The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-03-06

Nearly one hundred lives were en-
dangcred by fire which broke out
in the Backawanna Valley House block
at 4.4O o'clock yesterday morning. No
one was even injured, fortunately, but
everybody in the hotel had bad scare
and only a few of them escaped with
anything more than their night clothes
covering them.
w. J. Weichcrs iewelry store. On
the ground floor, and the hotel apart
mcnts on the second and fourth foors,
Immediately adjacent to the air SHAFT,
were badly damaged by fire. The
damage to the rest of the block Is
trivial.
The cause Of the fire is unknown
and the place Of its origin is not clau;
ly defined, but the indications are that
it started in the jewelry store.
one of the bell boys of the hotel. who
was sitting in the office, heard a sound
as if an explosion and the next in
stant saw a large volume Of smoke COM
ing up through the new elevator shaft,
which extends from the ground floor
to the office in the main hallway.
GAVE THE ALARM.
Calling the other bell boy he sent
him to arouse Proprietor NJ. =. Flynn
and the clerks. Frank Ford and l.. \.
Kennedy. while he himself started
through the house giving the alarm in
the corridors on the third and fourth
floors, where the guests and help were
lodged.
Everybody succeeded in escaping by
the main stairway excepting Proprietor
Flynn and his family and two guests,
5. b. Hughes. of Elmira. and Charles
F. r. HenckerOth. of Philadelphia
They were sleeping in the short corri-
dor just off the dining room on the
second floor. To get to the stairway
it would be necessary for them to 60
through the dining room. but as this
was filed with smoke they were COM
PEELED to go through one of the bed
rooms to the balcony on the Iacka-
wanna avenue side and wait there till
the Phoenix company rescued them
with ladders
As the smoke found its way quickly
to every part of the house, the occu-
pants awoke in great alarm and not
many of them delayed even long
enough to throw on anything over their
night clothes. They found temporary
| shelter in the all-nght business places
, nearby and later found accommoda- =
ion at F. II. Durkin's Grand Central
hotel. When the fire was eXtinguished
at O'Clock the guests found their
rooms untouched by either fire or
smoke. The corridor on the Franklin
avenue side of the fourth floor, which
Is occupied by the female help, was
attacked by the flames and several of
the rooms were slightly damaged by
ire and water. n number of girls had
their clothing. which was hanging on
the walls, spoiled by the water.
COURSE OF THE FLAMES,
The fire evidently had been burning
for some time in the jewelry store
! before it was discovered. 1t burst
through the rear window, which con-
meets with the air shaft, and following
| the shaft spread on the second floor
TO the employees dining room, the gro
| Gerry storeroOm, the rear of the main
| dining hall and the passage. ways there
| abouts.
Then, sweeping past the third floor
the fiamcs ate their way along the
timhers of the roof Of the kitchen
which is only two stories in height and
| finding their way into box which
| carries the bell wires to the fourth
| floor, raced through this and broke
| forth in the corner of a room in the
corridor occupied by the female help.
The firemen succeeded after a des-
perate and well directed fight in con-
| q 10 t1,
mentioned. How they did il is a puzzIe
10 any one who examines the premises
ana sees the manner in which the
names spread. 1t was an exceptionally
clever piece Of fire fighting.
The portion of the building in which
the damage occurred is owned by L.
n. Kramer and Levy Brothers. The
loss will not exceed $4,000 and is COW
cred by insurance. The easterly DOR
tion of the block. owned by George
Sanderson, entirely escaped injury
Proprietor Flynns loss is made mr.
mainly of damage to carpets in the
ulnlng room and Office corridor and tC
the groceries in the storeroom. He
carries $4,000 insurance with g. G. Ro.
land and $4,000 with d. j. Campbell
w j. Weichers loss viii Droha DIy
reach $4,000 All the exposed stock II
his store was destroyed or DAMAGED
The stock, including that which wa.
in the safe, was valued at $4,000. Ht
carried $4,000 insurance on the stock
and $1,000 on furniture and flxings.
OTHER OCCUPANTS.
De Wits Edison agency, adjoinins
the WeiChel store WAS damaged 1,
some extent by water and heat. The
Lackawanna drug store, on the 60 ncr
escaped with a slight wetting.