The Lamar register., 1892-02-13
TERRIBLE FIRE IN NEW YORK.
The Royal Hotel Destroyed and Nearly
Fifty Persons Perish.

A disaster paralleling in horror
and probably exceeding in loss of life tie
terrible occurrence in Park Place, the re
membrance OF which is fresh in the public
mind, occurred in New York early Sunday
morning. The Hotel Royal, at Fortieth
Street and Sixth avenue, was burned TO
the ground and large number of people
were burned 10 death, many sutocated oy
smoke and others crushed TO death in the
ruins. 1t is known that there were 10
guests ia the house. There were also
some ffty-fve employees in the house. OF
these six have been found dead, six are in
the hospitals and sixty-three have been
reported alive, either by themselves or
friends
At this writing it is impossible to state
the number of killed or injured with any
positiveness. The police place the number
of killed at fifty, while they admit the
number of injured will be very large
1t was few minutes after o'clock IN
the morning when the flames were first
discovered. They never had better fuel.
The building was composed of several old
structures, all amalgamated into the Hotel
Royal years ago. SO far Us can be learned
the flames kindled in the shaft Of the ele-
vator in the basement at about the middle
depth of the building. a ianitor was at
work in the basement at the time, and was
suddenly frightened by the flashing of the
flames. He rushed to the street and mott
fed the policeman on the Sixth avenue
corner, who sent in an alarm, while the
ianitor rushed back into the building 10
arouse the sleeping guests.
In fifteen minutes the whole of the six
story structure was ablaze. Flames shot
out from every window in the front OF
the house and people in the street could
see persons rushing frantically 70 and fro
on every floor of the burning building.
One, two, three alarms were sent out in
rapid succession, and the streets and ave-
nues were soon filed with fire engines and
trucks. Other alarms brought anbulances
from every hospital in the city. The most
heroic efforts of the iremen were impotent
against the devouring element and the
whole middle portion of the sky was bril-
liantly illuminated by the Tremendous
blaze.
Narrowing scenes were witnessed BY
those who were assembled in sight of the
burning hotel. One unknown man sprang
from window on the third floor and was
the Mortified eyes of the spectators. This
terrible scene was enacted on the Sixth
avenue side of the building. a moment
later another man leaped from a window
on the Fortieth street side and was man
gled TO death on the sidewalk. Shortly
afterwards two women iumped from win
dows on the Sixth avenue side Of the
building. Willing hands soon grasped
-. t,,.. bafr
bodies were at once removed to the
morgue. Thus, already, had four lives
been sacrificed. From other windows OF
the doomed hotel women had leaped in
their mad endeayor to escape from the
flames, and so far as known none OF them
were killed outright. The ambulance err
geons who were summoned as soon as the
fire was discovered had more than they
could do to attend to the burned and in
iured people.
At 3: 30 the walls fell in and all hope Of
rescuing any other unfortunates was at IN
end. A great number Of thrilling expert
ences and had narrow escapes are reported.
One of the most thrilling escapes Of the
night was that of a young man named
Noonan of Jersey City. Noouan had been
but recently married Saturday night he
came over to the city to celebrate the
happy occasion with his friends and aftera
long and iovial season he was taken to the
Hotel Royal, where he was snugly put to
bed by his companions in room on the
fourth floor. Noonan was awakened from
his sleep by the shouts OF fire and cries for
help of the women and men. For mo-
ment ne was dazed, but In an instant he
collected his scattered senses. He looked
out in the hall, but there was no escape
there. He looked out of the window and
no ladder was near him so he, with the con
hdence of an athlete, swung himself from
the window-sill TO the window below and
from one window to another he descended
until he reached Ii ground.
There are various theories as to the
cause of the fire, but nothing certain is
known.