Seattle's Horror

Seattle, Wash., Oct. 20. - Hoventeen persons - ten men, foui women, and threo children- were burned to dcath in the West Strcot hotel flro. Thirtecn bodles havo been identiflutl. They are: Mrs. Otterman, of California, aged 150; Andrew Ottennan, hor sou, aged 18; Mrs. J. W. Huffman, wife of a '.veil ktiown farmer of Kall City, Wash.; Mrs. J. H. Hancock, of Rolfe, Ia., and her three childreu, two girls aged 6 and á years, respectivoly, and a boy aged t; John F. Anderson, aged 28; ï Bultman; C. Grahn, a laborer; Angas McDonald; C. Wilson; M. McSorley. The bodics of three men and one woman are unidentlficd. All are so badly burned that rocognltion is almost impossible. Building a Mere Shell of Wood. Tho West Street hotel occupied the upper door of ii two-Btory corrugatod irun building tli.it covers a quarter of a bloot of ground at Colombia and West streats, one block from the Northern Pciciflc station and near the business center of the city. The building was a mere shell of wood covered with irou. There wero several exhits to the street, but they were narrow. The halls were narrow and the rooms smal 1. Wholesale business house3 occupied the flrst floor. The flre Was undoubtedly caused by the explosión of a lamp in the kitchen. The propriotor's son was aroused by tho noise of tho explosión about 1 o'clock, but beforo he could investígate the llames ha . spread all through the house. The corrugated iron sheeting kopt the flamea hid untü nearly the whole interior was a furnace. Tho thin partitions wore of resinous pine covered with cheesecloth and burned f uriously. Horrible Scènes Inside the House. A number of people were rescued from the windows by the firemen, aud whon the fire was under control the lookers-on thought evoryl)ody was safe. But on entering the building the firemen found that this was a terrible mistake. The building was a house. Corpses were everywhero, and in a short time flftoen were found. Most of the bodies were lef 6 where they lay until daylight in the hope that the proprietor might idontify them by locating the room on the register, for every body except two was charred beyond possible recognition. One poor fellowwas caught in the rush of tho conflagration near the top of the West street stairway and sank down overoomo with smoke and fiamos. The flremen fought to keep tho flre away from hls body, but were drivon back. Some of the Siglits Witiirased. In one of the hailways a body, charred blaukened and without a vestigo of clothing was found. A little farther on in the same passrg; way was another body, ovidently that of a woman, face upwards and hand stretcheü as if fighting for her life and appealing for assistance which never caine. There was little left of the woman's form, for part ol the body was charred and the burned bonea lay around it. In nnother hall or passage way was a body. It was evidently that of au aged woman. Her body was fearfully contorted and her face was upward and the form presented was of ono who liad died in the most violent agony. The Saddest Sigrhts of 4.11. The saddest sight of all was found in an nside room off the passageway which led ;o West street. There calmly lying in a charred and blackened bed was evidently an entiro family. The father lay on one side, the wife next to him, and a little jurned and blackened arm, the flesh fallïng in shreds from it, tho suiall flngera clutched, showed that a little child waa among the victims. In an adjoining room was a still more horrible sight. In a corner of a small room two charred and naked skeletons met the gaze of tookers. The clothing was burnod from each and ihe flrst, that of a man with blackened stunips of anus, seemed to be nsrhting an mpending danger. Immediately beyond lim, sitting upright and clutching hei waist, was the skeleton of a woman. No Chance for the Victims. It would require columns to graphioally describe what the firemen saw that told of agonlzing dcath. The arrangement ol the halls of the hotel made such a labyrinth that in the day time one unfamiliar with the place would have had diffleulty n finding his way a bout without several attempts, and as the halls were filled with smoke there was Jlittle chance foi any of thom to make their way out before suffocating. Some of the lodgers were asleep and were overtaken in bed, whüe others rushed into the halls and were suffocated and burned. mmmmmm