Omaha daily bee., 1902-02-23

CHICAGO.
CASTOR A.. Robbins Of Selma, Ala, was
elected TO conRress in 1894 from the Fourth
district Of Alabama, but was unseated. In
1898 he was nominated again by his party
and elected. but was again unseated BY a
republican congress.
Miss Esther schleslnger was we'll known
in Chicago business circles. For fifteen
years she had been connected with the
cloak department Of her father, NJ. schles-
niger, and was head buyer for him.
o p. Walker lived in Columbia, Tenn.
and was in New York buying goods for his
firm,
John s. Hovey, was a bookkeeper in a
confectionery establishment in this city.
John H.. Iverson and Thomas P. Horne
were department managers in the Joslin
DRY Goods store Of Denver, Colo. They
came TO New York a few days ago to buy
goods for their business.
Assistant District Attorney Sanford
made an Investigation at the hotel and aft
erwards summoned Frederick r. Reed. and
a porter named Coyie, to appear before Dis
trict Attorney Jerome, Monday.
starts on Third Floor.
The fire In the rmory started in the
third floor on the Thirty-third street side,
WuoIo lhtIb MAS y TIER VI EOOmb OCCupleQ
by different companies Of the regiment.
Within i've minutes the armory was be-
yond possible safety and ten mjantes later
the roof fell In. There was no oae in the
armory at the lime except a janitor and
his family. They escaped by going through
a scuttle hole In the roof and thence along
the battlement on the Thirty-fourth street
side to the adjoining buildings.
Six alarms were turned in for the IRE,
but in spite Of the quick response the ar
mory was doomed. The prevailing gale
made It impossible to check the flames.
Several hundred pounds Of ammunition
stored in the tower Of the armory resulted
in a series Of minor explosions, partially
wrecking the portion of the walls near
where II Nas stored. This added ts-ror to
ihsse who were Sighting the Games.
Flames in Hotel.
II was not until almost 8 o'clock when
the flames were discovered in the Park
Avenue hotel, directly across from the ar
mory. Manager Reed Of the hotel had been
on the roof watching the fire in the ar
mory, with guests of the hotel. He had
descended to the first floor and was stand
ing talking to a guest when a burst Of
flames came up through the elevator shaft.
Immediately he ordered his men to go
through the hotel to give the alarm. The
lights almost Immediately went out and
the hotel corridors were in darkness.
The flames leaped up through the ele-
vator shaft and seemed to gather around
the fifth and sixth floors. filling the halls
with dense smoke and making exit by
means Of the stairways almost impossible.
Manager Reed ran up to the fourth floor
and there entered the elevator, which was
descending. He alighted at the first floor
and soon after the elevator was a wreck.
Claims IL WAS Incendiary.
Various opinions were given as to the
origin Of the FIRE In the hotel. The man
ager claims that 1t was OF incendiary
origin. Others hold that the fire originated
from sparks from the burning armory
building, swept by wind in the direction Of
the hotel, descending the air shaft, which
was directly alongside the elevator. and
~igniting the debris piled up in the base
ment and near the elevator shaft. The
idea of incendiary origin is secuted by
guests Of the hotel and by Fire Chief
Croker.
Another theory is that the fire started
on the fifth or sixth floor and thus resulted
in the damage 70 those floors more than
to any other portion Of thas building. The
theory advanced by the majority as to the
air shat Is confirmed by many of the IRE
captains.
The flames mounted rapidly and the FIRE
~extinguishers made little impression. The
guests on the fifth and sixth floor had been
aroused and those who had not lost their
heads started for the stairways. clad only
in wrappers and some with only sheets
thrown over them. Scores OF people were
taken from the windows Of the third, fourth
H. nakA -. - Al. AA..o ~ rnwahn onA
by police. many Of the rescued being made
hysterical from fright. At the windows
on the Park avenue side of the hotel many
persons appeared. Women were screaming
frantically for help. Mr.. and Mrs. Bradley.
guests of the hotel who were to leave to-
day on the transport Mcclellan for Manila,
appeared at the fifth floor window on the
EThirty-third street side, screaming loudly.
A Mrs. Charlotte Bennett and her husband
Of Alabama, stood on the fifth floor ON a
ledge, directly over the portlco and main
entrance Of the hotel.
Woman Jumps and Il Killed.
Mrs. Bennett evidently thinking that no
one was going to rescue her, struggled from
her husbands grasp, and shouted that she
was going to jump. The nremen gathered
In a circle below and stretched out their
arms. She broke away from her husband
and flung herself out of the windows, while
the flames had almost enveloped her. She
was picked up and taken to Bellevue hos
pital. Her injuries are very serious. Her
husband rushed into the hall and made his
escape. though he was slightly burned ana
almost overcome by smoke.
Colonel Burdett, after making a des-
perate attempt to save his life met death
In a shocking tanner. His skull was split
open and he was found shortly after 6
o'clock lying in the courtyard within the
hotel. He had fallen six stories. Colonel
Burdett was q guest on the sixth floor.
Soon after the alarm OF fire reached him
all escape was cut on. He dragged the
mattress frem his bed and dropped It to
the roof Of an extension over the hotel
dining room. three stories below. Then
by tying the sheets together. he made 1
rope and secured It to the window. Hi
object was to land on the mattress and