New-York tribune., 1902-02-23
DIFFER ABOUT WARNING
.SONE SAY 1T WAS GIVEN
OTHERS SAY NOT
4 GROUP OF GUESTS SIGN A TESTI
MONIAL TO THE EFFICIENCY AND
BRAVERY OF THE MANAGEMENT

ay
bv guests the Park Avenue Hotel as TO the
action the hotel management in giving warning
of the IRE. Several persons who had rooms in the
hotel and escaped with difficulty after the hotel
was on ire declared that warning was given.
Other guests said they received ample warning
Of The fire.
: 5 Granger, Of Seattle Wash, who had been
guest al the hotel for three days said.
I was in Room No 29l. on the second floor
front facing Park-ave About 13O O'Clock I was
awakened by the noise and excitement that at
tended ths burning armOry. I went down into the
hau. and I met a man Fastening through the cor
rider He said TO me, without my asking a ques-
ton Don't worry; this hotel is ireproof. There
IS no danger
There is always danger I said. I lost
wife ten years ago by fire IN a Nebraska hotel
and 1 going as fast as I can I went to
ny room and gathered a few things together. The
IRE the armory at that time was being ex-
ringuished and the danger becoming less. re-
NAMED N nv for over an hour. and then
hsstened downstairs. Soon afterward the flames
were discovered in the hotel.
Il want TO say that there notification and
no rapping by any of the hotel employees. 7 claim
that the manager Of the hotel in this is 10
blame for the loss Of lives that occurred. There
were fire escapes in this hotel and warning
red lights Not even IRE rope TO be found
in any OF the halls. firmly believe that II proper
alarms had been sounded the loss OF life would
have been less. OF all might have escaped"
ATTACKS HOTEL PEOPLE
J r. Hassett, of Amesbury. Mass. said he was
in the hotel the sixth floor, where he had a
room with J. c. Clarkson. In speaking OF the
fire Nr. Hassett said:
The conduct OF the hotel people was outrageous.
woke UP AT $50 O'Clock from the smell OF smoke
7 awakened my companion Mr. Clarkson and we
wer- into the hall There I saw man talking
70 a porter. This hotel is on fire" cried the man
in excited tones Go back bed the porter
in reply I did not go back to my room. but went
furn ne 10Tynr Tl7ara afs
given alarms sounded in the hotel. That I am
sure Of. I stand ready 70 verify that and sub
stantiate charges Of negligence against the hotel
people before any one in this city"
J. II. Boies A merchant in this city. who has
lived a the hotel for years, said:
Il lived on the sixth floor alone Shortly before
clock 1 was aroused by smoke. I gathered my
things together quickly as I could and went
into the hall The hall was dark and I fell
down TWO flights Of stairs. landing beside an open
window. I lay there unconscious and 7 suppose
the air from the window revived me- I managed
at last 10 g-ope my way TO the hotel corridor and
there fell over, sick A physician treated
there"
When Mr.. Boies made his statement his head
was swathed with bandages. and his arm was in a
sling
GUESTS IN A PANIC.
D. Sutherland Of West Newton Mass. said that
he occupied e On the fourth floor OF the hotel
and that he retired L As D m. He was awakened
BY crash OF glass about a. m He took IN the
situation at glance, and. hurriedly putting on
some clothes down the hall, but was driven
back by the flames On his floor all the guests
seemed be in a state Of panic. Among the guests
Mr.. Sutherland's floor were two old women
whom he induced TO enter his until assistance
arrived. Mr. Sutherland managed get TO the
main floor, where he met hremen, and in
formed them OF the women in his room With
three OF the fremen, Sutherland returned his
and brought the women down in safety.
Mr.. Sutherland made the statement that there
we're no ropes, alarms or fire escapes in the rooms
OF halls of his floor. The only measure Of precau-
tion noticed by him was diagram Of the halls and
corridors.
O. J. Norris and his brother G. y s. Norris were
also on the second floor. and reused by the
manager, they said. Q. J. Norris went downstairs
after they had watched the armory fire and saw
the blaze IN the elevator shaft He returned 10
their room ana aroused his brother Both left the
hotel.
llr Norris said that he believed Colonel Piper
had died from heart weakness brought on by fright
rather than anything else. The colonel had weak
heart Young woman. who a friend OF the
family. Miss Halsey OF Richheld Mass, had gone
10 the Pipers' rooms and awakened them. Miss
Haisey herself got OUT all right did Mrs. Piper.
CAPTAIN GIBsONs STATEMENT
Captain Gibson. Deputy Commissioner Of Street
Cleaning. who lives at the hotel, said that the /
arrangements had been carried out by the regular
hotel FIRE emergency apparatus. The gongs rang
and bellboys went from room to room, he said.
A. 2 Besand. head bookkeeper at the Park Ave |
Hotel. said:
As soon as the FIRE had broken out in the |
srmory. the first intimation OF any danger, |
rushed. myself the various floors, sending out |
in different directions the time. all the /
belboys I rushed the sixth floor and I !
had passkey I opened all the doors could and |
aroused all the guests 1 could. 1 had the gong /
sounded and also told the bellboys 10 yell loud |
they could that the hotel fire"
Mr. REEDS STATEMENT.
Frederick a. Reed. manager and one Of the pro-
prietors Of the Park Avenue Hotel gave out the /
following statement late yesterday afternoon. re-
peaJing substantially what he had said earlier N
the day:
The apartments OF my family are on the fourth % |
uoor on the Lhlrty lIle LIoIe
up and dressed and came downstairs. Ny first act /
pose Of warning the guests and preventing a panic. /
told Martin J. COye, the head porter, TO go up on /
the and that there danger of any |
FIRE from sparks. While I was in the office several /
OF the women guests came down ana trantleay
formed them that there was none, and at that time
certainly fe!t that the hotel was hreDroof and
COyle the porter came down and reported to /
ne thau there danger Of fire. as the roof |
was covered with snow and sect ana there was /
going 70 the fourth door several times Finally l /
got into the elevator and started for the office |
up through the shaft. and I shouted to the ee-
fator 20 let out at the second moor. CCyle,
fire exringuisher OF the Miller tank kind and /
started TO play stream on the hre. The hanes
mounted rapidly. and the IRE extinguisher made /
ny wife I got TO the fourth floor four times
The minute the fire broke out. the gas on the
ourth. Nth and sixth floors extinguished. !
The 5Tpo T %es d robe the t The c6rd0r
S-as crowded with strangers. and every floor in the
.swes were stolen from the rooms vacated by |
guests. and valises cut open and thrown |
aside after their contents had been gone over.
ADVISED To CALI. MORE POLICE