The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-12-31
HOTEL IN RUINS.
Famous DeIevan House at
Albany Destroyed.
Lives May Have Been Loot Flames
Quickly Beyond Control

several men for speaker OF tic assembly
received startling baptism of fire here
last night, for the Dclavan House, the
mecca OF politicians and the center OF all
big state political events for 40 years, was
completely destroyed. IL was B:3o, and
the political headquarters OF both Fish
and Malby were flied with politicians and
newspaper f'son. when there were cries OF
nre from different parts of the house
simultaneously
The outburst OF flames before an alarm
could be given TO arouse the inmates
oI the rooms was something appalling.
UP the elevator shaft there shot n solid
column OF flames and up the stuircase shot
another column. As the mass OF flames
reached cach OF the Ave floors IL branched
out into tongues OF leaping destruction,
and IL seemed as though tho whole interior
of the structure was u scaihiug mass
Fortunately the guest list WAS not very
large. The majority of those registered
were politicians, and wero down on the
second floor. There was rush .for the
stairs In the front and the servants stairs
In the back, where the flames had not yet
reached, and In few minutes there wns
tumbling mass of humanity coming down
these few means OF cgrcss. Those on the
two upper floors could not avail them.
selves OF these exits. for he flames were
rushing along the corridors, and people on
the street, who had not yet seen the
flames, heard crash Of glass and saw
figures come tumbling out of the win
dows.
Lack OF Means OF Escape.
Within 10 minutes after the first note o.
alarm at least l2 persons were dangling
nn hn ms tt..i.s a..
hanging ON TO the window sllls
The department. arrived quickly, but Il
took some time to get Ladders up. and IL
the meantime some OF fhe people hau
dropped To tile street. On the right side
OF the building there appeared at win
dow, surrounded by smoke a man and n
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 reboundcd to thl
street. The man waited for a ladder and
was taken down in safety. The woman
was his wife and shc will probably die
In ex-Speaker Malby's room, which wa,
TO the rear Of the elevator shaft, where tn,
fire first appeared, there were about e
politicians. A rush was made for the
stairs, aud when tho party landed In thp
street the only injured one was found Z,
be AssemblyInan Robbins, whose hair
and face were badly burned.
In Mr.. Fish's headquarters there was
less hurry, because they were north of tho
stairs. All got down safely, but the ma
jority left their baggage.
Although five stories high, there were no
outside fire escapes on the building, and
the only means left for the people in the
cutoff rooms was to use the rope fire es-
capes. Ben Heilnan Of Brooklyn was in
the third story He opened his room door
as soon rs he heard the cry of fire. A
burst OF flames made him look to the win
dow AS the means OF escape. In an in
slant he had but two alternatives, a fire
death or a jump. He cho Sc the latter and
plunged through tho window. When he
was picked up from the sidewalk he was
found TO b. 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 tho facc and head.
Rapid Work Of the Flames.
In less than 10 minutes after the fire
started the cntiro structure was wrapped
I'm flames. From tho windows OF each of
its five stories smoke poured in volumes.
and n few moments later the flames
belched forth. In less than 20 minutes
the building resembled seething crater
The fire department. could do absolutely
nothing TO stop the onslaught of the
flames. and the only work was to save
surrounding property
OF the 100 or more guests at the hotel
not one Is known to have saved moro than
the clothes on their persons The fire
burned flercely tor i've hours and is still
burning.
At l0:30 the east walls fell in, and some
of the hremen narrowly escaped being
buried. At 1890 tho Broadway wall fell
out and one flccman was buriod In tho de-
bris. Ito was taken out and was not dan.
gerously hurt.
There are rumors that there are bodies
An the ruins, and that quite number of
people did not escape. Tho clerk says that
he is positive thaS all the guests escaped,
but does not feel So sure about the help, of
which there was n great number There
is no way OF finding out positively whether
these rum0rs arc true or not. and it will
take day or 50 20 determine.
On the ground floor of tho Broadway
side OF the Delavan olock two firms had
stores. One WAS that of Hclser, Muhl.
fielder ~ Co. dealers in knit goods, and
the othcr that OF Pohly a. Co, dealers in
clothes. Both had their stocks totally
ruined. The loss To each will be about
S25 600.
The Dclayan house Is one of the mos,
famous hotels in the country. It part
of the estate of Edward &. Dclavan. Hurty
q; Moore, the proprietors. paid 10000 a
year rental, and lately had made vast i'm.
provcmcnts in expectation OF big win.
ter season. The total loss Is estimated at