Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1902-02-23

About Fifty Persons Were More OF
Less Seriously Injured-Mrs. Ben
nett, of Alabama, a Victim.
New York, Feb. 22-Eighteen lives
were lost in the fire which attacked
the Park Avenue hotel early this
morning. Fifty or more persons were
injured.
The dead:
Colonel Alexander P. Piper United
States army, retired.
Colonel Charles L. Burdett, of Con
necticut, First United States volunteel
infantry.
w. A. Horn, Denver Colo.
- Iyison, Denver, Colo. Both EN-
ployed by the h. B. Clanin company.
w. M. Walker, of Tennessee.
w. G. Barnhardt, of Chicago
Norman Arson. badly burned about
the body; died at Bellevue hospital.
Mrs Charlotte E. Bennett, of Alaba
ma burned about body died at Belle
vue.
Mrs. e. w. M'Ginnis, a permanent
| guest at the motel.
CASTOR A. Robbins, permanent guest
Charles Underwood O'Connor.
Fred S. Hoby.
Miss Esther Ellinger, of Chicago.
Mrs. - McManus.
Four unidentified.
These bodies are being held at the
hotel
Injured:
Harold Bennett, face and hands
burned, taken to Bellevue hospital;
William S. Brookman, Norfolk, Conn
burned; Mrs. William S. Brookman
face and arms burned; Margaret E.
| Bennett, employe of the hotel, face
and hands burned; William A. Cove
employe of the hotel, suffocation and
burns; Charles E. Gregory, 67 years
old, attorney, face and arms burned;
Carolina l. R. Hall, 70 years old, New
ark, n. J., body burned and suffering
from shock; Anna G.. Hall, Sc years
old, Newark, N. j.. body burned and
suffering from shock; William B. Hale,
| Williamsville, Mass, suffOcation; E.
S. Harne, Atlanta, Ca, body burned !;
| Emily L. Livingston, guest of hotel,
residence unknown, face and body
! burned; Charles Underwood O'Con-
nell, suffocation and burns; Joseph
Pearson, suffocation, burns about face
and hands; William Stebbins, West
Indies, hands and face burned; Lewis
| G.. Woodbury., Portland, Or, hands and
| face burned; Frank l. Reed, proprietor
of the Park Avenue hotel, burned
about the face and hands in carrying
| his wife to safety from fourth floor
Mrs. Frank r. Reed, face and hands
burned; Frank Bridgeman, residence
unknown, badly burned; - Osborne,
face cut by glass; Lewis Barry, Port
land, Me-, shock; Mrs. S. Beach, guest
of hotel, face, hands and body burned.
Fire Started In Armory.
The fire started and consumed the
armory of the Seventy-first regiment,
| New York national guard, fine gran.
| ite structure, which, with it's equip,
ment, cost $650600. The flames com.
where a financial loss of 100000 was
| inflicted.
Shortly before 1 o'clock fire was dis.
| covered bursting from the roof Of the
Seventy-frst regiment armory at Park
and Thirty-fourth avenues. The flames
| had gained tremendous headway, and
| by the time the f1remen arrived on the
scene it was impossible to do any.
thing toward saving the magnificent
| building Several times flames were
| communicated to the car barns Of the
| Metropolitan street railway, but as of.
| ten extinguished. The heat Of the
burning armory became more and more
intense and shortly after 2 o'clock
flames were discovered running along
the windows and woodwork of the
| fifth floor at the northeast corner OF
| the Park Avenue hotel diagOnally
| across the street from the armory.
This was entirely unexpected and
| the police up to that time had bent
their efforts toward removing the in.
! streets Frightened occupants of the
| hotel soon appeared at every window
and many were rescued by means OF
| ladders set up by the firemen. In
| some unexplained manner fire got into
( the basement of the elevator shaft
| and on it's way upward to the roof. The
| most damage in the hotel was done in
| the rooms surrounding the elevator
shaft. At the headquarters of the
Fifth brigade, in the Thirty-fourth and
Park avenue quarters of the armory,
| a large quantity of ammunition, both
blank and bullet cartridges. was stored.
Cartridges and Powder Explode.
These cartridges soon began eXplod.
| ing and added to the intense excite.
ment. Shortly after these explosions
had ceased the wall of the Thirty-third
street side fell inward This crash
| was followed by the explosion of about
| 1000 pounds of powder stored in the
| basement of the armory. The detona
ton was terrific. but fremen had beer
| them were injured. Ambulances were
called from every hospital in the dis
trict and the firemen turned their en-
tire attention to the hotel. A line O
hose was quickly rushed up to the
third floor, while scores of guests were
taken from the windows by other fire
men on the outside The firemen saiC
that the hotel was rapidly filling will
smoke, and the fremen for a time
dropped their hose and hurried through