The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-02-08

manRieu 70 Qe0tn on the pavement Snorb-
Iy afterward two women jumped from win
dows on the sixth-avenue side. Willing
hands soon grasped them up bat they
were dead. Their bodies were at once re-
moved to the morgue. Thus already had
four lives been sacrificed. From other
windows Of the doomed hotel men and
women leaped in their mad epdeavor to es-
cape from the flames, and so far as known
none of them was killed outright, but
many were badly bruised. The numerous
ambulance surgeons who were summoned
as soon as the fire was discovered had more
than they could do to attend to the burned
and injured people.
The hotel burned like tinder-box. The
flames ragged fiercely. but above all could
be heard the cries for help from the un-
fortunates penned in the building. Fire
men and spectators helped to rescue the
imprisoned guests and employees. Many
were taken from windows. where they had
sought refuge and the fremen dared smoke
and flames to save life. Sergeant Ward
and patrolman Phillips went into room
on the fourth floor. and took Walter H.
Phelps and his wife In safety down a lad
uCIs OMCcI uIiilpo buCCccucA III cdSAh8
ars. Samuel Knapp. of Chicago. who was
unable to save herself, and was about to
leap from q window on the third floor.
MIR. UHLMANN's EXPERIENCE.
Mr.. Frederick Uhlmann. q well-known
dealer in. hops. has been q guest of the
hotel for years. his mother and brother
also making the hotel their abode. Satur-
day his brother Simon, with Mrs. Uhlmann.
went to their country residence at Lake.
wood, N, j. Mr.. Uhlmann had gone to bed
shortly after 1 o'clock. and was sound
asleep when he was suddenly awakened
by the cry of fire and the screams and
shouts for help of the other inmates of the
hotel. He got ont of bed and ran out into
the hall He found the place filled with
smoke. and he was forced back into his
room. Again he made the attempt. and.
after falling over some distractions In the
passageway. succeeded In feeling and
cropping his way down the one flight of
stairs to the street. He had on nothing but
his night shirt. but some one threw him an
overcoat. With the coat about his shoul-
ders he walked mp the street several blocks
to another hostelry. Mr.. Uhlmann lost
everything in his room, including S12, 900 In
cash, several checks and other valuable
business documents.
Among the narrow escapes related is that
of William G. Tompkins. of this city, who
was transient guest. He was aroused by
the cries of fire. and, finding escape by the
stairs impossible, coolly packed his things
together and lowered himself to the ground
by the means of the rope Iire-escape which
he found in the room. When on the ground
he gathered up his effects, which he had
previously thrown out of the window. and
went elsewhere to finish his sleep.
A tall. handsome young man climbed
down the Sixth-avenue front from the top
most window. He slowly climbed from
sill to sill until he reached the ground. He
was seriously burned and bruised. but
alive. and the crowd cheered him wildly.
while he disappeared unidentified in the
crowd.
Mrs. Keuper and her daughrer Julia. who
occupied room on the third fioor at the
corner of Fortieth street and Sixth avenue,
and who registered from bennington. N. j.,
on Saturday, were rescued by o policeman
and q fireman. who carried them down q
ladder. They lost ell their clothing, save
their night dresses. which they had on.
Mrs. Keuper suffered greatly from the
shock. and Miss Keuper's long. black hair
was badly singed by the flames which burst
out of the window as she stepped on the
ladder to safety.
PROPRIETOR MEAREs AND WIFE.
Richard Meares, proprietor of the Hotel
Royal. narrowly escaped death with his
wife. They retired at o'clock, and were
asleep on the second floor in the middle of
the building and only few feet from the
elevator shaft, which formed the draft for
the fire. The janitor succeeded in waking
the people on this floor hut could get no
further up into this building owing to the
progress of the flames. He awakened pro-
prietor Meares and his wife first, but when
they emerged into the hall only partly
clothed, they found q conflagration. The
stairways were filled with flames, and
smoke and tongues of flames darted out from
the elevator shaft. Saying Follow me-"
Mr.. Meares, with his overcoat over his head.
climbed over the bannisters at the head of
the stairs and dropped to the floor below.
Turning to catch his wife when she drop
ped, be was horrited to see that she had
not followed him. The frantic man would
have rushed back mp the burning stairs,
but the firemen seized him. and roughly
FASTENED him out of the building, and
turned hlm over to Q policeman unhurt
Meantime Mrs. Meares had acted for her
self With rare presence of mind, she
rushed to the window and leaped to the
roof of the portico over tho entrance. and
was taken down by the iremen. She SUIT
fered q sprained ankle. but was otherwise
unhurt by hef thrilling experience.
These escapes occurred before the walls
of the building fell. while the firemen were
doing their utmost to stop the progress of
the flames, which, at that time. threatened
to enguIf not only the hotel, but the entire
block of buildings to the south. When the
walls fell people were seen at several win
dows on tine upper floors, crying for help.
but they fell back and were swallowed up
in the outburst of the flames which rose
from the ruins. How many. then. met their
deaths, or how many were suffOcated in
their rooms. is not now known.
The flames of the burning building illum-
mated the sky for miles around and drew
thousands of people to the scene. which.
during the entire day, was an object OF
curiosity to an immense throng Of people.
Reserves from the police stations held the
crowd we'll in check. The fire lines were
strictly drawn and maintained during the
whole day, and none. save person author
lied to enter by means of his official posi-
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