THE GUMRY HOTEL DISASTER

Surnames/tags: Colorado Disasters Explosions

The goal of this project is to ...document the disaster and the people who were involved both victims and heroes. DONE October 31 2020

Right now this project just has one member, me.

1. I am Carole Taylor.

Here are some of the tasks that I think need to be done. I'll be working on them, and could use your help.

• list all sources with the inline addresses please done
• make profiles for all and Biographies as complete as possible done
• link all persons to parents, and Descendants as much as possible

Will you join me? Please post a comment here on this page, in G2G using the project tag, or send me a private message. Thanks!

Contents 1 Summary 1.1 Victims 1.2 First List 1.3 NEW LIST of the 25 dead 1.4 From the Verdict 1.5 Heroes/ Helpers 2 1725-33 Lawrence Street today 2.1 Newspaper articles 3 Sources

Summary

The Who is Gumry Hotel owned by Peter Gumry.

What: explosion, fire

Where: 1725-1733 Lawrence St Denver, Colorado,

When: 19 Aug 1895

Why: Boiler Exploded

How: Carelessness and Drunk on duty ... "CHARGED WITH MURDER"

1. (Emil) Loescher Elmer Lioesoher, Engineer. (Helmuth) DID survive.............
2. "Elmer Pierce (not Lusher) the night engineer, who is said to have reentered the hotel just before the explosion occurred. It is to this man's carelessness that the disaster is attributed."

Victims: Dead, injured, not found presumed dead

"The list of dead and missing now numbers 25, making the disaster the worst that has ever occurred in the city. Up to 7:20 tonight only seven bodies had been recovered, being those of Manager Greiner and his wife, clasped in each other’s arms; George Burt, a Rock Island railroad conductor; Mrs. George R. Wolfe and daughter; Fred Hubbold and Will Richards, the elevator man. Among the missing are now included Elmer Pierce (not Lusher) the night engineer, who is said to have reentered the hotel just before the explosion occurred. It is to this man's carelessness that the disaster is attributed. The bodies of Peter Gumry and General Adams are still in the ruins. Judge James Glynn, who was at first supposed on vacation.................?

LAST Newspaper articles has stated "31 dead"

Victims

From the Colorado Weekly Chieftain, August 22, 1895

The list as far as can be obtained of the dead, injured and missing, is as follows:

First List

DEAD. This list is not complete and has some listed that did not parish.

1. Peter Gumry. Superintendent of the Capitol Construction/Owner of "The Gumry" since at least June 1893
2. Brig.Gen Carl Adams aka: Karl Heinrich Albert (Charles) Adams Jr formerly Schwanbeck
3. Robert Carl Greiner Assistant Superintendent of the Capitol Construction/ "Part owner of The Gumry"
4. MRS. ROBERT C. GREINER (Louisa Catherine Kleinlogel-Greiner)
5. MYRON E. HAWLEY Railroad Clerk
6. JAMES MURPHY sent to Cincinnati, Ohio
7. A. L. BLAKE Pueblo. Albert S. Blake Attorney
8. W. J. CORSON William J. =Pueblo returned to Wisconsin, to in-law family (merge of 628)
9. GEORGE BURT, until recently of Pueblo. Rock Island railroad conductor
10. BELA I. LORAH age 26 was the son of Samuel Lorah, a Mayor of Central City
11. F. FRENCH (Ferdinand French) he was attending a funeral with Bela i Lorah
12. "GREINER, father of Robert C. Greiner." (THIS IS NOT TRUE) Julius Greiner did not die until 11 Mar 1910 (aged 87) Grand Rapids, Kent County, Michigan, and shares the headstone with his son Robert.
13. UNKNOWN WOMAN.
14. UNKNOWN MAN.
15. UNKNOWN CHILD.
16. FRED HUBBOLD OR HAUSER wife/2 daughters in Iowa, his residence.
17. Elizabeth, lowa. (THIS MIGHT BE "Lizzie Laager" Chambermaid remains found
18. E. F. M'CLOSKEY He died Edward F.

NEW LIST of the 25 dead

THIS new COMPLETE LIST is missing the one person we know was killed, Gumry, the OWNER...

1. Peter Gumry. Major Owner of "The Gumry" since at least June 1893

And "Brown and Kirke may have left the hotel Sunday." so this means they may BE ALIVE??????

The anxiety felt regarding J . A . Brown and J . L . lurke , ot Omaha , was somewhat relieved this afternoon , when it was learned that the room which they occupied Saturday night was occupied Sunday night by William Decker, a bell boy .

The list of the dead is as follows:

1. Robert Carl Greiner
2. wife, MRS. ROBERT C. GREINER
3. MYRON E. HAWLEY
4. E. W. Edwards Evan W. Denver Butcher
5. E. F. M'CLOSKEY Cripple Creek.
6. George Kurt, Colorado Springs. GEORGE BURT,
7. William Richards Elevator Pilot.
8. Mrs. G. Wolfe Lincoln, Neb.
9. Ruby Wolfe child , Neb.
10. BELA I. LORAH
11. F. French, Central city. F. FRENCH
12. JAMES MURPHY Depyar.
13. FRED HUBBOLD OR HAUSER , Lisbon, la.
14. Gen, Charles i Adams, Denver.Brig.Gen Carl Adams
15. J. L. Kirk MAY HAVE SURVIVED
16. J, A. Brown, Omaha. MAY HAVE SURVIVED
17. A. M. Monroe (Munroe) either of "Denver" or "Iowa"?.
18. Louise Reinhuber, chambermaid.
19. William Decker MAY HAVE SURVIVED
20. W. J. Blake A. L. BLAKE
21. W. J. CORSON , Pueblo.
22. (Emil) Loescher Elmer Lioesoher, engineer. DID survive.............
23. Mrs. L. A. Calkins, *see HOWEVER below
24. J, E. Calkins, *see HOWEVER below
25. Mrs. J. A. Calkins, *see HOWEVER below
26. Master Calkins, *see HOWEVER below
27. Mrs. Oscar Nichols APPEARS THEY SURVIVED
28. Miss Eugene Nichols all of Davenport, lowa, APPEARS THEY SURVIVED

NOTE There is no way of telling for sure who the CALKINS were or IF they all died here???????????

NEWSPAPER: "Mrs. L. A. Calkins, J, E. Calkins, Mrs. J. A. Calkins, Master Calkins, Mrs. I Oscar Nichols and Miss Eugene Nichols, I all of Davenport, lowa,

HOWEVER, James E. Calkins, EDITOR, and wife Georgia, and a son that was 9 years old in 1895, are alive in Davenport, Iowa 1900... and there is a Mary Calkins Widow living next door.

One that died according to "The Gumry Hotel" article is:

1. "Three persons connected with the office of the Board of Capitol Managers lost their lives in this sad accident. They are Peter Gumry, Superintendent of the Capitol Construction; Robert Carl Greiner Assistant; and Burt Cook, Engineer in charge of the work in progress on tho capitol grounds."

BURT COOK is on no DEATH LIST.

From the Verdict

Here is YET ANOTHER LIST of dead

Posted by Denver Fire Journal at 3:46 PM

"List of Dead:

1. Robert Carl Greiner (Body recovered)
2. MRS. ROBERT C. GREINER; (Body recovered)
3. LIZZIE LAGER Chambermaid (Body recovered)
4. Louise Reinhuber, Chambermaid (Body recovered)
5. EMMA MUHLERTHALER Chambermaid (Body recovered)
6. Peter Gumry; (Body recovered)
7. Brig.Gen Carl Adams (Body recovered)
8. William Richards  ; (no newspaper reported his body recovered)
9. JAMES MURPHY (Body recovered)
10. MYRON E. HAWLEY ; (Body recovered)
11. E. W. Edwards , all of Denver; (Body recovered)
12. FRED HUBBOLD OR HAUSER, Lisbon, Iowa (Body recovered)
13. A. M. Monroe (Munroe) Colorado Springs (Body recovered)
14. W. J. CORSON, Pueblo; (Body recovered)
15. E. F. M'CLOSKEY, Cripple Creek; (Body recovered)
16. Mrs. G. Wolfe Lincoln, Neb. (Body recovered)
17. Ruby Wolfe child , Neb. (Body recovered)
18. BELA I. LORAH Central City; (Body recovered)
19. Fred FRENCH , Central City; (Body recovered)
20. GEORGE BURT, Colorado Springs; (Body recovered)
21. A. D. DODDS, Albany, N. Y. (Body recovered)
22. A. L. BLAKE Pueblo (Body recovered)

TWENTY-ONE LIVES

" Various estimates are made as to the number of dead still in the ruins, some believing that there are as many as ten, which would bring the total list up to 31.

Five new names were added to the list of missing tonight, which, with

1. W. Harvey and
2. W. J. Blake, make it almost certain that the debris still covers at least seven corpses.

Articles belonging to

1. A1 Gaether, of Chicago,
2. William D. Dodds, of Topeka, (NOTHING found)
3. A. M. Morris, of Colorado Springs, have been found.

Telegrams from relatives have positively established the fact that

1. George Hasmer, (Hosmer) of St. Paul, (nothing found for him or his brother who came to meet him)
2. John Eddy, a mining man from Mexico, were also in the hotel at the time of the disaster." (NOTHING found)

MISSING.

1. J E. CALKINS.
2. WIFE AND
3. CHILD.
4. E. F. M'CLOSKEY. He died (listed now in DED)
5. Three chambermaids. 3 DEAD
6. ONE BELL BOY. (William DECKER) not sure?
7. MRS. WOLFE AND DEAD
8. DAUGHTER. .1 DEAD
9. L. KIRK. Omaha. .1 may have survived
10. A. BROWN. Omaha. may have survived
11. ELMER PIERCE, engineer Gumry hotel. (NOTHING found)

INJURED.

1. LAST SURVIVOR pulled out... M. E. LETSON found Melvin E. Letson 1900 he is a Dairyman in Leetsdale area, Colorado
2. JOSEPH MUNAL. SURVIVOR pulled out
3. ALEX E. IRWIN.
4. FRED COLEMAN.
5. NATHAN C. BURGESS.
6. BUD HOPKINS.

THE WORK OF RESCUE.

"Awful Scenes of Horror Meet the Workmen on Every Hand. Slowly the work of rescue goes on. Amid the tons of burning debris are scenes awful In their horror. At 8:30 o'clock this morning but two bodies had been removed. At this time several unfortunate victims were still alive. But death reached them before aid. At 8:15 o'clock workmen on the Pile of debris in the center of the building uncovered the bony fingers of a human hand extending straight upward in ghastly whiteness. It was unidentified. Eager hands soon removed the ruins and the body of a man weighing probably 200 pounds with short, black, curly hair and short black mustache was found. He was but slightly disfigured In face and body. One arm had burned bare to the bone. The body was in a doubled position and clothed only in an undershirt ........................."

THE AFTERMATH, Law Suits, etc.

1. Mrs. William J Corson

Heroes/ Helpers

1. The Firemen of the Denver Fire Department for their endless work until all bodies were recovered.
2. "Three Denver firemen - were injured when a wall collapsed and "were almost suffocated to death by smoke and dust," according to a dispatch published in a New Jersey newspaper. [Daily True American of Trenton] The firemen were treated at the county hospital "where it was found they were not seriously injured." ^[1]
3. P. Gilchrist,
4. J.E. Troy and
5. Louis Maguire -
6. Levi Greer Railroad Train Master

1725-33 Lawrence Street today

office buildings

Starbucks

Newspaper articles

Attached are

1. HORRIBLE EXPLOSION
2. AWFUL HOLOCAUST read it on Peter Gumry
3. Engineer Loescher Arrested
4. denverfirejournal.blogspot.com ;http://denverfirejournal.blogspot.com/2014/05/gumry-hotel-disaster.html Denver Fire Journal] with photos
5. Suit Filed Mrs. W. J. Corson
6. TWENTY-ONE LIVES

Sources

1. ↑ denverfirejournal.blogspot.com Denver Fire Journal

1. "Results 1 to 20 of 132 for "Gumry hotel" " Colorado Historic Newspapers