The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-10-27
FORD'S HOTEL ON FIRE.
s1sspISe GUESTS ARE AROUSED.
Thrilling Rescue by Ladders Of F'remes.
The Firo Escapes Bring Others Safely to
Earth-Loss and Insurance.

|
reached almost every section OF the city,
and everybody who heard 1t became ex-
cited and boted for the scene Of the
connagration, for all knew that the burn
I'M, ~ an immense hotel would probably
entail a loss of life. 1t did not take the
crowd long to assemble. and a more ex-
| cited lot OF people ii is fard to imagine
The performance at the Theatre was just
o,os,n0 and almost the entire audience
were added to the thousands already
oothered ON Broad, Tenth, Eleventh and
| Conitol streets. The alarm was turned In
from Rox 12i. Broad-street engine house
a. io.l7 o'clock and was followed at 1880
/ by n second alarm.
The Gro originated in the extreme east
ern end of the kitchen annex from the
furnace. Clerk Culllgan was passing
through one Of the halls, as he was about
TO retire.
He thought that he smelled smoke and
on investigation discovered oia%e III
| that part Of the house. lie immediately
sent the alarm TO the engine-hCuse.
THE FLAMgs SPREAD.
The flames spread rapidly and were
soon up I'm the fourth floor OF the hotel.
I
holes only served as lues TO conduct
the smoke to every part Of the building.
While the fire was located In the end OF
tho building near Twelfth street, the
doors OF the rooms out on Eleventh
street were scorched and blistered by the
heat.
The Rev. w. P. Hines. of West View
BAPTIST church. and Mrs. lines, ere
quests OF Fords Hotel, and had room
50. on the fourth floor Mrs Hines was
coming I'm from church meeting with
her husband when she smelled smoke,
and n moment later she was surrounded
with it.
PRESENCE OF MISn.
She kept her head and with Mr.. Hines,
rushed from door to door, alarming the
people I'm the rooms on the way while
going downstairs to the office TO give the
night clerk the alarm. She first awoke
Mrs. Isaac Hutzer, who was In room d,
and this lady and her baby came safely
Ia the Davement from the fourth floor
bv the fre-escape. She was brought to
the ground from the second Moor by
Mr.. George W. Davis. Of The Times.
Mrs. Hutzler was carefully tended by by
ISLANDERS TO the house OF Mrs. II. O..
Harris. No. $40 north Eleventh street,
where she and her baby which she chung
70 all during the descent on the fire
escape. were given every attention, ana
when I saw her, half an hour later she
was as bright and cheerful as possible.
She said she was asleep and was awak-
ened bv the noise in the halls and bang
ing on the doors. and she seized the BABY
and made for the fire-escape, and was
very grateful to everybody who helped
her down.
BROUGHT DOWN THE LADDER.
Mrs. John W. Powell. who was In Room
30. was badly frightened, as well she
might have been, and sat In the window,
waving her hands for help, which soon
came in the person OF Captain Dorset OF
No. 3 Engine Company, with the Hayes
extension truck She Obeyed orders 10
hold on. and was soon safe on the ground.
and carried to the residence Of Mrs. Lot
tier on Governor street, where she soon
recovered herself
The halls were filed with a miscella-
neous assortment Of almost everything
furniture books bedding. glassware, din
ing-tables, crockery, table-cloths, pic
lures. trunks and baggage OF every de-
scrption The 1remen made a great
fight. With hose run into the building
from all the sides they soon had the
floors flooded, and the fire was drowned
out. All the available force OF the fire
department was at the fire. and on every
| corner in the neighborhood, where there
was a fre-plug there was a putting en-
| CINE. Chief Fuller believes In using his
machines to put out fires, and he has
shown his good sense several times.
BY midnight the flames were subdued,
though the firemen did not withdraw
with their apparatus until nearly A. NJ,
to make assurance doubly sure that every
spark of it was out.
THE INSURANCE.
The insurance. placed through Mr.. Ju-
! lius Straus. was as follows:
on furniture-W Western Assurance Com
pany. Toronto, $500; Commercial Union
! Association. London, $500; German Fire
Insurance Company, Baltimore, $500.
| Total. $l45OO.
on the building German Fire Insurance
! Company. Baltimore. s. 800; British Amer
| lean Assurance Company, Toronto, 5000;
| GIens Falls Insurance Company, Glen =
| Falls. 5000. Total, $500.
There was also some insurance placed
with the Mutual Assurance Society of
! Virginia.
Any statement OF the loss, either TO
the building or furniture. would be the
| widest conjecture, in the midst OF the
smoke and heat and confusion prevailing
at the writing OF this report, 1t Is a
matter Of great thankfulness that nobody
| was injured.
Captain Frank w. Cunningham and Mr..
| James L. Sullivan were prominent In their
work In bringing ladies. children and men
through the smoke which filed the halls
TO the Office and street In safety.
NOTES.
Mrs Irwin Weisiger. wife Of the treas
urer of the Virginia Steamboat Company,
left her iewelry case laying on her
dressing-table, and when her husband
went to look for 1t later it had d!sap-
pearcd 1t contained besides other jew
! elry, several valuable diamonds
Mr.. T. r. Price, OF FourQurean Price
& CO.. had his residence at HOS Capitol
street damaged to the extent Of from $500
to 81 900 by last nights fire. In order 10
get 10 the east side OF the hotel II was
necessary TO pass through Mr.. Price S
house. and the damage 10 the premises
was altogether by water. The loss is
fully covered by insurance.
The alarm from No. 70, Twentyfourth
and VI streets turned in about IL 80 last
night. was for a fire outside the city
! limits.
Welded IN GOTHAM
Marriage of MIR. Emanuel Miihisor to Miss