Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1902-02-22
A HOLOCAUST
in NEW YORK
Fifteen Lives We're Lost and Scores Were In
iured in a Fire Which Started Early
This Morning.
HOTEL AND ARM0RY AFLAME
The Splendid Armory Of the Seyenty-flrst Regiment
New York National Guard, Is In Ashes, Entallng a
Loss Of $3.50, ,0OO-T The Fire Extended to
the Park Avenue Hotel.

. New York, February 22,-Elghtee
lives we're lost in fire which attacke
the Park Avenue hotel early this morr
ing Fifty or more persons were II
iured. The dead are.
Colonel Alexander p Piper, Unite
States Army retired); Colonel Charlie
L, Burdette. Connecticut, Elrs
United States Volunteer Infantry
Thomas f. Horne. DenN'- JNorado
John H. Ivison, Denver, Colorado; botl
employed by the H. 3. Clailin Com
pany; William Walker, Tennessee; W
G. Barnhardt, Chicago; Norman Arson
Alabama, badly burned about the entir'
body and died at the Bellevue hospital
Mrs. Charlotte Bennett, Alabama, 2;
years cid, burned about the body, dice
at the Bellevue; Underwood O'Connor
Fred S. Hoby, Miss Esther Schlesinger
Chicago: A. Robbins, permanent guest
The number of unidentified is four.
The fire started and consumed the ar
mory of the Seventy First regiment
National Guard of New York, a fine
SranlGo STRUCTURE, WHICH, WitH eIulP
ment cost $650,0O0.
The flames communicated to the Park
Avenue hotel where financial loss OF
$1OO,O 900 was inflicted. Shortly before
o'clock the flames were discovered
bursting from the roof of the armory on
Park Avenue and Thirty Fourth street.
BY the time the fremen arrived 1T was
impossible to do anything toward saw
ing the magnificent building.
Shortly after 2 o'clock the flames were
discovered running along the windows
and wood work of the fifth floor at the
northeast corner of the Park Avenue
hotel, diagonally across the street from
the armory. This was entirely unexpect-
ed The police up to that time had bent
their efforts toward removing the in
mates of the adjacent houses on the
cross streets. The frightened occupants
of the hotel soon appeared at every win
dow and many were rescued by means
ofladders set up by the iiremen.
In some unexplained manner the fire
got into the elevator shaft. In the
armory a large quantity Of ammunition
was stored. These cartridges soon be-
gan to explode and added to the intense
excitement. Shortly after these expo-
sions ceased, the wall on Thirty-third
street side fell inward This crash was
followed by the explosion of about LOCO
pounds of powder stored in the base
ment The firemen had been warned of
the danger and none were I'M ured. The
tiremen hurried through every poftioh
of the hotel in search of guests who
might have been overcome BY the
smoke. On nearly every floor and in
the Railways scores were found. Twen-
ty.six persons were taken to the New
York and Bellevue institutions. Nearly
aid on the spot. 6
Mrs. Charlotte Bennett and her hus-
band Harold, OF Alabama, stood on the
ledge of the fifth floor just over the por-
ticO of the main entrance. Mrs. Ben
nett screamed for some one to rescue
her. Her husband grasped her and the
crowd in the streets shouted warnings
not to jump. When it was seen that
she was determined to jump the fremen
gathered in circle and stretched out
their arms. Mrs. Bennett wrenched
herself free from her husbands grasp
and flung herself into the arms of the
waiting firemen five stories below. The
flames were licking out of the window
behind her. Inside the room was all in
flames. Mrs. Bennett struck in the
arms of the firemen. Her weight caused
them to sag and she struck the pave
ment. She was terribly burned about
the body. She was taken to the Belle
vue hospital, where she died.
Her husband fell back into the room
and was not seen afierward.
Colonel Charles L. Burdette Of Con-
necticLt, with his skull split open, was
found living in the courtyard of the ho-
tel He had fallen at least six stories.
Rear Admiral Joseph N. Miller. (re-
tired), who was reported mortally hurt
was not hurt at all.
1t was established today that the fire
in the Park Avenue Hotel originated at
the base of the north elevator shaft,
crept up to the fifth and sixth floor,
spread in every direction, completely
quitting the upper floors.
Police Captain Delaney said there was
no thought of the hotel being endanger-
ed from the armory blaze.
The Park Avenue hotel was built by
A. T. Stewart who spent $4,000, 900 on
its construction and furnishings. The
building occupies the entire front block
on the Park Avenue from Thirty-second
to Thirty-third streets with depth of
half block.
Death in each instance was caused by
burns or suffocation, with one exception.
One man jumped from the fifth story
window to the inner court. His skull
was crushed.
CASTOR A, Robbins who was killed was
a lawyer at Selma, Alabama. He was
formerly q congressman from that state.
DENVER BUSINESS MEN.
Denver, Colo, Feb. 22.-John H. Iver-
son and Thomas P. Horne. who perished
in the Park Avenue hotel fire at New
York City, were department managers
of the Joslin Dry Goods store in this
city. They went to New York a few
days ago to buy goods for the Denver
store.
THE LATEST RESUME.
New York, February 2a.-The fire
early this morning at the Park Ayenne
hotel and the Seventy-frst Regiment
armory in this city resulted In the loss
of fifteen lives and the destruction Of
property worth $750,000. The dead
persons were all guests of the hotel.
The revised list of the dead and injured
is as follows:
Norman Acton, Alabama, Col. Chas.
L, Burdett, Hartford, Connecticut; Mrs.
Ellen Foster, Tombs Prison missionary; |
FREQ. s. Hovey, OF Lyons, New York;