The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-02-08
FIRE IN A HOTEL
Thirty Lives Lost On Up
per Sixth Avenue.
All the zoo Inmates Abed
When It Started.

Proprietor Meares' Wife Awakened At
O'clock in the Morning by the
Cracking of the Flemes-The Whole
Building in the Tolls of the Fire in a
Jiffg-Two Men and Two Women
Throw Themselves to the Pavement
and Meet Instant Death.
NEW YoRK. Feb. IA disaster appalling
In horror, bringing to mind the terrible oc-
currences in Park Place, still fresh in the
public mind, occurred in this city early this
morning.
The Hotel Royal, that well-known land.
mark which has stood for more than a
quarter of century at the southeast cor
ner of Sixth avenue and Fortieth street,
was burned to the ground and large num-
Der Of persons were burned, suffocated or
crushed in the ruins.
At the time Of the disaster there were
nearly $50 quests in the hotel. The hotel
employees all told numbered fifty-five. Of
this number of people five thus far have
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
estimate, thirty persous.
HEART-RENDING SCENES.
The scenes were heart-rending and ap-
palled even the firemen and policemen, who
are used to terrible scenes. Soon after the
fire broke out ambulances arrived from va
rious 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 124 rooms, which the ho-
tel has on its five floors, we're
occupied lest night by guests, many of
them transient In fact all the rooms, save
four, had been taken at o'clock this morn
ing when Richard Meares, the proprietor
went to bed When the flames burst forth
from some unknown cause near the elevator
shaft, the entire building instantly became
enveloped in flames.
DISCOVERY OF THE FIRE.
At 3:05 o'clock Mrs. Isabella Meares,
wife Of the proprietor of the hotel,
awakened her husband, telling him the
house was on fire. She heard the cracking
OF tho flames through the crevices of their
door. Mr.. Meares had only retired at l
o'clock and was aroused with difficulty. He
sprang out of bed and ran into the hallway.
Volumes of smoke filled the halls and
flames were making their way rapidly up
the elevator shaft. The apartments
Of Mr.. aud Mrs. Meares were
9n the third floor and forty feet from the
stairway. One glance at the situation was
enough to tell him the story. He ran back
to his wife'S room and shouted, "Now, you
follow me, snatohed up a coat and again
ran into the hallway. He fought his way
straight to the staircase. supposing that his
wife was close behind him. The passage
way was choked with dense smoke, which
almost strangled him.
DROPPED AND LEFT HIS WIFE BEHIND.
Then throwing his overcoat over his head
toprevent suffocation, he bent his head low
anG CROPPED his way to the bannisters on
which he placed his left hand. Flames
were shooting up from below. His hand,
winch was on the railing was burned aud
DIS hair was singed. His sltuatio n
was perilous. To run down.
STAIRS fer two fights meant
ueath' and SO he swung himself over
tle hand rail and dropped twenty feet to
Tue ground floor. He landed on his feet
without broken bone and made his way to
nestreet. Mr.. Meares was among of the first
leaVe the burning building and when he
made bis exit he did it before the arrival of
'ue nrst engiue. But even In those few
minutes the flames had gotten their grip on
,ue rated structure. and fire was shooting
''0u all the windows of the upper floors.
MRS. MEAREs RESCUED.
"heD Mr.. Meares reached safety in the
street be then realized that his wife was not
WIN MIN. At that moment a hook and
Aoaer truck arrived. By the aid of the
4 'auders Mrs. Meares and another lady were
'ayeo with slight injuries.
Defore the fire companies arrived one
aiaD' whose name is not known, sprang
.'oul talrd-story window and was dashed
ueath on the ground below. People
.l'nel their faces away Mortified at
s10 sight This was on the Sixth
s,Ouue side of the building. A
n I'~enS later another man leeped
" .'on the window on the Fortieth street
~, a' and was instantly killed. Shortly
'0F"ard two women jumped from win
'"s On the Sixth avenue side and were
saa "nen picked up. Their dead bodies
ue taken to the Thirtieth street station
use, and afterward unidentified, were re,
~0'ed to the morgue
y SOCCEssFUL sCRAMBLEs FOR LIFE.
5o 5sS0plo dropped from windows or slid
bo.,, bI ropes, with which every room in the
" was provided, and others with their
i cns, aeout them used the fire escapes tC
~ advantage. A considerable number
"oSe who escaped by rhest
ho% from the upper stories were
4 froy scorched by the flames bursting
Ios. Iu 'ne lower windows. One young lady
Il Gu uhe head Of hair in this way, but es
e serious harm. One young man who
donething of an athlete, let himself
3 no,,i from window to window, and suffered
worse than few burns.
N, FELL BACK IN THE RUINS.
ava.s, uIn the walls fell people were seen al