The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1902-02-28
IN
A HOTEL FIRE.
Mr.. John E. Walker Meets His Death
In New York City.

This community was Mortified Satul
day morning by telegram announcin
the death of Mr.. John E. Walker of CO
lumbia, in fire at the Park Avenu
Hotel, New York. The telegram read
New York. Feb 22.-Maury DR.
Goods Co.. Columbia, Tenn. John E
Walker killed in fire. Apparently you
agent. Wire instructions. John F
o Harra, Undertaken
The telegram came about ten clock
and the news spread rapidly. EXPIRES
sions of deepest regret were heard OF
all Sides The matter of breaking tn
heart -rending news TO the wife ant
daughter devolved on DIR. Robert Pill
low, a close friend of the family. ant
upon Looney Walker, the son.
A telegram was at once sent to Mr.
w. F. Britain, of J. FL. Durham Co.
of New York. to take charge of tn,
body and ship at once by express t.
Columbia Mr.. Britain is persona
friend of Mr.. Walker.
Mr.. Walker left here ON the It'll
for New York to buy goods for his
firm, the Maury Dry Goods Co. He
left with the intention of being away
about three weeks. Mr.. GEO. E. Nc.
Kennon, of McKennon. Anderson &
Foster, planned to go with Mr.. Walk
er, but fortunately for himself decided
to go several days later. and did not
leave here till Thursday.
Had Mr.. McKennon gone with Mr..
Walker, the two would doubtless have
occupied quarters together, and both
would have probably fallen victims to
the fire demon.
The New York correspondent of the
Chronicle, in the report of the
Park Avenue Hotel fire Saturday morn
ing, in which Mr.. John E. Walker Of
Columbia lost his life, says:
''The fire in the Park Avenue hotel
was the worst of its kind in the city
since the Windsor holocaust. 1t was
the third disaster to take place in Park
avenue since New Years day, the two
others having been the collision in the
New York Central tunnel and the
dynamite explosion in the Rapid
Transit subway.
among the dead are Norman Ac-
ion, Colorado mine owner whose
wealth is estimated at IS. 600, 600; Mrs.
salome Foster, the New York prison
who was known as the
Anger Of the Tombs;'' Colonel
Charles Burdet of Connecticut and
Mss Esther Schlesinger of Chicago.
about the time the hotel was found
o be on fire the lights went out and
he corridors were filled with smoke.
The guests, therefore, unable to find
heir way through the darkened hall
way, jumped from windows or ran
irectly into the fame-swept portion
f the building.
manager Reed had been ON the roof
the fire in the armory with
uests from the hotel. He had de-
cended to the first floor and was talk
ng to a guest, when burst of fame
anne up through the elevator shaft.
he flames leaped up through the
levator shaft and seemed to gather
round the fifth and sixth floors, filling
ne halls with dense smoke and max
~ exit by means of stairways i'm
Ossible. Manager Reed ran up to the
,urth floor and there entered the
evator, which was descending He
lighted at the first floor and soon after
le elevator was wreck.
1.-THE extinguishers made little i'm
'ession. The guests on the fifth and
xth floors had been aroused, and
lose who had not lost their heads
arted for the stairways, clad only in
rappers and some with only sheets
rown over them. Scores of people
ere taken from the windows of the
ird, fourth and fifth floors of the
use by firemen and by police, many
the rescued being made hysterical
ON fright.
'At the windows on the Park avenue
lie of the hotel many persons ap-
ared Women were screaming fran
ally for help. Mr.. and Mrs. Bradley.
ests who were to leave today OH the
ansit Mcclellan for Manila, appeared Q
the fifth floor window on the Thirty
ird street side screaming loudly. Z
rs. Charlotte Bennett and her hus-
nd of Alabama stood on the fifth
or ON a ledge, directly over the
rtico and main entrance of the hotel. :,
Mrs. Bennett, evidently thinking
1t no one was going to rescue her, :
uggled from her husbands grasp J
4 81 outed that she was going to
mp. The fremen gathered in a I,
Gle below and stretched out their =
MS. She broke away from her hus-
nd and flung herself out of the win .
", while the flames had almost en-
oped her. She was badly injured
was taken to Bellevue hospital. o
r husband rushed into the hall ana
de his escape, though he was n
,htly burned and almost overcome
smoke. N
j. Fl. Hassett of Amesbury, Mass,
1 he was on the sixth floor, where =.
had room with J. G. Clarkson. -
aking Of the fire, Mr.. Hassett said:
II was az used at 3 80 o clock and se
lied smoke. / awakened my COM
ion, Mr.. Clarkson, and we went A.
into the hall. There saw man he
ing to a porter This hotel is on
cried the man in excited tones. ~
back to bed, said the porter in
y. did not go back In my room,
went into the lower corridor. On
re were no signals given or alarms
,ded in the hotel that heard. hs
lonel Burdett, after making q
,eiate attempt to::save.his life, met N,
h in shocking manner. His