New-York tribune., 1902-03-16

"a. As one Of the guests at the Park Avenue
-..l who suffered severely from the fire which
- in that house on February p, 1902. l de-
o.. - can attention. through your columns. TO my
"a .x-eriences on the morning of that day. Ny
q was one Of TIE victims Of the dreadful calam-
" end I am SIN AT the New-York Hospital.
t.-s I am slowly recovering from the severe
,-,s which 7 received in making my escape.
The room occupied by my wife and myself
.,a,e6 on the fifth floor Of the hotel. looking out
= park-aye. II was the room Immediately north
:, ,ba auartnent on the corner of Thirty-second-
:. and Pa-k-aye. We retired for the night
r-,aav evening about Il O'Clock, and, both being
- tlred were soon fast asleep. l was awakened
- my utfs who called to me, saying that there
.s terrible fire directly opposite the hotel
,,asiaterv arose and started for the window.
sow that the list Regiment Armory was burning
"a noted that il seemed veritable volcano, bech-
.g forth flames. which reached a great height, ani
.,,+ing showers of sparks in every direction and
Llcb seemed 10 ne falling the hotel My wife
.h-sw her wrapper over her shoulders and l put
- my over-oat The hands of the illuminated
.Io,k On rre car stables just opposite showed that
ha hour v-as 80 o'clock in the morning. The heat
sror, the fire was so great that both became
very much alarmed. fearing that the wind would
,s--v the flames across the street and believing
.bat the hotel was in great danger. Mrs. Board
,oer struck n match and lighted the gas but it
,,-nad for a few seconds only. and then went out.
Lovsnr that II had been turned off from the house.
sba then opened the door of bedroom AMI
Iooked out in the hail and shouted back to that
the hotel on FIRE
1rs+ AZ thar moment Miss Beach, who occupied
g roon adjoining ours. came rushing in with her
.-,sr garment all ablaze. She remained but
Instant mu,tered prayer and then disappeared.
and nv wife rushed out after her shouting. Fol
low me and shall all be saved!' followed at
o,ca calling TO her 10 come back. some instructive
Fesrng telling me that she was going in the wrong
d,rscion When I passed from my room into the
hallway the smoke was dense that IT was i'm
nossble 10 see which way she had gone. and, al
,bough ! called 70 her repeatedly at the top or
my voice she gave no response. l then rushed
m the hallway toward the elevator shaft the d-
rectjou which thought she had taken. but was
enable 10 proceed more than few yards, as the
Asmes and suFocating smoke drove me back.
The fire had broken out from the elevator shatt,
and the walls Of the hallway. which had recently
bseu decorated with some infammable substance.
vere ablaze The carpet on the hall floor was on
FIRE and M feet were very badly burned IN my
vain attempt 10 reach the front staircase. man
aged with great difficulty 10 regain my ROOM
boung that I would find that Mrs. Boardman had
returned there, but I found II empty. The smoke
MAS SO dense that I felt ! rapidly losing con-
scousness and gave myself up for lost man
aged however, 70 struggle out into the entry again
and 20 call for help. I heard voices coming from
me southeriv hall, which along Thirty-sec-
or6-gt and again shouted for succor. Guided by
my voice two fremen succeeded in reaching me
and led me the iron staircase in the rear of the
building I managed, with their assistance TO get
down the stairs and they all but carried me into
the dining room. where a number Of the survivors
had gathered Ny hands and feet were terribly
burned and were causing me excruCiating agony.
I asked what had become ~ Mrs Boardman, and
was assured by some Of those in the dining room
that she was in safety. Seeing my condition some
one summoned an ambulance, and ! was carried
by policemen out Of the building and taken TO
Bellevue Hospital. ! remained at Bellevue until
I had partially recovered from the shock, when
] Was removed 10 the New-York Hospital.
Search was made for Mrs Boardman in every
hospital 81 the city Of NewYork, and it was not
until Sunday afternoon. February o. that her
body was Identified. and I informed that she
had been one Of the victims Of this dreadful cal
an not surprised at the public Indignation
against the management Of the Park Avenue
Hotel Tor me lne4cusaDle aHd a-tnosi CrLlt4al ~ M
FIRE. AS one OF those who have suffered and been
sgTs a f6s ho for f the sets Of the PERSONS
2 had m s F5sG s orSs 70 faflr fa me o ex
press ny -esentment at the heartless and shameful
loved 70 remain in peaceful sIumber while terrible
coufagrations were raging without the building
The fre in the list Regiment ArmoTy started. as as
! am tod shorty atter Inl9nght ana -eG vas u IN
NeN-Tork for years. A terrible storm was raging
east carried flames and showers of sparks across
Park-ave toward the hotel whch was IN con coasLSnS u
danger. Ia spite or these coIdluons, no on " a s
sent 70 our room 20 awaken US or TO notify US OF
started in the elevator shaft any one dis
patched u our room and We were pernItte9I I 10 10
surrounded US. until We were aroused from our
sigr56ere hv the smoke which entered room
thr11leh the +ransom and the cracks in the door
Directly opposite apartment was service
room where colored man was supposed TO remain nam
evidently not on duty at the uine 'ne e b,Irir
or vas probably absent gazhg a. 49, Ie ,+pendine
"a his duties it would have been simple matter
foor There seems to have been an absence ol
glyel ail Jil-S y ~ tLe roorns formerly occupied
present management Iht ,S-Ta5 ito
cheap guest rooms and the servants lodged IN Two
tufISiles on the other side OF Thirty -second-st
Formerly under the MANAGEMENT of Mr.. Earle, the
help lived in the hotel. but Messrs Reed ana baIo L
necessary help been in the house and had they been
sunIonea Dy alr- 5Ieeo "a a. SG Ia U ~ notjfv ali the
guests Of the hotel OF the confagrati9n the dreaoS
many victims would have been spared and shoula
rot be mourning the loss Of a beloved VIE VIE. .L4
is r1o-e dreproof than the Park Avenue, and had
required n other city hotels: such q cataSLtoPIi
as that which occurred on W4shlngton BT[hqas iJl
81 the Park avenue have frequenty GoinimeHler % r
IRE base in the railways, as l had in other
buildings 10 fire buckets and no means OF check77
ing any confagratlon Whlch Ii1ghl % t aET cets t l
II any enc Of the apartments. S me ~arT1 Cd yre
mn ,,- ~ Srs land was kept continuously on
the farrer The flow Of water showed little
pressure and mad incipient IRE broken ,t oGI ~
any of ne bedrooms it would have been almost
Impossible - have drawn sufrcient supply OF
water with which TO extingush it, As already
stated rae gas was turned off, so that we had @ 10
grope ABOUT in the darkness and feel our way OUT
WITH the horrors Of that dreadful nlGnt sun
fresh n nv mind feel that should De derHHct
IN my 6atr toward my fellow sufferers. as wen az
70 myself Il ! did not register my protest asallsI
the neg.5r 5rr-ca and heartless conduct or the man
ayers 6f The hotel 10 which the fearful loss OF fe
and 50 much mental and physical anguish must pe
attributed. -----.-
Perhaps the sacrifice viii In some slight measure
be justified Il IL shall be followed by an awakeniiIs
on the part of the city government 70 re9nZaoIon