ortion of the building. There was no nook or corner that
the flames did not penetrate. The interior of the building burned with
great rapidity until the fire had eaten out the eastern and southern
rooms, when the walls began to give indications of falling. The upper
portion of them waved back and forth in response to a strong wind,
which filled the night air with cinders. At last different portions of
the walls fell, thus giving the flames an opportunity to sweep from
the lower portions of the building. Great gusts, which seemed to
almost lift the upper floors, swept through the broken walls. High up
over the building the flames climbed, carrying with them sparks and
cinders, and in come instances large pieces of timber. All that saved
the lower part of the city from fiery destruction was the fact that a
solid bed of snow a foot deep lay upon the roofs of all the buildings.
During all this time there was comparative quiet, notwithstanding the
fact that the fire gradually extended across Jackson street and also
across Seventh street. Besides the hotel, six or eight other buildings
were also on fire, four of which were destroyed. Women and men were to
be seen hurrying out of the burning buildings in their night
clothes, furniture was thrown into the street, costly pianos, richly
upholstered furniture, valuable pictures and a great many other
expensive articles were dropped in the snow in a helter-skelter
manner. Although nearly every room in the hotel was occupied and
rumors flew thick and fast that many of the guests were still in their
rooms, fortunately no lives were lost and no one was injured. The
coolest person in the building was a young man by the name of Pete
O'Brien, the night watchman. When he heard of the fire he comprehended
in a moment the danger of a panic among over two hundred people who
were locked in sleep, unconscious of danger. He went from room to room
and from floor to floor, telling them of the danger, but assuring them
all that they had plenty of time to escape. He apparently took command
of the excited guests and issued orders like a general on the field of
battle. To his presence of mind and coolness many of the guests were
indebted for their escape from a frightful death. The fire department
worked hard and did good service. The city had no waterworks at that
time, but relied for water entirely upon cisterns located in different
parts of the city. When the cisterns became dry it was necessary
to