New-York tribune., 1902-03-20
TWO FIRES IN ASTOR HOUSE
SECOND ONE SUSPICIOUS - WOMEN
GUESTS FAINT-FIRE MARSHAL
TO INVESTIGATE.

Two fires occurred on the top floor of the
Astor House within a few minutes of each other
last night, but before there any chance for
the flames to spread firemen were on the scene
and had the blaze under control. The second
fire caused considerable comment, and number
Of the guests of the hotel expressed the opinion
that it rather suspicious. The hremen had
left the hotel after extingushing the first blaze
which started in the window of the corridor or
the fourth floor. setting fire to curtain The
window faces in Broadway just off Veseyst
When the last fremen fling down the
steps of the hotel a crowd of about two hun
dred persons which had congregated at Broad
way and Vesey-st. yelled:
She's afre again. She's going again on the
top floor"
These excIamations caused the firemen to look
up, and. dumfounded and amazed at the second
blaze. they rushed back. When they got to the
top floor with line of hose a room in the cor
ner facing in Broadway and Vesey-st. was
aglow with flames
! \ dresser in the room. which looked il it
had been occupied shortly before. was all a1ame.
| and when the drawers were pulled open fire shot
up from a quantity Of buring paper which COM
| pletely filled them With the aid Of the stand
| pipes and the fire eXtinguishers the flames were
/ subdued. but not before they had spread to all
! parts of the and Illuminated Broadway
| and Vesey-st.
1t seemed for moment if the hotel was
| doomed brightly did the flames shoot from
! all sides. seeming to creep through the roof.
But the fremen had reached the in short
! order, and soon after they got to work the
! flames died down.
The first fire started in the corridor from
! lighted cigar stump. it was said. which had been
carelessly thrown on the floor near the window.
setting fire to the curtain. It blazed up sud
| denly, and the flames spread TO the woodwork
and To the floor.
After putting them our the firemen made
rigid examination. to see that every spark had
been extinguished. and everything having been
declared safe by the company captains the men
were ordered to back out.
It seemed strange that the room, which was
closed could catch fire from the first one but
no theory was advanced by the hotel manage
| ment as to the origin of the second blaze
! Everybody connected with the hotel, Battalion
| Chief Kruger and several of the guests could
| account in no way for the fire in that room.
! What mystided them was the fact that paper in
| the drawers of the dresser was burning ferCely.
S. W. Puffer. a manufacturer from Rochester
y. Y. said that when the first blaze started he
| heard the fire bell rung through the hotel, fol-
/ lowed by second alarm. With other guests
| and a score of employees Of the hotel he rushed
down the stairs to the main corridor, some rush
ing TO the street There considerable eX-
citement, he said. and many women became
hysterical, several fainting.
One young woman who was in the reception
paror on the first floor attempted to jump from
a window on the Vesey-st. side. Manager Wat
son and two guests, however. prevented her
from taking the leap. after which she tainted
When the first fire was extinguished MT Puffer
returned TO his room, and resumed the reading
of a hook.
Suddenly l heard commotion in the corTi-
| DOR" he said "and. as my is on the fourth
! floor short distance from the window where
| the first fire started, I Immediately came to the
conclusion that all not right. | rushed from
| my room. ran along the corridor and just got
in front Of the room in the corner when the fire
men threw open the door. The two gas jets in
| the room were burning brightly, the bed
! upset and the dresser was all ablaze. I the
drawers pulled open. and the masses of burning
| paper thrown out by the firemen."
A number of other guests who had along
the corridor when the door forced open
| the blazing dresser, but none could advance any
| theory as to the cause. The window curtains
were not gnited first for the blaze seen
! from the street tended to show that the flames
| started in some obscure part Of the room. The
| corners of the did not give any evidence
that the fire started at any of those places, and
| the guests were convinced that the blaze Origi-
| mated in the bottom drawer Of the dresser.
Chief Kruger made examination of the
| room but he would not express any opinion
\ 10 the origin Of the second blaze. He said that
/ Fire Marshal Freel would be informed and that
an investigation of the second blaze had been
ordered.