Huntsville gazette., 1889-02-23
HARTFORD'S HORROR.
Collapse OF a Hotel Filled with
Guests at Hartford, Conn.
Over Half Hundred Persons Buried in
the Debris, Nearly All of Whom Per-
fshed-The Work OF Removing
tho Living and the Dead.

HARTFORD. Conn.,, Feb. 1s.-The boiler
ln the Park Central Hotel, of this city blew
| up with terrific force at five O'Clock this
| morning, totally wrecking the entire front
OF the structure, which was five- story
brick building, and burying in the debris
at least fifty persons. The noise Of the fall
| aroused the whole city, and in few min
| utes large crowd surrounded the
| scene. 1t was a sight of horror,
and one not to be forgotten by
the spectators. Flames completely
enveloped the ruins, and the shrieks of
| the wounded and dying rose high above
the hoarse shouts of the firemen and the
| noise of the engines which had been sum-
| moned by an alarm Immediately sent in.
1t is the most horrible catastrophe that
| has ever been known in Hartford, and
| when the list of dead and wounded is
completed, it will be found to be 90 horror
| equal to any that has taken place within
| the last half century. The loss Of life is
believed not to be less than fifty, but it
can not be definitely stated, as the night
| clerk, Mr.. Terry, is among the missing,
and his books are destroyed.
Nearly all the help of the hotel were
saved. They occupied the sleeping apart
ments in the east wing of the annex,
which was only partly wrecked by the ex-
| plosion. Some forced their way out them
selves, others were helped out.
The scenes about the ruins were hor-
| rible. In the center of the site where the
building had stood, were man, his wife
and little girl. Nohelp could get to them,
| and they finally fell back into the flames
A.,@1 ,1,., q
The little one cried for help, but the man
and the woman uttered not a word, but
embraced in each other and met death
bravely.
Away out, near the annex, the shrieks
| of woman caused the blood of the people
| looking on to turn cold as they saw a
young girl lying with her body half way
| across beam, a look of agony on her face.
Finally the support fell and she disap-
peared from sight.
The shock of the explosion blew every
window in the south side Of the Earl
| House, which is just north Of the Park
| Central into fragments.
| Women with their faces blanched in
terror and strong men pale with fright,
rushed headlong into the street in their
| night clothes.
| Ill. L Ouu, VI luuldHt, luo DOiuOCI dtlC
| speaker, was one Of the guests, and is
| supposed to be among the killed.
The Park Central Hotel was situated at
| the corner of Allyn and High streets,
about one block from the Union Depot,
and was principally patronized by COM
| mercial men and theatrical troupes.
The hotel was built about fifteen years
| ago and cost, with furniture, $120,000.
al a1t he h,,i1d d
| ing was carefully built it soon settled
| badly. About five years ago Mr.. Ketchum
| took the lease and renovated and refur-
nished the house. The insurance is $685.
| 900.
about one hundred guests, and was a
| favorite over-Sunday stopping place for
| commercial travellers.
Ii is stated that no fragment Of the
boiler has yet been found, which initiates
against the theory of boiler explosion.
| At first the fire and smoke prevented
any attempt to rescue the victims, and it
was not until a flood of water had been
poured upon the ruins that the work
could be prosecuted. A few dead or dy-
ing persons were taken from the edge of
| the debris, however, within an hour after
| the explosion. The force of the explosion
threw bed with a sleeping woman upon
it, far into the street, while one of the
leavy doors Of the house landed block
away.
By nine O'Clock the flames were so far
,ubdued that the rescuers were enabled
to get at some Of the victims. Some were
pinned beneath heavy timbers, upon
which rested masses Of masonry, render
tprs he ~ o. Vi hazard
An intending guest, who applied for
room late Saturday evening, was informed
that they were full, so it seems probable
that at least eighty persons were in the
house at the time Of the explosion, Of
which perhaps twenty escaped uninjured.
These were mostly employees, who occu-
pied an annex, or wing Of the house ex-
tending to the east, and which has not yet
fallen, although in shaky condition.
Among those known to be buried in the
ruins are:
Rev. Dr.. L. Perrin and wife, Of New
Britain.
r. W. F. Whiting, actuary of the Hart
| ford Life and Annuity Insurance Com
| pany, and wife.
Wellington Ketchuln, proprietor OF the
| hotel, wife and son.
GIdA 0olOo9s ONie't " AIS AA,@N -
| Herald.
Geo. j. Engler, drug clerk, Hartford.
Edward Perry, night clerk of the hotel.
John NJ Housman, Revere Rubber Com
pany. Boston.
Geo w Root traveller for Waite, Will
Jams & Co., Boston.
-. Hill. room %, fourth floor.
A. F. Tillotson, traveller for Merrbi
| Chemical Company, Chicago.
Taken out dead-George Gaines, night
| porter.
AT hospital:
| Jacob Turpin, colored waiter
Helen La Pointe, guest
Jennie Decker, Unionville, guest; badly
| burned and both legs broken.
Michael Kerrigan, Unionville; oaoiy
| bruised.
Owing to the destruction of the reglsfer
| of the hotel, the names Of many OF the
guests can not be ascertained. The catas-
| trophe is generally supposed to have been
caused by an explosion Of the boiler, al
| though some doubt has been expressed on
| this point, as the building has been popu-
Iarly supposed to be unsafe 1t was puii'
| on made" ground