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Heat Prevents Rescue of Two, After fire Destroys Resort Structure
Source: Unknown (A.P.)
January 25, 1939
Steamboat Springs. Colo. - Two persons died in the blaze that left Steamboat Springs' largest structure, the 100-room Cabin hotel, a skeleton of charred wood and ice Wednesday. The victims were Merle E. Sweet, 60, a Strawberry Park, Cob., rancher, and Miss Mildred Keitner, 21, of Meade, Kan., who was not reported missing in the hotel until several hours after the fire broke out Tuesday. Fire Chief Lavern Nelson said he ordered steady streams of water poured at the part of the hotel where the two persons died to aid recovery of the bodies but the bodies could not be reached until late Tuesday night.
Miss Keitner came to Steamboat Springs several months ago with her brother and was employed at a restaurant here. Eleanor Mathers, 20, her roommate, said Miss Keitner was ill Tuesday morning and before leaving for work, Miss Mathers left word her roommate was not to be disturbed. C.P. Homer, the hotel manager, said that after sighting flames in a wing opposite the hotel office he ran thru the wing's second floor hallway, calling and pounding at the door of each guest. He said he did not have time to determine whether Miss Keitner answered his call.
Rancher Apparently Trapped In Room
Chief Nelson said Miss Keltner apparently was overcome by smoke in the hallway soon after Homer had roused the guests. The rancher apparently was trapped in his room the fire chief said. Sweet worked a ranch property in the high Strawberry Park region during the summer, and stayed in the Cabin hotel during the winter. Chief Nelson said the fire, which apparently started near a defective chimney, enveloped the 30-year old three story structure in flames in thirty-five minutes after Homer gave the alarm. The manager, after running down the hallway, was forced to leave down a fire escape, the flames sweeping down the corridor behind him.
Two Women Escape Thru Window
Firemen aided Mrs. Homer and Mrs. Margaret Delong, 68 from a window and across a porch roof to safety. Homer said that although F.E. Milner, pioneer banker, spent $100,000 on construction of the resort hotel, he could make no accurate estimate of its current value Milner built the hotel to attract visitors to this northwestern community of 1,200, but it was not a financial success. Title to the hotel passed to the city and Routt county four years ago, and Homer managed it for the two governments until last fall, when he negotiated a lease for independent management.
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