the jury The
upper part was covered with wreck
age. The lower part was exposed.
One foot was burned completely
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