The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-02-21
HARTFORD.
Hotel Blown UP and Fifty People
Buried In the Debris of
the Wreck.
Men, Women and Children Perish
In the Confiagration that
Followed.


morning few moments before O'Clock,
burying at least fifty people. The cause
of the accident Is not at present known,
but supposed to have resulted from an ex-
~.plosion of the boilers in the basement,
and from the havoc created in adjoining
buildings the explosion theory seems most
4 probable. Every window in the Earl
house, right across Allen street, was
broken and the walls smashed in many
places. The noise of the fall aroused the
whole city, and in very few minutes a
large crowd surrounded the scene. TWAS
Ia sight of horror, and one that never will
be forgotten by the spectators. The
(aames completely enveloped the ruins,
and the shrieks of the wounded and dy-
ing rose high above the hoarse cries
bf the fremen and the police, who had
been summoned by the alarm from the
lire department At this writing % a. n.y.
lit is almost impossible to give detailed
account, as the people who escaped from
the annex are too frightened to be able to
halk intelligently. The following is par
ltial list of those who are believed to be IN
1.-THE ruins:
Louis H. Bronson and wife, Hartford.
M. G.. Garnody, editor of the German
Herald, this city.
Andrew F. Whiting and wife,
Dwight H. Buell., jeweler, Wellington.
Ketchum, proprietor of the hotel, his
lwife and son Eddie.
1t is the most horrible catastrophe that
shas ever been known in Hartford.
m 70 10 tn hn
than ffty,but it cannot be stated definitely
as the night clerk is among the missing
land the books are destroyed.
Among the missing are:
Geore Engler, drug clerk, of Hartford
"A George s. Ketchum, brother of the pro-
fprietor of the hotel.
Reverend Doctor Perrin and wife, score
Larry of the Congregational Tract society
w. Tillotson, commercial traveller.
Mr.. Stiffle, safe agent
Nearly all the help employed in the
hotel were saved. They occupied sleep
Ing apartment in the annex, which was
Gnly partially wrecked by the explosion
lome forced their way out themselves
theirs were helped out
The entire main part of the hotel Il
one, only brick and timbers remaining
lhe scenes about the RUINS were horrible
he center of the spot WHERE
he building stood were man
wife and little girl. No help could ge
lem out. They fell back into the flame
Id persisted in plain sight of the specta
lis. The child cried for help, but tn
i'm and woman uttered no word. En-
heed in each others arms they went t.
18th bravely. The shreks of anOthe
Oman caused the blood of the spectator
o5urn cold as they saw young lady dy
:. with her body half across beam.
Tx of agony was on her face. Final
support fell and she dropped out @
at.
FINDING THE DEAD BODIES.
FARTFoRD, Conn, February 18th
j body of Dwight Buell., jewele
taken out about IL a. m. The bodie
Louis N. Bronson, store dealer, wifi
Child, were discovered about the sam
/. Harry S. Stiffle, commercial tray
lof Philadelphia, who roomed on th
floor, was taken out badly bruised
remarked che was all right" TIL
} had accommodations for about 10
y Ia, and was the favorite over-Sunda
S. hing place for commercial traveller
1t seems probable that at least eight
persons we're in the house at the time {
the explosion, of which perhaps twent
. escaped. These were mostly en-
ployes who occupied the wing G
Y the hotel which has not "
fallen. About six persons have been ser
to the hospital. Owing to the destructio
of the register of the hotel, the names {
many cannot be ascertained. The cata
trophe is generally supposed to have bee
caused by the explosion of a boiler, a
I a Lna 10
this point, as the building had been SUI
posed to be unsafe. 1t was built o
"made ground" The railroads have fu
nished their forces of laborers with jack
etc., and the work of searching for bodie
is now going forward systematically. Th
general alarm has summoned the entil
fire department, and immense crowds
tracted by the explosion and fire alarI
soon packed the street in front. Tn
flames prevented any one attempting I'll
rescuing of any one, and the ruins wei
flooded with water before any work coul
be prosecuted. A few dead or dying wei
taken from the edge of the debris, hoy
ever, within an hour after the explosion.
THE FORCE OF THE EXPLOSION
threw a bed with sleeping woman upo
it far into the street, while one of Il
heavy doors was found a block ava
About a. m. the flames were SO far su
dued that the res;uers were enabled to g
at some of the victims. Some we
pinned between heavy timbers upc
which rested masses of masonry, rende
ing the work of rescue extremely hazar
Gus. At 10 a. In. military call VI
sounded on the fire alarm, the bells ca
ing out the military companies to ASST
in Keeping order, and assist in the wol
of rescue.
Among the dead are: Max Galody, e
itor on the Hartford Herald; George
Engler, drug clerk, and Harry Percy, mig
clerk of the hotel. 1t is understood nj
the bodies of Mr. Bronson, wire and Chi
have not been recovered. George Ketc
nm, brother of the proprietor, was also
the ruins Mr.. Pendleton, of Indian
who was soliciting subscriptions to COZ
plete the monument of Thomas A. He
bricks, is among the missing. Mr.. Jam'
agent of the White Star line, was tax
I out at noon alive and not seeming to