St. Paul daily globe., 1889-02-19
A Confused Pile of Masonry,
Heavy Timbers and HUI
man Beings. ).
>
Fifty Persons in the Hotel,
Only Five Of Whom Es-
capped Injury,
The Death Roll Has Twenty
Unfortunates, as Many
More Being Hurt.

fore dawn of this morning hotel, With
its sleeping people, was shattered by
force not yet ascertained; and straight
way, in the darkness ana ruin, men.
women and children were being crushed
and MANNED 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 still
slept, that the still buildings were
shaken as if by earthquake, and the
silent streets were startled by sullen
booming, as though of monster
explosion. Upon the moment per-
sons in the section of the city near the
capitol and the Union depot were fur.
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 the site
of the Park Central hotel, but which.
had practically disappeared. Those who
hurried TO the spot found upon the site
of the hotel huge pile of stone and
brick and splintered timbers, from
which white clouds of steam rose
up in the morning twilight,
streaked and blackened by wreatlles
of smoke that rapidly grew dark and
blacker and more dense. Then tongues,
of flame leaped here and there from oHt
of the ruin, and grew bOlder, and more
strong until the ruin was a roaring heap
"a CRATE where solid masonry held the
fuel in. The stupefied behOlders had
then begun to move, and the clangor of
tire-bells bore down upon the scene,
while from untold sources came a thr0ng
that stayed, hot idly curious by. There
were cries and means, and then wild
screams from out the ruin that
MADE MEMS FACES BLANCH
and their arms grow strong with help
full impulse. The streams of water
played upon the flames was carried up
in steam that smothered all visionof
the ruin, but the daylight grew apaee.
and soon the helpers at the scene OF
ruin could see back beyond the ruin
building which had housed the
help of the hostelrie. and which
had been spared. A portion of
the tier Of rooms at the rear of
the main building had remained stand
ing, but the partitions had been torn
away, and the rooms were opened to
the air, the floors of many of them part
ly giving away, had tumbled out the
occupants and furniture upon the con-
fused heap below. The explosion
/ had demolished the staircase of this
| annex, but the frightened employees
were safely taken out by the aerial lad
der, two or three excited ones however,
jumping and receiving injuries. With
that unexplainaLle rapidity with which
the news of the disaster flies through
hn no hot
women, and children, too, were being
crushed or burned seemed soon to have
reused the entire city to the scene. The
| police pressed back the thrOngs, not
more curious than willing to help; the
firemen from every vantage ground
were pouring floods of water upon the
ruins. The flames had been mastered
and sunk down from sight within the
ruins, where yet the
WATER KISSED AND STEAMED
among the hot stones and brick that,
rapidly cooled, burst and cracked with
sullen sounds. Men of the hook and
ladder trucks were impatient, waiting
only until the ruins were 50 cooled as
to render safe their efforts in the wreck,
and SO as soon as possible willing hands
set abont the herculean task of remov-
ing the immense mass OF masonry,
and the crowds waited and watched
with breathless suspense. The first
person rescued was George Gaines, the
colOred porter. He was badly injured
and died soon after being taken ont. At
about z o'clock Supt. Lawrence. OF the
street department, appeared upon the
scene with large gang of laborers and
the search was prosecuted with renewed
activity. Helen LIE Port. of New
Britain, and Jennie Decker. of Union
vile, were soon rescued compar-
atively uninjured, and sent to
the hospital. Jacob b. Turpin,
colored barber. was also taken out early
in the mornins, while Rachel Cramer
jumped from window. breaking her
leg. At 9 o'clock Harris Stiffie, of
Philadelphia, traveller for the Barnes
Safe Il Lock company, was liberated by
raising the timberS which held him
down. He was only slightly injured.
At 1890 the dead body of Dwight II.
Buell.. single. jeweler, OF this city, was
recovered. The body was not mangled,
death having been caused by suffocatiun:
In the meantime the crowd of spec
tators had increased to such proper
tions as to greatly impede the work of
the firemen and reScuerS. Accordingly.
at about 10 o'clock 1.-TWO elevenS' were
sounded upon the fire bell, calling out
the five companies of the First regi-
ment Connecticut national guard, sta
toned in the city. The men responded
with commendable alacrity, and cor
don of guards soon; surrounded the
vicinity of the explosion. doing excel
lent service throughout the day and
night in keeping the crowd within
bounds. Passes from commanding Off
GERS were required to get through the
lines, and that portion Of the city de-
cidely Z
REMINDED ONE OF WAR TIMES.
Previous to the calling out of the mill
itary the police force had done good
work, but their number was inadequate
to the emergency. By noon telegrams
of anxious inquiry were pouring in
from every part of the country, and
friends of those supposed to he in the
ruins were arriving by every train. to-
gether with an immense crowd of
curious people from the surrounding
towns. The lower floor of the spacious
wool warehouse or II. G. judd & Root
was made a temporary morgue. Here
Coroner Sperry, Medical Examiner Full.
ler and Assistant Wright, with other
local physicians, were In attendance,
and here the bodies were taken as fast
as recovered,and opportunity was given
for identification t!9n s .;y friends. Those not
identified were taken in charge by the
city, and tenderly cared for in room
of the old city hall. The injured
were promptly sent to the hospital.
The recovery of bodies was slow, ewing
to the immense accumulation of debris,