Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1902-03-04
FIFTY DEAD II. FIRE.
PARK AVENUE HOTEL, NEW YORK.
IN RUINS.
Home of the Seventy-first Regiment
Destroyed, and Flames Then Seize
Hostelry-L Loss Over Million Hum
bred Driven Into Icy Streets.

Probably fifty persons were killed, fifty
others Wee injured, one fatally. and hun
dreds We're driven into the icy streets OF
New YORK City by hre carly Saturday
morning. The flames destroyed the Park
Avenue Hotel and the Seventy regi-
ment arm9ry on Fourth avenue. and dam
aged the car barns Of the Metropolitan
Street Hallway Company near by The
property loss is estimated at over $1,000
600.
One Of 5he dead is Col. Piper Of Louis
vile, on the retired list Of the United
States army. Aaether is Mrs. Frederick
Reed. wife of the proprietor Of the hotel.
All the victims met death in the hotel.
Chief Croker believes thar those who per
ished in the corridors of the hostelry viii
number b. NJ hundred
In the hgbf of panic-stricken guests.
who numbered COO, large number OF
persons were injured. at least one fatally.
A woman, frantic with fear and not heed
ing the SHOUTS Of hremen who were pre-
pnring TO 20 10 hcrrcscue jumped fr1m
the fifth floor and was picked ap IN a
dying coGdijiong
Fire Starts in Armory.
1 ne llE SldtttN SlititlA after mluNlGuE
in the arsnory. which occupies the entire
block between Thirty third and Thirty
fourth streets on Fourth avenue. A com
pSay Of the Seyeny-hrs regiment was
at drill Friday aighr. AZ 1 i, is supposed
the FIRE was started by The explosion OF
a magazine after the militulmen left the
armory. The IRE started on The main
door and burned quickly upward.
Before m alarm had been turned in the
flames completely enveloped the building.
and when the firemen reached the scene
the blaze ha burst through the roof.
1t is believed that H. W. Patterson. the
armorer Of the Seventy first regiment.
and his family consisting of his wife ana
daughter, who lived in tire over of the
armory. persisted. One Of HE startling
features OF the armory fire was the ex-
plosion In voleys Of the thousands of
cartridges that were stored in the tower.
1t was known early that there were 600
pounds OF powder stored IN the basement
of the buildES, and the police and FIRE
men gave warning to all tenants of the
apartment houses near by that they were
in great danger They fled into the street
at once with what effects they could take
with them.
Guests In n Panic.
There was great connmotion in the no.
tel, and the efforts Of the rescuers were
not successful in arousing all in time to
make their escape 10y the stairways.
Many fed TO the fire escapes. from which
they were taken by the fremen.
Many of the frightened refugees were
in their night clothes. and few had time
to save anything more than a wrap TO
protect them from the severe cold.
The FIRE jumped across Fourth avenue
and broke out on the third floor of the
hotel. spreading quickly upward. The
distress OF those who were hemmed in
by the flames was quickly realized, and
extra amDulauces and all the available
police reserves were called to the scene
of tire fire.
A miraculous escape was that OF Mrs.
Renwick Bradley Of South Carolina,
who. as soon as the flames reached her
apartment ON the fourth floor. swung out
of the window to a narrow ledge covered
with ice and susw. aud crept along 10
the third window Here she rested and
looked about for her husband. who soon
Followed her along thc same perilous
blank. The two clung 10 the window sill
until ladders were raised when they were
assisted to the ground lay iremen.
At 4:30 O'Clock the fire was gotten uu-
der control.