New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1889-02-20
The Park Central Hotel at
Hartford, Conn, Blown up
Monday Morning.

A horrible accident occurred at Hart
ford, Conn, Monday morning at 5
o'clock. The main portion of the
Park Central hotel, facing on High and
Allen streets, fell down burying in the
debris at least fifty people. The cause
of the accident is not known, but it is
supposed to have resulted from an ex-
plosion of a boiler in the basement.
Every window in the Earl house, across
the street was broken, and the wall
smashed in many places. It was a
sight of horror and will not soon be for
gotten by the spectators. Fire broke
out at once and the flames completely,
enyeloped the ruins, and the shrieks of
the wounded and dying were heart.
rending. Ageneral alarm immediate.
~ summoned the fire department and
at first the fire and smoke entirely pre-.
vented any attempt to rescue the VIC
tins and 1t was not until y food of
water had been poured upon the ruins
that the work could be prosecuted. A
few dead or dying persons were taken
from the edge of the debris, however,
within an hour after the explosion.
The force of the explosion threw a bed
with a sleeping woman upon it far into
the street, while one Of the heavy doors
Of the house landed block away. By
9o'clock the flames were so far sub.
dued that the rescuers were enabled to
get at some of the victims. Some were
pinned beneath heavy timbers upon
which rested masses of heavy masonry,
rendering the work OF rescue extremely
hazardous.
The dead bodies of D. G. Hill, D. II.
Buell., L. H. Bronson, wife and child
were taken out from the ruins. Harry
Stifie, Landlord Ketchum and wife
and six others were taken out alive and
sent to the hospitals. Nearly all the
help employed in the hotel were saved.
They occupied the sleeping apartment
in the annex, which was only partially
wrecked by the explosion.
William Seymour and William Skin
ner were employed in the boiler room.
Neither could be found this morning
and they probably persisted. Some
forced their way out themselves; others
were helped out. The entire main sec.
ton Of the hotel is gone-only a pile Of
brick and timbers remaining. The
scores about the ruins were horrible
In the centre Of the spot where the
building stood. were a man, his wife
and little girl. No help could get te
& them, and they finally fell back into
the llames and persisted in plain sight
of the spectators. The child cried fol
help, but the man and woman uttered
no words. Embraced in each others
arms they met death bravely.
The shrieks of another woman
caused the blood of the spectators to
turn cold, as they saw young lady
lying with her body half across beam
a look Of ag ony on her face. Finally
the support fell, and she dropped out
Of sight.
s s.S1 las IS generally believed, the dis
4 aster was probably caused BY the boil
Ell. it was probably caused by the night
engineer going away about midnight
drunk leaving heavy draught on the
furnace and little water in the boiler.
When the day engineerecame, he prob
ably turned on the water and caused
III the explosion. But he is dead, and can
give no evidence. It's said the night
engineer was OF irregular habits, and
ali. sorts OF rnmors are affloat. Up to
10 clock sixteen bodies had been recoy-
\ cred from the ruins-eight dead and
the rest still alive.
The hotel was built about fifteen
years ago, and cost. with furniture,
$4,000. The soil was soft, and al
though the building was carefully built
it soon settled badly. About five years
ago Mr.. Ketchnm took the lease and
renovated and refurnished the house.
The insurance is $4,000.