The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-02-23

series of minor explosions partially
wrecking the portion OF the walls, near
which it was stored. This added terror
and caused fear of greater explosions to
those who were fighting the flames.
1t was not until almost 3 o'clock that
flames were discovered In the Park Ave-
nue. Hotel directly across from the ar
lnory. Manager Reed, of the hotel. had
been on the roof watching the fire in
the armory with guests from the hotel.
He had descended to the first floor and
was standing talking to a guest when q
burst of flames came up through the ele-
vator shaft Immediately he ordered his
men TO go through the hotel TO give the
alarm. The lights almost Immediately
went out and the hotel corridors were in
darkness. The flames leaped up through
the elvatoer shaft and semed 10 gather
around the fifth and sixth floors. filing
the halls with dense smoke and making
exit by means OF the stairway almost
impossible
Manager Reed ran up to the fourth
floor and there entered the elevator,
which was descending. He alighted at
the first floor and soon after the elevator
was a wreck
Various opinions are given as to the
origin OF the fire in the hotels, The
manager claims that 1t was Of inceu-
diary origin Others hold that the fire
originated from sparks efrom the burning
armory building swept by wind in the
direction OF the hotel descending the
| air shaft, which was directly alongside
the elevator and lgniting the debris
which was piled up in the basement and
EoaT The elevator shaft The idea OF in
cendiary origin Is accounted for by the
guests Of the hotel and by Fire Chief
| Croker. Another theory is that the fire
| started en- the fifth and sixth floors and
thus resulted In the damage to those
| floors more than to any other portion Of
! the building. The theory advanced by
the majority as TO the air shaft is con-
! hriued by many Of the fire captains.
| The flames mounted rapidly and the
| fire extinguishers made little impression.
The guests on the fifth and sixth floors
! had been aroused and those who had
not lost their heads started for the stair
/ ways. clad only in wrappers and some
with only sheets thrown over them.
Scores Of people were taken from the
! windows Of the third, fourth and fifth
floors OF the house by firemen and by
| rolice. many OF the rescued being made
! hyst erical from fright.
At the windows on the Park Avenue
! side of the hotel many persons appeared.
Women were screaming frantically for
| help. 4 Mr.. and Mrs. Bradley, guests Of
! the hotel, who were TO lave, today on
the transport Mcclellan for Manila, APP
peared at a fifth floor window on the
Thirty Third street side screaming
loudly A Mrs. Charlotte Bennett and
| her husband, Of Alabama, stood on the
fifth floor on ledge directly over the
portico and main entrance OF the hotel.
| Mrs. Bennett evidently thinking that no
ore was going to rescue her, struggled
from her husbands grasp and shouted
that she was going TO jump. The iremen
| gathered in q circle below and stretched
| out their arms. she broke away from
her husband and flung herself out Of the
| window, while the fams had almost n
yeloTed her She was Killed. Her hus-
hand rushed into the hall and made his
escape, though ne was slightly burned
and almost overcome by smoke.
Col Burdett, after making a despor-
ate attempt TO save his life, met death
ia 2 shocking manner His skull was
split open and he was found shortly after
o'clock lying In the court yard within
the hotel lie mad fallen six stories
Col. Burdctt was q guest on the iifth
floor. Soon after the alarm Of fire
reached him all escape was cut Off. He
dragged the mattress from mis- bed
and dropped Il 10 tho roof Of an exten-
sion over the hotel dining room, three
stories below. Then by tying the sheets
together ne made q rope aud secured i
to the window. His object was TO land
on the mattress and thus break his fall.
He miscalculated the distance and fell
to the court.
One Of the saddest incidents Of the
fire was tn edeath of Mrs. Salome Fos-
ter. The Tombs Angel" who for fifteen
years has been in service in behalf Of
female prisoners nthe Tolnbs and other
city prisons. Mrs Foster was the
widow Of John W. Foster, and had lived
for the past I'VE years at the Park
Avenue Hotel Her income. which was
at one time considered large was for
the most part expended upon the de-
serving poor.
The Constitutional Convention