The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-12-31
FAMOUS HOTEL BURNID.
The Headquarters of New York
State Legislators.
HALF A DOZEN BADLY INJURED

Ruins-Guests of the Hotel Lose All Their
Effects.
ALBANY, Dec. 31.-The candidacy Of the
several men for speaker of the assembly
received a startling baptism Of fire here
last night, for the Delevan House, that
famous hostelry known from Maine to
California, the mecca Of politicians and
the center Of all big state political events
for forty years. was completely destroyed.
Fire such as that of last night has seldom
been seen.
1t was S:8O o'clock. and the politica.
headquarters Of both Mr.. Fish and Mr.
Malby were filled with politicians and
newspaper men. The outburst of flames
before an alarm could be given to arouse
the inmates of the rooms was something
appalling. Up the elevator shaft there
shot a solid column of flames, while up
the staircase near this perfect fue shot an
other column. As the mass reached each
of the five oors it branched out into
tongues Of leaping destruction, and itI
seemed as though the whole interior Of the
structure was a seething mass.
Fortunately the list of guests was not
very large, and the majority of those reg
istered were politicians and were down ON
the second floor, where Mr.. Fish and Mr.
Malby had headquarters There was a
rush for the stairs in the front and the ser
wants stairs in the back where the flames
had not yet reached, and in a few minutes
there was "a tumbling mass of humanity
coming down these few means of egress.
Those on the two upper floors could not
avail themselves of these exits, for the
flames were rushing along the corridors,
and people on the street, who had not yet
seen the flames, heard a crash of glass and
saw figures come tumbling out of the win
dOws. Within ten minutes after the first
alarm at least twelve persons were dang
ling on the insufficient rope fire escape or
hanging on TO window sills.
The department arrived quickly, but it
took some time to get 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 win
dow surrounded by smoke man and
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 a balcony and rebounded to the
street. The man waited for ladder and
was taken down in safety. His name
was H. A. Foakes, and he represented
cash register company in Dayton, o. The
woman was his wife, and will probably die.
In 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 Cur
tbs and Weaver, Senator Kilburn and Mr..
Malby. A rush was made for the stairs
and when the party landed in the street
the only OIs injured was found to be AS
semblyman Robbins, whose hair and face
were badly burned.
In Mr.. Fishs headquarters there was
less hurry, because they We're near the
stairs. All got down safely, but the ma
jority left their baggage f. A. Manches
ter, of Auburn, postmaster of the assem-
bly,, came towards the baggage room for
his grip. Returning he found his way
blocked with flames and smoke and rushed
back to a window. He smashed it out and
slid down the rope fire escape Although
five stories high, there were no outside fire
escapes, and the only means left for the
people in the cut off rooms was to use the
rope fire escapes.
Ben Holman, of Brooklyn was in the
third story He opened his room door as
soon as he heard the cry of fire. A burst
of flame made him look to the window as
the means of escape. In an instant he had
but two alternatives-a fiery death or a
jump. He chose the latter and plunged
through the window. When picked up
from the sidewalk he was found 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 to it, for she, too, came TO the
pavement heavily Her right leg was
broken, her left ankle dislocated and she
was badly burned about the face and
head.
Edward Walsh a porter, was caught in
the hall Before he could get out he was
badly burned and had to be taken to the
hospital.
One of the incidents Of the fire was the
escape of Miss Martin, of New York. She
was in the fourth story window on the
Steuben street side when a ladder was
raised. A messenger boy rushed up and
broke the window, thus freeing her.
OF the one hundred or more guests at
the hotel not one is known to have saved
more than the clothes on their person.
At 10:3O the east walls fell in, and some
of the firemen narrowly escaped being
buried. At l1;30 the Broadway wall fell
out, and one of the fireman was buried in
the debris He was taken out, and is not
thought to be dangerously hurt.
Mr. and Mrs. Bradley Martin Bradley
Martin, Jr., and Mrs f. r. Martin were
guests at the hotel, having come here to
bury their son, Sherman. Mr. Martin,
when he reached the sidewalk, offered
anybody $500 who would get his wife's 5
jewels. No one accepted, and they were
destroyed. There was "a satchel filled with
jewels valued at 5000.
There are rumors that there are bodies
| in the ruins and that quite a number of
| people did not escape, The clerk says that
! he is positive all the guests escaped but
does not feel SO sure of the servants of
which there were "A great number. IL will
| take day or so to determine.
The department, with nine streams OF
| water pouring into the building, could do
absolutely nothing at all to stop the on
slaught of the flames, and the only work
was to save surrounding property. The
| fire burned hercely for six hours,
The Delevan House is fifty years old