Morning journal and courier., 1889-02-19
TERRIBLE CATASTROPHE ,! About Twenty-Five Lives
 Lost at Hartford.
PARK CENTRAL HOTEL DESTROYED.

AO6U dhU 11U1 U4VA We PARK CENTRAL HOTEL DESTROYED. The Ruins Take FIre-Victlms Perish i'm she Flames i'm the Sight of Thou sands-Long List of ahe Dead-The | DIaimed and mangled-The Victims | Who Were Taken to the Hospital-l The First Regiment Called 0ut to Assist the Poliee-Rev. Dr. Perrin, Dwight Buell, she Hartford Jewell CT, Editor Galoday and wife, Actu- arY Whiting, Two Springfield Young Women and Many More Perish-The
 Scene at the wreck-The Boiler Ex-
 plOsien Theory.
 HARTFORD, Feb. 1S.-Hartford experienced to-day one of the saddest disasters ever known in this city and the excitement here has been intense. At o'clock this morning the Park Central Hotel was blown into @ mass of ruins. The cause 1t is believed was boiler explosion. The hotel stood on the corner of High and Allyn streets and was 8 brick structure 30 feet front by 100 feet deep.
 The first to arrive on the eeene found the building heap of ruins, from which issued smoke and steam in dense clouds, and the spectators were appalled, by the shrieks and groans of many human beings who were inn prisoned in the mass of timber and masonry from which flames were already bursting. A general alarm immediately summoned the entire fire department, and an immense crowd attracted by the explosion and the Rrn m1n o1-al xhn okre &1,o vicinity. At first the fire and smoke entire ly prevented any attempt to rescue the vic- tims, and it was not until flood of water had been poured upon the ruins that the work could be prosecuted. A few dead and dying persons were taken from the edge of the debris. however, within an hour after the explosion. The force of the explosion threw e bed with sleeping woman upon it far into the street, while one of the heavy doors of the house landed a block away. By o'clock the flames were so far subs dued that the rescuers were enabled to get at beneath heavy timbers upon which rested masses of masonry, rendering the work of rescue extremely hazardous.
 ! The house had accommodations for about 100 guests aud was favorite ovey-Sunday | stopping place fer commercial travellers. The dead body of Dwight H. Buell. of this ! city was taken out at about 10 o'clock The bodies of Louis H. Bronson, stove dealer, I Hartford, wife, and child were discovered ai about the same time.
 A report was current that members of the ! "Hoodman Blind" theatrical company were | in the ruined hotel but it is an error. Mr. E. P. Monroe, the Business Man- ' the hotel last night for accommodations, but ceuld not get them, and went elsewhere. He has just accounted for every member of \ his company and all are safe.
 THE FORGE or THE ExPLosIoN
 was distinctly felt in all parts of the city. Houses were shaken, windows and dishes rat tied and the people were alarmed, the gen. eral idea being that an earthquake was in progress.
 What sight there was at the corner of Allyn and High streets! Where once stood \ a four story brick building, dimensions | about 90 feet on Allyn street and 40 feet on | High street, there was heaped up pile of | bricks, plaster, lath and studding, and hor- rible to hear, came forth from beneath all | this the cries of dying men and women and | the soul pierceing shrieks of children. "Helpi Helpl For Gods sake release me | from this torture!"
 Immense volumes of steam arose when the | fire steamers began to play on the burning \ ruins. An immense crowd had soon assem bled and Chief of Police Packard roped of ' and relief party were at work.
 | At 2 o'clock the Consolidated railroad off cials sent double gang of trackmen to the | scene, and these men were soon at work and double horse carts wheeled away the debris | as fast as it was removed.
 ALL THAT WAS LEFT
 Of the hotel after the explosion was the rear and eastern portion, about thirty feet front and twenty-four feet on Allyn street. This portion rose above the ruins and re- minded one of @ miniature play house-the | rooms on the second, third and fourth floors | being plainly seen ss the wind dispelled the smoke and steam every minute or two. The occupants of these apartments, four in mum. Der, were rescued by the hook and ladder ! men and removed to places of safety, wrap ped in blankets over their scanty nigh dresses.
 THE HIRED HELP ESCAPED.
 The annex to the hotel fronts on Allyr streets and is a separate building. Here al | of the help was housed, and no harm cam, to any of them. They were all awakened by the explosion and experienced 6 stunned sen sation, little realizing what had happened They escaped in their night clothes. All o the window glass, crockery and movable ar ticles of furniture were scattered about THE CROWDS.
 By 7:30 the crowds that had gathere,
 blocked up all the streets near the scene, an' the relieving force worked accordingly wit greatly increased difficulty.
 THE MILITARY ALARM SOUNDED. At 10 o'clock the military call" wa sounded on the fire bell calling out the mill tary companies to assist in preserving orde and assist in the work of rescue. AWFUL SCENES. The scenes about the ruins were heartrend
 ing. In the center of the spot where tn
 building stood were q man, his wife and lii
 tie girl. No help could get to them, and the
 finally fell back into the flames and perishe | in plain sight of the spectators. The chil cried for help, but the man and woman ut tered no word. Embraced in each other arms they met death bravely.
 The shrieks of.. f..another woman caused tn blood of the spectators to turn cold as the saw young lady lying with her body hal
 across beam 6 look of agony on her face
 Finally the support fell and she dropped ou
 of sight.
 William Seymour and William Skinns
 were employed in the boiler room. Neithe
 could be found this morning and they pro
 bably perished. Eddie Boyle was last see
 in the hotel. He is probably dead.
 THE TERRIBLE SHOCK.
 The shock of the explosion blew out ever
 window in the south side of the Earl Hous' just north of the Park Central Hotel.
 AMONG THE DEAD.
 ! Proprietor Ketchum,s Rr0ther-Ds H ! Buell.. the Hartford Jeweller-Edito | Galody of tho Hartford Herald an ! Wffe-Rev. pr. Perrin and wifi
 Formerly Of New BrItaln-Secretar
 Bronson, wife and Daughter Fiv
 TransIent Boomers Taken Out Dead
 George s, Ketchum brother of the prt