Daily Republican., 1889-02-19
COLLAPSE OF A HOTEL.
A BUILDING FALLS AND AN
EXPLOSION FOLLOWS.
Flames Break Ia the Ruins, Finishing
Tho HnNoc More Than FIFTY
Persons Buried in
tho Ruins.

hliu'tn utiore D Ocltck tblH mon Ing the
e0tlfe city was shaken by a tremendous
explosion, soon followed by an Gla,m of
ire. Tie Park Central Hotel, a i've
story biick building with stone trim
mings, on the corner of IL Oh AMI ALVIN
street,, had practically disappeared and
In It's Ilace was huge pile Of masonry,
timbers and debris from which lfkucd
steam and smoke. A portion of the tier
OF rooms at the rear of the main build.
Ing remained standing, but The partitions
haf been tern awsy AID the rooms were
orened to the air, the floors o' many of
item partly iivrg away aud iumbliug
out the occupan and furniture upon the
confused heap below.
BURIED IN TUE RUINS.
And yet within that mass of debris
were imprisoned probably fifty human
betngs, come Of them tliye, but mary un-
d ubtedly Killed Instantly. III. fire de
partment responded promptly 10 the
alarm, ard the tongues of flame which
had begun to show themselves in the
ruins were quickly subdued, although It
required several hours work to thor
oughly cool the I'M. Fortunately ths
building was heated by steam, greatly
lessening The danger VI lire.
livery window In the Earl House, right
across Allyn street, wins broker, aud the
walls were sma.hcl 10 many places. The
no Sc OF the fall srou;cd tie whole city,
and in very few minutes u large crown
surrounded the SC ne. IL YVES u sight Of
horror, and one that VIII ne7er be for.
gotten by the spectators. Flames com
pleteiy enveloped the ruins, and shr elSs
of the wounded and dyiug rose high
above the hcarse notes ol t1e lremen aud
police who had been su moned by an
alarm from he Fire Department.
DIED IN EACH OTHERS ARMS.
10 the centre of the spot where the
building stood were man, his wife and
little girl. No hep could get to them,
and they finally fell back into the flames
aud pflishe1 In plain tight of the specta.
tors. The ch Id cried for ne'p, but the
man and woman uttered no word. Em-
braced in each others arms, they met
death brayely.
The shfirhs of smother woman caused
the blood of the spectators TO turn cold
AS they saw young lldy lying with her
body half across beam, with look of
agony on her fare. FIJI ally the support
fell and she dtopped out OF sight.
HURLED INTO TUE STREET on A BED.
The force Of the explosion threw a be |
with sleeping woman upon II far into
the street, while one OF the heavy doc
landed block away. BY "a. "a. the
flames were 20 tar sahdued that the res
cuers were enabled 10 get at some Of The
victims Some were pinned beneath the
heavy timbers, upon Which rested heavy
masses of masonry, rendering the work
Of rescue extremely hazardous.
At 10 o'clock, In RESPONSE 20 q speeial
I ~.
a. d the troops formed Gordon around
the wrecked building, greatly facilitating
the work Of rescue.
PnILADELPnIAN's ESCAPE.
The dead body OF Dwight Buell., jeweler,
was taken out about 10 O'clock. The
bodies OF Louis II. Bronson stove dealer,
wife and child, were discovered at about
the same time. Harry ). Suille, com.
nerciAl traveller, of Philadelphia, who
roomed OIL the Third floor, was taken out
severely bruised, hut remarked that he
was "all right"
One young man, guest, was violently
| Ill on account OF spree. lie had left his
room about a minute before the disaster
to 60 to the bathroom in the annex, and
thus escap. d.
PROPRIETOR AND MS WIFE RESCUED
At about O'Clock, and enthusiastic
cheers from the crowd, Landlord Ketchum
| and wife were taken cut alive, and were
able TO drink some hot coffee with relish
no small wonder, considering they had
been imprisoned In their night clothes 10
the cellar, with flood Of water pouring
10 on them. They were taken to the
hospital.
THE WORK OF RESCUE.
A..
rooms In an annex at the rear. The ex-
plosiOn demolished the staircase, but the
frightened occupants were taken out "
the aerial ladder, two or three exciHi
ones, however, jumping aud receiMng
slight injuries. As soon as p2ssihle will
ing bands set about the hercuean task
of removing the immense mass of ma
| eonry.
Extra electric lights have been put In
around the ruins and the search viii be
vigorously pushed through the night.
All trains have brought curious crowds,
and the vicinity OF the wrecked buildings
has been throDged all day.
| Some of the bodies are much dlsfigur-
| ed aud burned, but still the faces of many
are not Injured, but wear lifelike ex-
preston. 1t is estimated that not far
from fifty persons were in the building
| Amos hlsley ana Alexander Ihayer
were in charge of the boiler. II was re-
ported that they were both killed, but
there are parties who say they have seen
both men since the disaster.
| The hotel was built about fifteen years
ago, and cost, with furniture, $l2,0C0.
Five years ago 1t was renovated and re-
! furnished. Tho insurance aggregates
$3S, 600.
| ARREST OF THE ENdINEER.
Late tonight no doubt remains that
the boiler exploded. No engineer was on
duty at the time of the explosion, the
custom being for the night engineer to
bank his fires at midnight aud 20 to
bed. He does Lot sleep in the hotel.
This engineer, Alexander Tayher, was
arrested this afternoon on an indictment
charging manslaughter, and was locked
up at the police station. It is conject-
ured that Gaines, the colored porter, may
have started the pumps, throwing cold
water Into an oye.heated boiler. But
this is only conjecture, and Gaines is
dead.
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| Corsets.
Try the tailor made corset L. B. Riley,
22s King.
1