The Seattle Post Intelligencer

Slain By The Flames

Sixteen Charred Victims of the West Street Fire.

FIVE DEAD IN ONE FAMILY.

Heartrending Scenes at Identification of the Bodies.

Full Investigation Increases the Horror of the Disaster—The Flames Rushed Through the Flimsy Building and Overcame the Sleeping Guests.

Sixteen dead is the record of the fire at the West Street hotel at 1 o'clock yesterday morning and that number but two have been identified. With only one exception the victims were burned beyond human resemblance and identification of some was possible only by scraps of clothing and of others by locating the rooms where the victims were found and then comparing the same with the hotel register, which fortunately was saved. It would have been impossible for more than two or three identifications to have been made. The scene at the morgue yesterday was a heartrending one. The sixteen blackened and charred bodies were laid side by side in the basement of the morgue proper, each body being twisted and doubled in fantastic and horrible shapes. All day long there was a steady stream of curious people, who marched in through one entrance in double file and came out another. Officers who were on duty all day regulating the crowds are responsible for the estimate that 10,000 people saw the sickening results of the holocaust.

During the day a good deal of interest centered in the report that the coroner's jury impaneled to ascertain the cause of death and locate the blame would bring in an indictment against some one, but the report proved incorrect, for the verdict of the jury did not place the blame on any one.

THE IDENTIFIED DEAD.

The bodies at the morgue are numbered and as each is identified it is labeled, and of the sixteen victims it is now known that the following persons are among the dead:

Mrs. Otterson, aged 60, of California, height 5 feet 6 inches, weight 225.

Andy Otterson, her son, aged 18, height 6 feet 6 inches.

Mrs. J. W. Huffman, of Fall City, wife of the well-known farmer at that place.

Mrs. J. H. Hancher, of Rolfe, Ia., daughter of Mrs. Huffman.

Three children of Mrs. Hancher: girl 6 years old, boy 4 years old and girl 2 years and 6 months old.

John F. Anderson, aged 28, height 5 feet 8 inches.

F. Ballman, identified from the register, height 5 feet 8 inches, full beard, dark hair, eyes that were probably blue.

C. Grahn, identified from the register, height 5 feet 8 inches, light brown hair and brown eyes, was dressed in dark plaid pair of trousers, laced flannel undershirt, wore rosary around his neck, had $10 in his pocket, also large white-handle jackknife. Was probably a laboring man.

Angus McDonald, height 5 feet 9 inches, heavy mustache, large blue eyes.

C. Wilson, blue eyes, dark hair and mustache, polka dot shirt and brown striped pants.

M. McSorley, red flannel undershirt. On patch of clothing on the body was found the business card of a North Seattle dentist.

THE UNIDENTIFIED DEAD.

The other bodies are listed by numbers and will be held until today, awaiting identification:

No. 1—Height about 5 feet 6 inches, black hair, blue eyes, full beard, black striped trousers.

No. 7—Height 5 feet 9 inches, dark navy blue flannel shirt, grey undershirt.

No. 8—Burned beyond recognition, but was probably a large man.

VERDICT OF CORONER'S JURY.

The coroner's inquest did not bring out a great many new facts, but it was ascertained beyond a doubt that the fire was started by the explosion of an oil lamp in the kitchen of the hotel. The verdict of the jury was as follows, being rendered early last evening at an hour when few were identified:

“We, the coroner's jury summoned to investigate the cause of death of the following: Mrs. Otterson, Andy Otterson, Mrs. J. W. Huffman and two children, C. Wilson, Angus McDonald, M. McSorley and eight others unknown, to-wit: One woman, one female child and six adult males, do find that the above came to their death by the burning of the West Street hotel on the morning of October 27, 1894, caused by the explosion of a lamp. We are of the opinion that such buildings are totally unfit for lodging purposes, and would recommend that proper steps be taken to prevent the recurrence of such a disaster."

“Gordon B. Riley, foreman.

“James Lee.

“C. H. Knape.

“J. C. Michel

“John Shaughnessy.

“W. C. Beatty."

It was nearly 3 o'clock when the coroner got the jury together, and then began a struggle with the police to keep back the crowds in order that the jury and witnesses might gain an entrance to the room in the basement where the inquest was to be held. Among the witnesses examined was Fire Chief Hunt, who detailed the work of the department and the finding of the bodies. Capt. Gillam, of Chemical Engine Company No. 1, told about the location of the fire when he arrived on the scene and about the density of the smoke. Capt. Alexander Allen, of Engine Company No. 1, and James A. Farr, of Chemical Company No. 1, also told about the manner in which the fire was worked.

MR. BUTLER'S STORY.

William F. Butler, proprietor of the hotel, testified as to the construction of the building, the materials used and the number of hallways. The building is of corrugated iron, and most of the rooms are simply ceiled, affording a fire plenty of fuel. Mr. Butler said that he was asleep in room K, near the head of the stairs, when the cry of “Fire” awoke him. He saw that his wife and daughters were saved and then did all he could to save the guests. He said that there were seventy-eight rooms in the house, but he could not tell how many were occupied, as the book in which he kept the accounts of the regular roomers were destroyed and his memory did not serve him well. He testified that Mrs. Otterson and her son had been in the hotel several weeks, having come up from California, and as they were in financial distress the son, Andy, was given work as a janitor to pay for their board until both could find other work. This was the arrangement under which they were living. Angus McDonald was a logger and had been rooming in the house for the past three years. C. Wilson, whose occupation was unknown, roomed just opposite room K. Another man, who was in room 41, is missing, but it is not thought that he was burned, for it is believed that all the bodies in the hotel have been removed.

HOW THE FIRE STARTED

Spencer F. Butler, the son of the proprietor, who was employed as night clerk