The record-union., 1892-02-08
Special to the REcoRp-UN1ox.


Special TO the REcoRD-UNIoH.
NEW YORK, Feb. IA disaster appall-
ing in horror, bringing to mind the ter
rible occurrence in Park Place, still fresh
IN the public mind, occurred in this city
early this morning. The Hotel Royal,
that well-known landmark which has
stood for more than quarter ola century
at the southeast corner of Sixth Avenue
and Fortieth street, was burned to the
ground and a large number Of people
were burned, suff.ocated and crushed in
the ruins. At the time of the disaster
there were nearly $50 guests in the house,
and the hotel employees, all told, num-
bered So. OF this number Of people 8
thus far have been found dead, 6 are in
the hospital and G3 have been reported
alive. One hundred are still missing.
The number of dead will probably not
exceed at a later estimate so.
The scenes were heartrending a1d APP
palled even the fremen and policemen,
who are used to terrible sights. Soon
after the fire broke out ambulances ar
rived from the various hospitals. Many
physicians who resided i'll the neighbOr-
hood were quickly on the scene, and did
all they could TO relieve the injured.
Nearly every one of 124 rooms which
the hotel had on it's five floors was occu
pied last night by guests, many OF them
transient In fact, all the rooms save
GOur had been taken at | O'Clock this
morning when Richard Meares, the pro-
prietor, went to bed.
THE HOUSE IN FLAMES.
The flames burst forth from some un-
known origin near the elevator shaft, and
The entire building was instantly envel-
Oped in flames.
At 3:05 O'Clock Mrs. Isabella Meares,
wife of the proprietor, awakened her hus-
band telling him the house was on fire.
she heard the cracking of flames and
Gaw smoke coming through the creyices
of the bedroom door. 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
Iilled the halls and the flames were making
their way rapidly up an elevator shaft.
Their apartments were on the third floor
and forty feet from the stairway. One
glance at the situation was enough to tell
MIN the story He ran back to his wife's
room and shouted:
"NOw, YOU FOLLOW ME-
And snatched up his ccat and again ran
into the hallway. He fought his way
straight to the staircase, suppoSing his
wife close behind him. The passageway
was choked with dense smoke, which
almost strangled him. Then. throwing
his overcoat over his head to prevent suf-
location, he bent his head low and CROPPED
his way to the barnisters, on which he
placed his left hand. The flames were
shooting up from below. His hand
which was on the railing was burned and
his hair singed. His situation was peril
Gus. To run downstairs for two flights
meant DEATH and so he, swinging him
self over the handrail.
DROPPED TWENTY FEET
TO the ground floor. He landed on his
1eet without broken bone and made his
way TO the street.
Meares was among the first to leave the
burning building, and when he made his
exit not fire engine had arrived. But
even in those few minutes the flames had
gotten grip on the fated structure, and
windows of the upper floors.
The scenes ut the fire before the fire
companies arrived were heart-rending
one man, whose name is not known.
sprang from the third-story window, and
was dashed to death on the ground be-
low. People turned their faces away.
Mortified at the sight. This was on tie
Sixth Avenue side of the building.
moment later another man leaped from
the window on the Fortieth-street side.
and was instantly killed. Shortly after
ward two women jumped from the VIM
dows on Sixth avenue, ard were dead
when picked up. Their bodies were
taken to the Thirtieth-street Station
house, and atterward, unidentified, re-
moved to the Morgue. At that hour the
known dead mum bered four
Several others dropped from the win
dows or slid down ropes, with which
every room IN the hotel was provided, and
escaped with sewers burns, while MANY
more had been injured in the same way
while going down tire-eScapes and were
in the hands ofambulance surgeons from
the Bellevue and New York HOSPITALS
The surgeons had their hands full in TAX
ing care of the injured and manned.
All this time the ire was raging
1iercely, and it was evident that the build7
ing was doomed. The structure
BURNED LIKE KINDLING- WOOD.
The work of rescuing the guests still
went on, and many were taken from
the windows by firemen and policemen.
Sergeant Ward and Patrolman Phillips
of Fire Patrol No. ,, went on the fourth
floor front and rescued Walter H. Phelps
and wife, taking them down a ladder
safely. They succeeded in saving Mrs
Samuel knitf, who was about TO leap from
one ofthe windows of the third floor.
MARROW ESCAPES.
Frederick Uhlman had been a guest at
the hotel for years, and lived with his
brothers Simon and his mother. The latter
yesterday went to their country residence
at Lakewood, y. j. Mr.. Uhlman had
gone to bed shortly after / o'clock, and
was rudely awakened by a cry of fire and
the screams and shouts for help of the
Inmates OF the house. He ran from his
room on the second floor. directly over
The office, into the hall, but found it filled
with smoke and was forced back into his
room. Again he made an attempt. and.
falling over some obstacle in the passage
way, succeeded in making his way down
stairs. Hei escaped with only an over
coat to cover his nakedness. Mr.. Uhl-
man lost everything in his room includ-
ing $1,000 IN cash. Several checks, notes
aud other valuable business documents
were lost. Despite his loss, however. Mr..
Dhlman was cheerful to-day. for he said.
''lf mother and brother had not gone
away on Saturday they would have been
burned"
Among the narrow escapes was that of
il. {. Thompkins of this city, who was q
transient guest at the hotel He was
awakened IRON his Slumbers by a cry of
fire, and got up and went into the hall
way, but escape down stairs was impos-
sible. Collecting his yaluables he escaped
out window down a rope. In descend
ing the fiameS from a second-story win
COW burned his hands and scorched his
hair.
Mrs. F. Knapp of Chicago he'd room
on the fifth floor. She had presence of
mind enough to wrap wet towel around
her head to prevent being suffocated She |
went to window and waited until res |
sued by burly policeman.