Connecticut western news., 1895-01-03
JLD HOTEL BURNED.
DElEVAN HOUSE, ALBANY'S FAMOUS
 HOSTELRY, IN ASHES.
Flames Burst Ont Suddenly and Raced Mad. iy Through the Halls, Cutting or Escape Many Jumped From Windows - PoIiti. clans Routed Out.


 ALBANY, Dec 31.-The candidacy oi the several men for speaker of the assem- bly, received a startling baptism of fire here 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 10 years was completely destroyed. Fire is not an uncommon visitor, but fire such as this has seldom been seen.
 It was last evening when the political headquarters of both Messrs. Fish and Malby wero filled with politicians and newspaper mon. State Factory Inspector Connolly, who had been in the lobby with number of people, started to go up the elevator. He remarked that he smelled smoke and suggested ar investigation. Before 1t could be begun there were cries of fire from different parts of the house simultaneously.
 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, and up the staircase near this perfect flue shot another column.
 As the mass of white hot flame reached each of the five floors it branched out 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 registered were politicians and were down on the second floor where Messrs. Fish and Nal by had headquarters. There was rush for the stairs in tho front and the servants 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.
 Jumped From tire Windows.
 Those on the two upper floors could not avail themselves of these exits, for the flames were rushing along the corridors, and the people on the street, who had not yet seen the flames, heard a crash of glass and saw figures come tumbling out of the windows. Within ten minutes after the first note of alarm at least la persons were dangling on the insufficient rope fire es- capes or hanging onto the window sills
 The department arrived quickly, but it took some time to get ladders up, and in I 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 a man and n woman. Theman 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 ladder and was taken down in safety. His name was H. A. Foakes. and he represented a cash reg ister company in Dayton, O. The woman was his wife and she will probably die. In cx-Spelker Malby's room, which was to the rear of tho elevator shalt, where the | fire first appeared, there was the greatest excitement among the politicians, includ- ing Congressman Weaver mid Curtis. Sen ator Kilburn and Mir Malbv. \ rush was made for the stairs and when the party | landed in tho street the only injured one was found to be Assemblyman Robbins, whose hair and face were badly burned.
 One Hundred Guests Lost Everything.
 The wires of the Electric Light company ! were destroyed. and section of the city was in darkness save for the light of the fire.
 Of the 100 or more guests at tho hotel ] not one is known to have saved more than the clothes on their persons.
 The legislators and others soon found quarters at other hotels, and Mir. Fish opened up his campaign in the Kenmore but everything has been lost sight of in \ the fire.
 The Delevan House is 50 years old and one of the most famous hotels in the coun- try It is a part of the estate of Edward i c. Delevan. Hurty & Moore, the proprie- | tors. paid $40, 900 year rental, and lately had made vast Improvements in expecta- tion of big winters season The total loss is estimated at $500 900, with an in- surance of $500, 000