The sun., 1902-01-28
BLAST HIT HOTEL, FULL FORCE
MURRAY HILLS FRONT DEMOL-
ISUED-THREE DEAD THERE.
Front Rooms Almost Incredibly wrecked
scarcely an Inmate Unscratched ana
There were 800 In the Buildinr Some
Narrow Escapes Aid Soon Ht Hand.

| MARROW bsctIts-htu Sootf - ss~'e'
The Murray Hill Hotel was the worst
| sufferer by the explosion. Tho powder
shanty which blew up was right under
it's windows. The front of the hotel was
practically demolished. The holes where
the windows were remain, but lot OF
labor will be required in every window
space before a sash can be fitted into II
again. From the front the place looks
exactly as II IL had been gutted by fire,
except that the stains OF the smoke and
water are missing. Instead there are
great blots of mud, earth and mortar.
which were hurled up from the platforms
below.
There were 500 persons on the hotel reg
listers. The managers OF the hotel think
there were 600 persons, including en-
| ployees, in the house when the explosion
occurred There were a great many per-
sons In the halls and in the office. One. man
at any rate was at the front door. dc
was j. c. Gllchrist of Cleveland.
Mr.. Gilchrst.was on his way downtown
In a good deal OF a hurry to keep an en-
gagement. As he stepped from the steps
Of the hotel TO the sidewalk he was met
! by a workman who waved his arms and
yelled BLAST"
"Oh Tn not afraid Of the blast said Mr.
! Gilchrist. Il like EN- Get out Of my way
The man continued TO wave his arms and
shout and Mr.. Gilchrist saw that other
laborers were hurrying up the hill toward
! Fortieth street, 40 he changed his mind
and stepped back to the landing at the foot
Of the stairs which led up to the office floor.
Here he waited, as he said afterward. until
| there had been time for dozen blasts TO
be get of. Then he started forward.
He was stopped by deep boom and
heavy ooncussion. With the reflection
that he had wasted a lot of time waiting
for that heavy, though harmless explosion,
he took about half a step and was thrown
of his feet He lay on the floor with
vague idea that the building had tumbled
In. Then glass fell on him and he was
sure the building had tumbled in. When
he picked himself up and ran up the stairs,
his face was cut with glass in five or six
places and his nose had been nearly cut
of.
Nevertheless he was cheerful. After
the surgeons got through with him he said:
Il wish when you folks are going to set
OF a blast in this town you would say when.
II | had gone about my business when
that first warning came, ! could have kept
my cnga cement. ! an going down TO the
Waldorf-Astoria now. | don't like this
neighborhood any move.
MANAGER sTAvED OFF PANIC.
Wash L. Jaques. the lessee and manager
Of the hotel, was in his private Office with
II II Brockway Of the Ashland House,
his most int innate friend, and another
friend. Mr.. Jaques has had lately great
deal of sickness and trouble, including
a stroke Of paralysis and the death Of a
| daughter. He has not been strong enough
20 attend TO his duties really, but Las In
able to be out OF bed. He and Mr. Brock
way rushed on, Of the office and made
their way over the tangle Il Office stools
and through the negro hall boys, who
were all running around half distracted
and minghng prayers and cries for help.
BY this time crowd of guests Of the
hotel, all more or less cut and injured
and every one at the height Of excitement
and fear came rushing down the stair.
MIR. Jaques. with Mr. Brockway and the
room clerk Thomas Il. O'Brien. went 10
the head If the stairs and began shout
ing
you 30 slowly 20 the side entranCa on the
left and 50 out slowly slowly every
body
CRY oF 'FIRE' RAISED
The invariable IDIOT who II always on
/ the scene uf such aCcidenis made their
work harder hy screaming -flr"" from
the upper stories, a. he came l"apiug down
/ the stairs A hell boy was s"uf up to choke
him II he refused to stop yelling He wac
intercepted aud stopped There Was no
fire
DIR. u n Forbes ~ "a Park avenue.
which j. only two doors from fory-flrst
street had many ~ the windows - his
Own housa knocked in. bul hi hr-' Thought
vac foT the injured in the hotel lie wH- ~
Proprietor jacques elbow almost hefuro
the glass lad o'a-ed falling ready to do
what be- could
aOl people ~ the hotel tl"ur wer" very
few Who did Hut have scratches dud wer"
not IN doubt as to Shrthef rl'y had more
serious niuIiss Al of thp-s Wuu-' uuhds
sssn ed Ss'uou- to ths 'Ns we're he'd lack
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