The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-02-08
FEARFUL HOLOCAUST
The Hotel Royal, yeW York City,
in Ruins.
MANY LIVES ARE REPORTED LOST.
a Disaster in Horror ParaIIeling the
Park Place Occurrences.
! NUMBER Of THRILLING ESCAPES.


Those Who Assembled in Sight of
the Burning BuiIding-Gnests Leap
from Windows 10 Escape from the
sea OF FLAMES Firemen and Spec
tators Work Bravely 20 Preserve
Life.
New YORK, Feb. 3.--A disaster par
alleling iii horror and probably exceed
ing in loss of life the terrible occurrence
in Park Place, the remembrance of
which is fresh in the public minds, oc-
CURED here early yesterday morning
The Hotel Royal, at Fortieth street and
y Sixth avenue, was burned to the ground
and d large number Of people were
burned to death, many sufTocated by
smoke and others crushed to death IN
the ruins.
1t is known that there were 1873 guests
in the hotel at the time the fire broke
out. 1t is believed that many of the
missing persons wiz be found to have
escaped. Police Sergeant Cooper, of the
Westh Thirtieth street station house,
said that he believed that no more than
twenty FIVE people were killed and six
injured, while Others place the number
Of killed at fifty.
Where the Fire Originated
1t was few minutes after o'clock
yesterday morning when the flames
were first discovered. They never had
better fuel The building was COM
posed of several old structures, all ANAL
gamated into the Hotel Royal years ago.
So far. as can be learned the flames
kindled III the shaft of the elevator in
the basement at about the middle depth
of the building. The janitor was at
4 work IN the basement at the time, and
he was sIddeRly startled by the flashing
4 mp of flames. He rushed to the street
and notified the policeman on the Sixth
avenue corner, who sent III an alarm,
while the janitor rushed back into the
building to arouse the sleeping guests
The blaze had already shot up the eleva-
tor shaft, finding kindIing is inhamma-
bic as finder in the frame work, and
James Z. Powers, of the straight Tip
company, smoking his good cigar on the
piazza of the Gedney House, Broadway
and Fortieth street, saw the flames. Mr..
Powers rushed to the nearest fire alarm
box and sent in an alarm before the
sixth avenue policeman could reach his
nearest bog In fifteen minutes the
4 whole Of the six story structure was
a ablaze. FLAMES shot out at every win
dow in the front half of the big hotel.
and people in the street could see per-
A sons rushing franticaily to and fro on
every floor of the burning building. The
windows were filed with people ia
their night clothing making heartrend-
ing appeals to the people below for
help, while behind them was a great sea
of flames. Indeed these unfortunate be-
ings seemed to be actually in the fire.
Terrible Scenes Enacted.
narrowing scenes were witnessed by
those who were assembled in sight Of
the burning house One unknown man
sprang from window on the third floor
and was dashed to death on the side
walk below before the laorriiied ewes OF
the spectators. This terrible scene was
enacted OH the Sixth avenue siae of the
house. A moment later another man
leapetl from a window on the Fortieth
street side and was rnangled to death
Shortly afterward two women jumped
from windows on the Sixth avenue side.
Willing hands grasped them up, brt
they We're. dead Their bodies were at
once removed to the morgtJs. Thus al
ready had four hyeS been sacrificed
From other widows Of the doomed
structure men and women had leaped
n IN their mad endeavor to escape from
y the flames, ana SO far as known none Of
them were killed ontrighty but many
were badly injured. 4iie numerous ann
bulance surge cons who were Summoned
rs soon as the fire was discovered had
more than they could 10 I'd attend to
N the burned and injured people.
Willin* Hands id tEork.
Firemeh aud spectators helped to res
cue the iiipias6ned guests ana eiapioyl.
Many weEe talsen from Windows gglleFts
/. they had sought refuge from the flames
and the tireraen dared smoke and flames
to save life. Sergeant Ward aud Patrol
man Phillips went into room On Tile
fourth H0or ana took Walter III Phelps
and his wife safely down d ladder Gun
Ger Phillips succeeded ia saYing Mrs.
Samuel Knapp. of Chicago, who was slyl-
able to save herself and was about to
leap from window ON the third door.
Mr. frederick Gilman, well known
dealer in hops, has been a guest for
years His mother and brother also
made the hotel their abode. Saturday
his brother Simon ana Airs. = rlulan
went To their country residence at Lake
wood. n. ]. Mr.. Uhlman had gone to
bed shortly after / o'cloclrand was sound
asleep, when he was suddenly awakened
by the cry of fire and the screams for
help by the other inmates. He ran out
in the hallway He found the place
filed with smoke and he was forced back
into his room.M Again he made the at
tempt and afteR falling into some OBJ
structions IN the passage way succeeded
| in feeling and groping his way down to
the street. He had on nothing but his \
night shirt, but some one threw him an
overcoat, and barefooted, and with the
coat about his shoulder, he walked sew
eral blocks to another hostlery.
Mr.. Uhimanss Great Loss.
Mr.. Uhllnan lost everything in his |