The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-02-25


Gae.ts-The Lights Soon Exsin-
Eui.hed-The Frightened People
Lose Their Way An the Dark
Smoke-Fnlea Pa.sages-Unnble to
Find the Stairs Many are Cut OF
From Excape-some Deaths CaaxeA
by Jumping From windows-Mnny
Rescued Through Fourth and Fifth
story Windows.
New York. February 22-For the
third time since New Years day. Park
avenue. this city. was the scene OF loss
OF human life. First was the collision
in the New Yark Central tunnel at
Fifty-sixth street and Park avenue:
second. came the dynamite explosion In
the Rapid Transit subway at Forty
first street and the thiid today. vas q
fire which started in the Seventy-first
regiment armory at Thirty-third street
and then spread to The Park Avenue
hotel where fifteen pei sons were killed
and many injured.
It was the worst hotel fire since the
Windsor was destroyed. The fac was
first seen at about 1:S0 o'clock In the
morning in the armory and in remark
ably short time that building was
afame from end TO end. The firemen
made their way as best they could
through the streets. deep with slush,
and did all possible TO confine the fire
to the armory, but after they had been
at work nearly an hour the discovery
was made that the hotel was on fire.
The hotel was crowded with guests
come TO attend the festivities I'm
honor OF Prince Henry. More than 500
persons were in the house.
The fire was confined principally to
the fifth and sixth floors near the ele-
vator and air shafts. At about the
time the hotel was found to be on fire
the lights went out and the corridors
were filled with smoke. The guests. un-
able to find their way through the
darkened Railways. jumped from win
dows or ran directly into the fame
swept portions Of the building. IL In
this fact which accounts for the large
loss of life although the f1ote; was not
destroyed
The List of Dead
revised list OF the dead Is as 4
lows:
Norman Acton, Alabama.
Colonel Charles L. Burdette
ford, Conn. colonel Of the Firs.
ment Of the national guard OF tn.
Mrs. Ellen Foster a Tombs l.
missionary.
Fred S. Hovey. Lyons " Y
Thomas p. Hore. Denver. Colo.
John II. Iverson. Denver. Colo
Unknown woman.
Charles Underwood. O'CoEnelI. New
York. died of his injuries in hospital
Colonel Alexander FIper. U. s. A. re-
tired. resident OF the hotel.
G. A. Robbins. lawyer. Of Selma Ala.
Miss Ester Schlesinger. Chicago.
Jacob SPAIN. a lawyer. OF Rochester.
y. Y.
John E. Walker. OF Columbia. Tenn.
William II. Barnha-t. Chicago
Unknown woman. body on tie sixth
floor-wore five rings on the Ief, and
The injured. who are being ca for
at Bellevue and New York hc tails.
number twenty-three.
Fire Starts I'm the Armory.
The fire in the armory started on the
third floor on the Thirty-thIrd street
side where there was Il tier OF rooms
occupied by different companies of the
regiment. Within five minutes the
whole structure was beyond saving ana
ten minutes later the roof fell in win, a
terrible crash.
There was on one IL the arrnory an
the 'iine except janitor and his fam.
liy They escaped by going through a
scutte hole In the roof ard thence
along the battlenents on the Thirty.
Iourth street side to safety oa the roofs
OF houses TO the east. This assag ge was
attended by much danger owing To the
Icy condition OF the rcof.
Six alarms were turned I'm for tho
fire. but In spite OF o,iIck re.no,.. ,,.
armory was soon doomed to d.struc-
uoh. The prevailing gale made IL i'm
possioie to check the James. Several
hundred pounds Of ammunition ssored In
me tower OF the armory detonated In q
series or minor explosions partially
"recKing the portion OF the wall near
winch IL was stored. This adccd ter
TOR and caused fear OF greater exnIo-
sions, to those who were Hgntine the
flames.
The Hotel AAre.
1t was not until almost O'Clock that
flames were discovered In the Park Ay-
enue hotel directly across from the
armory- Manager Reed. OF the hotel
mad been on the roof watching the are
IN the armory with guests from tha
Csntfnued en rafth p.~