The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-12-12
FINAL DEATH LIST IN HOTEL FIRE
TRAGEDY WILL REACH 40 OR 80.
SQUADS SEARCHING RUINS BELIEVE
II Bodies Are Recovered
From SmoIdering Debris
by Early Afternoon.
BUILDING TORN APART
Special Machinery Aids in
Hunt for Remains of
Blaze Victims.
BY United Press

By United Press
LANSING, Mich, Dec. II.
= Officers supervising the
search for bodies in ruins of
the Hotel KernS estimated
this afternoon that they will
compile final death list of
40 to 80.
At the time this estimate
was drawn, only II bodies had
been recovered.
Best estimates of those
familiar with the hotel were
that it contained 213 guests
and employees when the fire
broke out yesterday morning.
Of these, 1863 are known to be
alive, although 90 of them are in
jured. These figures indicate a to-
tai of so either dead or missing and
probably dead. State police said so
is the maximum total, and that 40
might be more accurate figure.
Tear Apart Ruins
Besieged by requests for informa-
ton about missing persons" po-
lice and firemen tore apart the
smoking ruins this afternoon in
their search for bodies.
The bricks and Orders were too
hot to enter, and had to be pulled
into the open by special dragging
machines to cool before they could
be searched.
A temporary morgue was estab-
lished across the street, and little
piles of charred bones, all that was
left of those trapped in the hotel
when it burned, were taken there
when they were found in the ruins.
Police began examination of
charred records taken from the
wreckage of the hotel Office in the
hope of establishing complete list
OF the names of guests. Caked with
ice and badly burned, the docu-
ments offered little hope on their
exterior
Roosevelt Sends Message
Frantic messages from persons in
all parts of the country who had
relatives visiting in Lansing we're
mingled with hundreds of messages
of coincidence, including one from
President Roosevelt.
Many of the known dead and a
number of the missing were mem
bers of the State Legislature, here
for special session. Hospital
corridors were crowded with relative
of the injured md of missing per-
sons.
The Grand River, which flows be-
hind the hotel, was believed to con-
tain the bodies of a number of VIC
time. Persons on a bridge during
the height of the fire saw men and
women jump from their windows
into the ICY water. Later a section
of the hotels wall collapsed into the
river and the debris was believed to
cover additional bodies.
The rapidity with which the fire
spread puzzled authorities. 1t APP
parently had been burning for some
time when discovered by a hotel
employe. When f1remen arrived, it
had swept through the entire build
ing and was out of control
Through the roar of the flames,
those in the street could hear the
agonized shrieks of victims. Faces
appeared at windows, to be i'm
mediately yelled by ,eaping flames.
Fifteen or 20 persons were seen
huddled on the roof The roof
collapsed, dropping them into the
fiery interior.
Victims Are Listed
The list Of victims whose bodies
have been recovered, or who died of
their burns or ether injuries in hos
pitals later, follows:
State Rep. John w. Goodwine,
Marlette. Mich.
Rep. Donald E. Sias, Midland.
Mich.
Rep. T. Henry Hewlett, Gregory.
Mich.
Rep. Charles Parker, Otisville.
Mich.
Rep Vern Voorhees,, Albion. Mich.
Israel Wishneff. Los Angeles.
r S. McFarlane. Dayton, o.
James Gratrix, Chicago.
Abraham Bosnian, Grand Rapids,
Mich.
Clarence Smith, Coldwater. Mich.
An unidentified man, believed to
be named "Kohn."
Among those listed as missing was
Charles R. Searles of Fl. Wayne.
Ind
Among the injured was A. D. Carr.
Bloomington, Ind.