The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1889-02-28
ANOTHER HOLOCAUST.
Sleeping Victims in o Hartford Sent to o nOr
rlble Death.

Sleeping Victims in Hartford Sent to o HOr
rlble Death.
HARTFORD, Conn, Feb H. -J Just before
dawn this morning hotel with Its sleeping
people was shattered by force not yet as
certained, and, stratghtway. in the darkness
and ruin, men nd women and children were
being crushed and maimed and burned by
flames 1t was at the hour when the twilight
Of the coming day had worn away the night
bit and while the city slept, that the still
buildings were shaken as IL by earthquake,
and the silent streets were startled by q
sullen booming, as though Of q monster ex-
ploston. Upon the moment persons in the
section Of the city near the capitol and the
union depot were further Istarled by the
sound Of crashing walls and falling timbers,
and the screams of women, and by mems
hoarse shouts from the vicinity Of High
and Allyn streets, which had been tho site Of
the Park Central hotel, but which had prac-
tically disappeared. Those who hurried to
the spot found upon the site of the hotel u
huge pile of stone and brick and splinUered
timbers, from which white clouds of steam
rose up in the morning twilight, streaked
and blackened by wreaths of smoke that
rapidly grew dark and blacker and m ore
dense Then tongues of flame leaped here
and there from out the ruin, and grew holder
and stronger until the ruin was roaring
heap-a CRATE where solid masonry held the
fuel in. The stupetied beholders had then
began to move. and the ciangor Of fire bells
! bore down upon the scene, while from I'M
tod sources came throng that stayed not
idly, curious by. There were
CRIES AND MoANs,
and then wild screams from out the ruin tina +
made mems faces blanch and their Trims grow
strong with helpful impulse. The streams
of water played upon the flames was carried
up in steam that smothered all vision of the
ruin, but the daylight grew apace, and soon
the helpers at the scene of ruin could see
back beyond the ruin the yawning floors Of
an annex to the building which had
housed the help of the hostelry and
which had been spared portion
of the tier of rooms at the rear of
The main building had remained standing,
but the ltLrti ions had been torn away, and
the rooms were opened to the air. The floors
of many of them, partly giving away, had
tumbled out the occupants and furniture
upon the confused heap below. The explo-
sion had demolished the staircase of this
annex, but the frightened employees were
xcited ones, however, jumping and receiv-
ing slight injuries With that unexplained
rapidly with Which news of disaster flies
through town, the tidings that men and
women, and children too, were being
CRUSHED OR BURNED
eeemed soon to have reused the whole city
to the scene. The police pressed back the
throngs, not more curious than willing to
Lelp; the tiremen from every vantage ground
were pouring floods of water upon the ruins.
The flames bal been mastered and sunk
down from sight within the ruins, where yet
the water Kissed and scared among the hot
tones and brick that rapidly cooled and
burst and cracked with sullen sounds. Men
Of the hook aud ladder trucks were impa-
tent, waiting only until the ruins had 90
cooled as to render safe their efforts in the
wreck, and so, as soon as possible, willing
hands set about the herculean task OF
removing the immense mass of masonry and
he crowds waited and watched with breath
ess suspense.
The lower floor of the spacious wool ware
louise of H. G. Judd Il Root was made ten
po:ary morgue Here Coroner Sperry, Med
cal Examiner Fuller and Assistant
Wright, with other local physi-
clans, were in attendance and here
5he bodies were taken as fast as
;ecovered, and opportunity was given for
Identification by friends. Those not identi-
ied were taken in charge by the city and
5eDderly cared for in q room of the old city
nail The injured were promptly sent to
;he hospital The recovery Of bodies was
slow, owing to the immense accumulation
Of debris, but at nearly regular intervals one
Or two bodies we're found during the after
} ooon. When claimed by friends they were
delivered to undertakers.
; The magnitude of the calamity cannot be
realized, and. in fact, It's extent is not YET
Known. The register of the hote
: las not been found, and Perry
The night clerk, is buried in
} The ruins. But from the best esti-
mates that can be procured from the land.
ord and others it is probable thatthere were
lot far from fifty people in the hotel proper
If these perhaps five may have escaped I'M
l INJURED amid the confusion of the early
morning hours. leaving forty-tive to be &C
: counted for. Ten are in the hospital, and al
. | l n. IN. sixteen dead bodies have been taken
from the ruins, leaving nineteen still miss
ing. But there may be several more than
Q his Andrew F. Wiring, actuarY Of the
Hartford Life and Annuity Insurance com
: oanv, and wife; Rev. DR.. Lavalette Perrin
= agent of the Memorial Hall association, anc
wife, and Edward Perry, the night clerk, are
? known to be still in the ruins.
THE CAUSE OF THE DISASTER
q was undoubtedly the explosion of the boile,
t 10 the basement. This boiler, of sixteen
Y horse power, was built by the Pitkins of thi
.ity in 1882 Tt was not insured by tn,
H4rtford Steam Boiler and Inspection com
pany, but was inspected by an officer OF tina
= company last August and was then pro
: nouuced all right No engineer was on dut.
z at the time of the explosion, the custom be
. ing for the night engineer to bank his fires a
D midnighu and 60 to bed. He does not slee
= In the hotel. This engineer, Alexaude
q Thuer, was arrested this afternoon on a.
a Indictment charging manslaughter. It 1
q conjectured that Gaines, the coIored porter
q may have started the pumps, throwing col
q water into an overheated boiler. But this
: only conjecture, and Gaines Is dead. TIL
: force of the explosion was terrific. Peopl
v in all parts OF the city were awakened by tn
y shock. Huge stones were shattered and iro
y pipes bent and twisted. Windows In adjoin
!, ing buildings and across the street were de
= ). molished and panes of glass two blocks ava
il were crscked. At the new railroad depot,
/, block away, huge pane of plate glasa wa
a cracked and many states were dislodge
:. from the newly completed roof Night en-
9 ployes in the railroad station and offices fie
. to the streets In terror.
: Advices from the Indian Territory sa
+ that the journal Or diary of Belle Starr, IL
n noted female bandit of the territory, hs
= been obtained from the Starr ranch. Bel
! intended to publish it as an Autobiography.
q The matter contained therein is replete wit
, thrilling incidents of personal adventure
s but the most remarkable features of all o.
" certain disclosures concerning crimes in TIE,
as and the Indian Territory which will ten