The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-02-12
HOTEL FIRE.
The Hotel Royal, Of New York,
Burned to the Ground.
MANY LIVES REPORTED LOST.
Only Five of the Dead Recovered-Many
Persons Unaccounted For-The House
Crowded at the Time of the
Disaster.


NEW YORK, Feb. s-A disaster, APP
palling in horror. bringing to mind the
terrible occurrences in Park Place. still
fresh in the public mind, occurred in
this city early yesterday morning.
The Hotel Royal, that well known
landmark which has stood for more
than quarter of century at the
southeast corner of Sixth avenue and
Fortieth street, was burned to the
ground and large number of people
were burned. suffocated and crushed in
the ruins At the time of the disaster
there were nearly $50 guests in the
hotel The hotel employees all told
number fifty five.
OF this number of people five have
thus far been found dead. six are in
the hospital and sixty-three have been
reported alive. One hundred are still
missing. The number of dead will
probably not exceed, at later esti-
mate, thirty. Scenes were heart-rend-
ing and appalling. even to the firemen
and policemen, who are used to such
scenes. Soon after the fire broke out
ambulances arrived from the various
hospitals Many physicians whose
residences are in the neighborhood
were quickly on the scene and did all
they could to relieve the injured.
Nearly every one of the 1914 rooms
which the hotel has on its five floors
were occupied by guests, many
NF 10.
rooms save four had been taken at
o'clock when Richard Mears, the pro-
prietor, went to bed. When the flames
burst from some unknown origin near
the elevator shaft, the entire building
was instantly enveloped in flames
THE DEAD.
The dead. missing and injured are re-
ported as follows:
Unknown woman, 40 years old, frac-
tured skull and slightly burned She
is supposed to have jumped from a
window and killed herself Body at
the morgue.
An unknown woman about 90. good
looking, light complexion, wore an
abundance of jewelry. Burned and
suffocated. Body at the morgue.
Unknown man about 35 years old,
dark brown hair, jumped from
window. Head smashed in pieces.
Smooth face, about five feet nine
inches in height, weighed about $50
pounds, wore linen night shirt and
trousers. Body at the morgue-
Unknown man, good looking. about |
43 years old, had on striped silk under-
shirt light brown stripes. Evidently |
a Hebrew. Body at the morgue.
Henry C. Levy, of the firm of Levy,
wholesale clothiers, identified by his |
brother, H. J. Levy, at the morgue
THE INJURED.
Clarence NJ. Klein, 80 years old, single. |
lawyer, Hazelton, Pa, suffocated and |
burned. Injuries not fatal Taken to
Bellevue hospital.
Walter L. Yates, 60 years old, cloth
Ter, of Philadelphia, condition serious;
burns and Commissions. Bellevue hos
pital
Mrs. Isabella Mears, wife of the pro-
prietor, injuries not serious; will re-
cover. Taken to Bellevue hospital
Herbert Harding, engineer of the
Hotel Royal, fatally burned while try
ing to rescue woman; several ribs
broken. Taken to hospital.
THE MISSING.
William E. Armstrong, Thomas Ken
1edy, Charles Close.
The following escaped: W. G. Bu-
,hanan, c. S. Sonby, Rupert Lamont,
:. Cramer, Z B. Reynolds and wife. C.
Cockburn, e. c. Allen. o. Sepler, C.
White, E G. Harding, w. H. Scott and
wife, Langdon Smith, 6. S. MCGEE,
James E. CORR, Mrs j. Titus, Mrs S.
Titus, Mrs S Knapp of Chicago.
All of these escaped from the burn
ng building and were taken to the
iedney house.
p. Taylor, Ii. P. Tompkins, w. C.
Pearce. These were rescued and taken
o the Hotel Metropole, four blocks
lway.
The Hotel Royal was built more
han twenty-five years ago. 1t was
ormerly kept by Messrs Pears &
Butler, but Mr.. Mears leased it
thirteen years ago. In 1882 the
building was remodeled and an
edition was made on the south side.
The house was the home of mapv
PERSONS in the theatrical profession and
vas patronized chiefly by transients
or a night Many families made it,
however, their permanent place of res
dence. The elaborate restaurant was
literally patronized by the class of
,eople who keptlate hours in the upper
,art of the Tenderloin district.
After the fire had sufficiently cooled
o permit partial examination of the
uins a search was made for the dead.
The searchers were at once rewarded
" the finding of a charred body almost
'urned to crisp. 1t was unrecogniz-
bile, but was identified as that of
Ienry C. Levy from a ring on one of
he fingers.
The walls were in dangerous con-
ition and it was deemed necessary to
ull them down before continuing the c
earch for the dead. A force of 100
len will be put to work to-day clear
1g away the debris.
The loss on the hotel and furniture
estimated at $3.50, 200. The building 7
owned by Hyman Israel, furniture 6
ealer, on the Bowery.
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Killed FOR Using a bad Name