The ALASKA
sovmoucH
10c a Copy
Vol. /. No. 2
Douglas, Alaska, Friday, September 8, 1911
UgHK
CORONER’S INQUEST SHOULD BE
Tlio origin of the fearful holocaust,
in Juneau last Sunday night, in which
the Juneau hotel was burned and an
unknown number of live were lost, has
not ... as-vrtained. On the second
floor, there were sounds of a carousal
until midnight—two shots were heard
not long before the lire, which men on
the third floor thought at the time were
fired on the second floor. That there
were men and women awake on the
floor on which the fire originated at
the time the tire started, is certain.
The Sourdough has no desire ro be
sensational. lit Jias no e\ id- that a
crime was committed, and the building
fired to prevent discovery. It h: no
desire to nn>u~ ■ any unfounded sus
picion. But the people of the lastin
eau channel would like to knew tie
facts.
The district law which authorizes
the holding of coroner’s inquests is
nor* ns definite and certain as it ought
to be. 'the Sourdough realizes the po
sition of Commissioner Winn, on ac
count o It he vagueness of the law, and
bcliev: s that he has every desire to do
his duty in the premises. The Conir
dongit believes tlint a coroner-s in
quest w'l yet be held.
r, < ad ar- William MMrri
son. killed ;■! an at tempi- t • eijgape,
Nick Boce Wi t Da < nporf, D
Unix . \i >.: ar: bn: u>d to
.1. v. . , : t i ... „<-i, „-l..t
died from burn- r the hospital. There
is one bed;, inbi 'nt 1 tied. The injur bl
at the In ; *:: ;i I of tin* Slst-.-:--; u St.
Ann are B.o d Miller, Mrs. J. J Frahl.
J. Z. Kim! ia jtfrs. J. Z. Kimber
J a ■ ; S"ii, I i I i • - ■ i, < 1'erry.
Georg Ma m dis-'n, S;tka dim, Dave
latson and
den—ab • d- \ 11 pro tbly rdov<T,
There were m. fire escapes. It ;s said
that the !■ • o a in ,u was f umd • t
til" l • : I;.o1 d • of a ha!!.
The register of the hotel, which w;is
in use, was destroyed by fire. Paul
Vincent, the proprietor, lias a register
that was in use up to the first of the
month.- The guesses made as to who
was in the hotel at the time of the fire
are based on this register. There is no
question but that others w-re in the
hotel. In all human probability, Se
lina Dowling, not long ago acquitted of
the charge of murdering It ■■ mother,
p wished in the flames.
Those known to have escaped are
•lack i'rest. K. Knudson, .1. Mayer, Kd
Barnes, Clark Smith, Chris Wood, Tom
Ghormley, Dave Martin, 1). Robinson,
.1. A. Cabbage. Bari Abercrombie, Etli
'I Roberts, John Newman, Billy An
derson, a man by the name of O’Con
nell, Tom Beattie, [). Thomas, J. Lin
den, I fin e Anderson, Mrs. Tom Scul
ly, Jimmy Morgan, B. Met/, until re
cently a Chicago!! miner, said to be ac
companying the Indian woman who es
cape 1 with her child. Besides these
there are several whose names are not
known. This l:st is believed to con
tain oily those who wiv in the bo
tel at the time of the fire.
M’ssing are Nick Mr r-k and a ‘•'tall
woman with glasses.”
The largest number of tin* survivors
escaped only in n:rhf gowns and an
«"!» t$> *;•* e£* «J» vj-l «•£* #|'J o|» ;-Jfl r
derclothing. ('lark Smith escaped from
the building as naked as when he came
into the world.
Smith was in the habit of retiring
at 9;30, but on the night of the fire he
had a discussion with the mechanic at
the sawmill, which lasted until mid
night. Then he went to his room, ami
removed all his clothing. The night
was very hot and he. laid down on the
bed to cool off before lie put on his pa
jamas. He heard the sound of ca
rousal below, and heard two shot fired.
He thought at first that Hr'- sound cam"
from beneath him. in the .hotel, but
as he heard no sound o people rumdng.
he decided that the. sound must have
come from outside.
He picked up a magazine from beside
him and read for a minute or two. His
eves burned, and he closed them for a
few minute-: and* fell asleep. He was
probably asleep for only a few min
utes. and then he awoke. It occurred
to him that he had bettor put on his
pajamas. When lie put his feet on the
floor, he found tlm floor very hot.
Looking down lie saw tongues of tire,
lie opened a door into the hall; and
saint * belched into the room. He saw
a woman in her night dress running to
the roar of the hall and then back to
the. front where the fire was worst, and
* 8§J *2* »J«8 tty ty ty _ty ty ty •£% *S:» J1?J» *T.
c oiTvrf
‘T><VKT’rp \xj A ATT TCTO MlJWBti ^ T»P.P
'l here nr • win.
t :i order to enjne
t.i read, lint also
■ lie 1 h inki ni>' pnn
"! wiiu feeI 1 his way, la,; r -o in in,-at can
v.sji-iri r. two tilings are nee. mfy. On ■
e nm i have a w rtaln fiiwun’1 bf iir{*•]!:nut
Will IV it lw J el in fill.
The Bourdoujih ;s in
may he ve read ! ! ■ m-u •
■ '-k' ited for th .* first ■ hr
amt we r ]>. the an
1 -ss i ntor< 'St i ng Vmoa a •
'rorn day to day, yet the 1
Daily newspaper r -:>-!• -r
of 1 he in of them to inlie
vHi take a dn
wirfkmyli its if
imtvei-iatit a. I
Ant a Doutrl.as an ! .1 nucan. and throughout
nr* ilnoisantls of .Inteliiyent men ami \v ernai who d ) nm Oike a. d
t Iwy f.if that tin •• earm a afford it. ami
that the Bourdon ah is published.
•f* fk fi Ip ip tp ip Ip tp ip .a ip '£* up -V
untonyn.
fern At:
’s !v
a *p ip • ip
for them
v *
disappear in the smoke and flames.
Still naked, Smith rushed to the win
dow, broke it with his fists' and ' limb
ed out. Along a ledge- he crept to the
next window. He broke this and then
went t<.» the third, and when lie broke
this, the man in the mom. awn nee
doubt 1. ss, by the crash of glass, caught
las fingers and turned them bad pro
bablv thinking a nmurauder was about
to enter. M • ■ at ini" th > fire had
reached the Id go on which Smith stood
and he tdt n intense leaf about his
b'gs. He turned, and jumped t . the
I'oaf be low, h a.bag safely. As he
dr1 1 another man landed
on ais a 1 shoulders, and the},
" 1 *o ■ tin r down the roof and fell
into the Same blind alley where Wil
liam Mm-rdua was found. They found
a b'-x, arid by its aid, climbed ".rain
to the roui' from which they ha i fal
len, crept to th" ridge, and jumped to
flie ground on the other side.
Smith ran into the roar of the < irck
f’ity hotel, found an overcoat hanging
'
the street a ml around the corner cry
ing ‘ ‘ tire.''
A ft or a few minutes, by. the light of
a street lamp, he lo.,kod at bis logs.
They were black with smoko. H sud
do illy became e.mswous that th w felt
numb, and h • went to the h--.pit.al.
There h ■ >i - • mverefl that vrii h they
O-."-,. 1.v-’t h cnrmk", V'J e,-,.-,
hair hud be-n singed. .
The victory which the Juneau and.
Douglas, fhv.;. "i won ...no* M-.o fin- was
sign tl. Th •- nr : v ry few ir ■ do
part on re. . are w.h >r 1 whit !■ e impure
w'th .1 u-nmu < for rin > , ney.
\ ! . .
on an yi of th on si r <•» om c 11 h ■ t ter to - ■! w d
thin they W o-r Imiore the fhnv Hut
most "t rhem toft the buniing budding
but 1:: ie if o’ : ban Clark Sm!: ft;