St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-12-31
DELAVAN DESTROYED.
The Famous Old Political Mee-
ca Entirely Consumed
by Fire.
ONLY ROPE FIRE ESCAPES.
One of These Breaks and Pre-
cipitates a Woman Sew
ePal Stories.
HEILMAN'S AWFUL JUMP.
He Cannot Live--Fears That
There Are Bodies in
the Ruins.
HEILMAN'S AWFUL JUMP.

ALBANY, \. Y, Dec. S0.-The candi
dacy of the several men for speaker Of
the assembly raised startling baptism
of fire here today, for the Delavan
house, that famous hOStelry known from
Maine to California. the Mecca of politi-
clans and the center OF all big state po-
ltical events for forty years, was COM
pletely destroyed. Fire is not an un-
common visitor, but fire such as this to-
night has seldom been seen. 1t was
haIf-past s, and the political headQuar
tiers of both Mr.. Fish and Mr.. Malby
were dlled with politicians and news
paper men. State Factory Inspector
Conn oily, who had been in the lobby
with a number of people, started to
come up the elevator. He remarked
that he smelled smoke, and suggested
an investigation. Before it could be
begun there were cries of fire from diff
ferent parts of the house simultaneous
ly. The Outburst of flames before all
alarm could be given to arouse the if
mates of the rooms was
Something Appalling.
Up the elevator shaft there shot
solid column of flame; up the staircase
near this shot another column. AS the
mass of white hot flame reached each of
the five floors it branched our into
tongues of leaping destruction, and it
seemed as though the whole interior of
the structure was a seething mass.
Fortunately the guest list was not very
large, and the majority of those regis
tered were politicians and were down
Mr.. Malby had headquarters. There
was rush for the stairs in the front
and the servants stairs in the back,
where the flames had nst yet reached.
and in few minutes there was a tum-
bling mass of humanity coming down.
Those on the two upper floors could not
avail themselves of the STAIRS. for the
flames were rushing through the cor
rl80rs, and the people on the street who
had noticed the flames heard crash Of
glass and saw figures come tumbling
out of the windows. Within ten min
utes after the first note of alarm at
least twelve persons were dangling on
the insuffic tent rope fire escapes or
hanging onto the window sillS. The
department arrived quickly. but it took
some time 10 get the ladders up, and, in
the meantime. some of the people had
dropped to the street. On the right
side of The building there
Appeared at "A Window
surrounded by smoke a man and a
woman. The man had hold of the
woman, trying to persuade her to wait
for help, but she broke away and
sprang out. She struck balcony and
rebounded to the street. The man
waited for a ladder and was taken
down in safety. His name was II. A.
FoakeS, and he represented cash reg
lister company in Dayton, o. The
woman was his wife, and she will prob
ably die. IL eX-Speaker Malby's room,
which was to the rear of the elevator
shaft, where the fire first appeared,
there was the greatest excitement.
About twenty politicians were there,
including Congressman Weaver and
Curtis. Senator Kilburn and Mr.. Malby.
A rush was made for the stairs, and
when the party landed in the street. the
only injured man was found to be AS.
semblyman Robbins, who hair and face
were badly burned. In Mr.. FiSh's head
quarters there was less hurry because
they were near the stairs. All got down
safely, but the majority left their bag
gage. +. A. Manchester, Of Auburn
postmaster of the assembly, ran toward
the baggage room for his gIip. Return
Ing, he found his way blocked with the
flames and smoke, and rushed back to 6
window. He smashed it, and slid dowr
the rope fire escape. Although five
stories high, there were
no Outside Fire Escapes.
and the only means left for the people
in the cutoff rooms was the rope firs
escapes. B. T. HeiIman, of Brooklyn
was IN the third story. He opened hi
room door as soon as he heard the CRY
of fire. A burst of fame uIade him lool
TO the window as the means of escape
In all instant he had but two alterna
tives-a Gery death or a jump. HI
chose the latter, and plunged through
the window. When he was picked III
from the sidewalk he was founC
to be badly injured. He will die
His wife, who was in the room with
him, tried the fire escape. but it either
broke or else she failed TO hold ii. foI
she, TOO, came to the pavement heavily
Her right leg was broken, her left ankl,
disiocated, and she was badly burned
about the face and head. In less thar
fifteen minutes after the fire started tn,
entire structure wac wrapped in flames
From the windows of each of Its fiy,
stories smoke poured in volumes, and
few minutes later the flames belchet
forth. In twenty minutes the buildin,
resembled seething crater, and 1t wa
plain to the thousands of spectators VIII,
had gathered that it would be entireI,
destroyed. Edward Walsh, porter
was caugnt in the hall. Before he couIc
get out he was badly burned and had Z
be taken to the hospital. The depart
ment, with
Nine Streams of Water
pouring into the building, could do alb
soiutely nothing at all to stop the on
slaught Of the flames, and the only worI