Morris tribune., 1892-02-10

Many Unfortunates Perish-Windows
Filled with People Pltsouslv Appeal
ing for Help, While Heroic Firemsn
and Police Bravelx- Risk Life and Limb
Placed at Betwaen Twenty and Thirty
New YORK Feb. A disaster pare -
leling IN horror and probably exceeding
in loss of life the terrible occurrence in
Park Place, the remembrance of which
is fresh in the public mind. occurred in
this city early SundN-. The Hotel
ROYAL at Fourtieth street and Sixth
avenue WAS burned to the ground and
a large number Of people were burned
to death, many sufcccated by smoke
ana otherS crushed to death in the
ruins. Il is known that there were 125
guests at the time the fire broke out.
There was also some ffty-ive employees
of the house. Of these six have been
found dead, six are in the hospitals and
sixty-thrce have been reported alive,
either by themselves or friends.
1t was q few minutes after 3 a. II.
when the flames were first discovered.
They Never Had Setter Fuel.
The building was composed Of several
old structures, all amalgamated into
the Hotel Royal years ago. So far as
can be learned the flames kindled in the
shaft of the elevator Of the basement at
about the middle Of the building A
janitor was at work in the basement at
the time and was suddenly frightened
by the flashing of flames. He rushed
to the street and notified the policeman
on the Sixth avenue corner who sent in
an alarm while the janitor rushed back
into the building to arouse the sleeping
guests.
In fifteen minutes the whole of the
six story structure was ablaze. Flames
shot out at every window in the front
of the house and people in the street
could see persons rushing frantically to
and fro on every floor Of the burning
sent out in rapid succession, and the
streets and avenues were soon flied with
fire engines and trucks. Other alarms
brought am balances from every hospi-
tai in the city. People leaped out of
the windows to the sidewalks and were
gathered up unconscious, burned,
manned and mangled, by the fireman
and carried to places of safety. The
most heoric efforts Of the fireman were
impotent against the devouring element
and the whole middle portion of the city
was brilliantly
Illuminated by the Tremendous Fire.
The windows were filed with he peo-
pie in their night clothing, making pit
eous and heartrending appeals to the
people below for help while behind them
was great sea Of flames. Indeed,
these unfortunate beings seemed to be
actually IN the fire.
The fire had spent its fury at 5:15, for
there was practically nothing combusti-
bic left in the shell. Then the scene
surveyed by the fremen, police and the
crowd of citizens was one of complete
and sorrowful wreck. Ambulances
had carried away the injur ed and those
who had escaped unhurt had gone to
the hotels or to the homes of friends.
All that remained was a smoking,
blackcnel mound Of deb is, that rose to
a height Of twenty-five feet. And IN
der the debris what would the men, set
to work Immediately to clear away the
wreck,
What Would They Find There?
This question stayed with the crowd
and all day long there had been
throng of peoplein Bryant Park opposite
the ruins and aroun6. all the approaches
to the demolished hotel, watching while
one hundred able fremen labored in the
smoking heap, anxious, yet fearful of
what each upturned heap might bring
forth. It was at II o'clock that the
first body was found. 1t was a
horrible sight to behold, burned, black
ened and bruised. It was hurried away
to the morgue, where after much diff
Guilty it was Unidentified as the body of
Harry C. Levy, member of the firm
of Strauss 81 Freeman, 707 Broadway.
five others were found during the day,
none of whom have yet been identified.
THIRTEEN CORPSES.