St. Paul daily globe., 1889-02-19

Root was taken in charge by his son.
William Root, of Boston. The city has
provided caskets. etc., for the bodies not
yet claimed. As rule the copSeS bore
but slight marks of fire, dying either
from
sUFFoCATION OR BRUIsING.
The catastrophe was devoid OF the
escapes. the thrilling rescueS attending
an uncontrolled confagration. One
terrible crash, smoke, flames, quick
rushing streams of water, and all was
over. For this reason, the community
does not feel tumultuous grief, but it is
horrur-stricken; the disaster simply
oyerwhelms. The magnitude of
the calamity cannot be real
lied, and in fact it's extent is
not yet known. The register Of
the hotel has not been found and young
Perry. the night clerk, is buried in the
ruins. But from the best estimates that
can be procured from the landlord and
| others it is probable that there were not
far from fifty people in the hotel proper.
OF these, perhaps five may have escaped
uninjured amid the confusion of the
early morning hours, leaving forty-hye
the hospital, and up to this
writing Q1 p. n.y. sixteen dead bodies
have been taken from the ruins. leaving
nineteen still missing. But there may
be several more than this. Andrew +.
Whiting, actuary of the Hartford Life
and Annuity Insurance company, and
wife: Rev. DR.. Lavalette Perrin. agent
of the Memorial Hall association, and
wife, and Edward Perry, the night
clerk, are known to be
STILL IN THE RUINS.
The cause OF the disaster was un-
doubtedly the explosion of the boiler in
the basement. This boiler. Of sixteen
horsepower, was built by the Pitkins,
of this city. in 1882. 1t was not insured
by the Hartford Steam Boiler 1nspec-
ton and Insurance company. but was
I inspected by an officer OF that company
all right. No engineer was on duty
at the time of the explosion,
the custom being for the night
engineer to bank his fires at midnight
and 90 to bed. He does not sleep in tie
hotel. This engineer, Alexander Thuer,
was arrested this afternoon on an in
dictment charging manslaughter, and is
locked up at the police station. 1t is
conjectured that Gaines, the coOred
| porter. may have started the pumps,
| throwing cold water into an oyerheated
boiler. But this is only conjecture, and
| Gaines is dead. The force of the eX-
piosion was terrific. People in all
parts of the city were awakened by the,
Shock. Huge stones were shattered and
iron pipes bent and twisted. Windows
street were demolished and paneS of
glass two blocks away were cracked.
At the newrailroad depot, block away.
huge pane of plate glass was cracked
and many states were dislodged from
the newly completed roof. Night en-
plOyeS in the railroad station and offices
FLED TO THE STREET
in terror. It is believed that Mrs. Wes-
snD, of Springfield, tie widow of Frank
Wesson. who was killed at the White
River junction railroad accident, was
in the hotel, together, with all of her
family, FIVE children, and probably a
servant Or two. People honi Spring-
field were in-the city to-day. anxious to
find her, knowing. she stayed in Hart
ford over Sunday, but her name
register, and it is feared she
was in the Park Central. If
so, her death and that of her family
would raise the aggregate loss of life
probably seven additional. A New
York drummer, whose home is in Port
land, Me-, and who slept last night in
the annex OF the hotel. a part OF which
! is still standing, says he felt something
/ of a shock and heard sound. but moth
I ing like what should accompany boiler
explosion. He did not believe
there had been one. and did
not even deem it advisable to get
up. But the next instant he heard
piercing shrieks and heard the floor
tremble. He jumped out of bed and es-
capped in his night clothes. The expert
ences of the survivors were remarkable
and their escapes miraculous. Walter
nj. Gay occupied room adjoining that
of Landlord Ketchum and wife. When
.he aWuke he felt the bed sinking with
him. Soon it became stationary. He
was lying on his left side. pinned down
by the ceiling, etc, in such manner
that he was entirely unable to move, al
though bis right arm was free. He
DID NoTDLosE CONSCIOUSNESS
moment throughout. He soon heard
the voices of Mr.. and Mrs.. Ketchum,
and conversed with them concerning
the chances of escape. Before he was
rescued the water had nearly covered
his face, poured in by the firemen.
Enos James, brother to the New York
agent of the White Star line, occupied
the room directly over the Ketehums,
and also heard their voices. When
the searchers of this fact and the
Ketchum's were soon rescued. Their
thirteen-year-0ld son Eddie is still in
the ruins. All these persons were con-
fined in the ruins seven or eight hours,
and are not any of them dangerously
injured. Z. p. Robertson, the head
waiter, gave the following story: Il
was awakened by the shock aud hur-
ried my clothes on. There was great
commOtion among the employees, the
girls especially being excited and anx-
ious to leave the building. When l
Jumped out of bed heard screams
! from the ruins. l thought the hotel
was Oh fire and made haSty prepara-
tions to leave. My room was shaken
up, the furniture being knocked about.
Finding the annex was all right L re-
turned to my room, and after finishing
dressing aided others in getting Out.'
The complete list Of bodies taken out
UP to II 80 D. m. is as follows:
DWIGHT H. BUELL.. jeweler, Hartford.
GEORGE GAINES, colored porter OF the
hotel.
j. GEORGE ENGLER, drug clerk, Hart
ford.
we're Rubber company, Boston.
j. c. hill. Buffalo. N. Y, supposed to be
commercial traveller.
LOUIS II. BRONSON, secretary of the
Hartford Stove and Plumbing company;
wife and child of above.
GEORGE KETCHUM, brother Of the land
lord.
EDDIE KETCHUM, aged eleven, son of
GEORGE W. ROOT, Brockport, N. Y,
traveller for Waite, Williams d. Co., Boston.
Two unknown men.
A. H. TILLOT3ON, traveller for the Merrill
Chemical company. of Cincinnati.
MAMMALIAN GALODY, proprietor Of
the Hartford Aerold, and wife Mr.. Galody
was for some time clerk in the bureau OF
statistics, treasury department, and pur-