Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1892-02-12
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\ Hotel Holocaust.
Thirty People Burned TO Death in the
Hotel Royal In New York.


An appalling disaster. bringing to mind
the terrible occurrences i'm Park Place
still fresh in the public mind, occurred i'm
New York city early last Sunday morning
Hotel Royal, that well-known landmark
which has stood for more than quarter of
a century at the corner of Sixth avenue
and Fortieth street, was burned to the
ground and a large number of people were
burned, suffocated or crushed in the ruins.
There were 1870 guests and % employees i'm
the hotel at the time
The fire broke out in the elevator shaft
at 3 o'clock, when nearly all the occupants
of the building were sleeping soundly.
Hardly had it been discovered before it had
swept savagely and rresstibly through the
six floors, transforming the building into
huge furnace BY the time the first Ell
gines arrived the house was ablaze from
top to bottom, flames were leaping from
every window, from the doors, up the
stairway, and through the roof The fire
men risked their lives in many ways.
From every point water was poured into
the hotel. But apparently each effort of
the tiremen only increased the fury of the
great blaze, and by half-past } o'clock a
roaring column of flame was leaping into
the air.
Above the roar of the flames rang the
fearful cries of the imprisoned people in
the burning hotel. Suddenly a form was
seen in IA window high overhead. A cry
of horror arose as it left the window and
came swiftly down, striking the sidewalk
with sickening sound The form was
that of a man. He was the first one to
jump, and he was instantly killed Nets
were brought, ladders were raised wherever
the tremen could obtain resting place,
and brave men climbed through the flame
and smoke to rescue the unfortunate peo-
pie who stood screaming in the windows,
with fire behind them and a deadly leap
before them. Minute after minute the eX-
element increased, and the position of
| those in the hotel became more terrible.
! Ambulance bells rang furiously. doctors
/ with bandages came hocking to the scene.
and then, by ones, by twos, whte-robed
/ figures could be seen here and there some
sliding down ropes, Others climbing labori-
ously from dizzy window lodges to copings.
while sometimes an awful, despairing cry
would herald the desperate leap which end
ed in death -Four times during the early
stage of the fire people took the perilous
chance. They were two women and two
men, and to each it brought instantaneous
death. One woman, as she leaped, struck
a policeman, who was carrying another
woman down ladder aud all came to the
ground together. The woman who was
being carried by the policeman sustained
no severe injuries, nor did the policeman.
But the other woman struck on her head
and did not stir. As fast as the injured
people came down the ladders or ropes they
were bundled into ambulances and driven
to hospital.
Mrs. Hattie Van Nordcn, wife of Harry
j. Van Norden, manager of the RoyaI
Worcester corset company, was undoubted
~ among those who persisted. The WON
an, her husband says had jewels worth
between 100000 and $40 900 in a channels
skin belt strapped around her waist at tn,
time of the fire, and the gems together
with valuable papers are in the ruins Will
her