Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1902-03-05
FIFTY DEAD IN FIRE.
PARK AVENUE HOTEL, NEW YORK,
IN RUINS.
Home of the Seventyfirst Regiment
Destroyed, and Flames Then Seize
HosteIry-Loss Over a MiIIion-Huu-
dred Driven Into Icy Streets.

Probably fifty persons We're killed. fifty
Others were injured. one fatally, and hum
dreds We're driven into the icy streets Of
New York City by fire early Saturday
morning. The flames destroyed tie Park
Avenue Hotel and the Seventy-first regi.
ment armory on Fourth avenue, and dam
aged the car barns Of the Metropolitan
Street Railway Company near by. The
property loss is estimated at over 81, 0OO,-
600.
One of the dead is Col. Piper of Louis
vile, on the retired list of the United
States army. Another is Mrs. Frederick
Reed, wife of the proprietor of the hotel.
All the victims met death in the hotel.
Chief Croker believes that those who per-
ished in the corridors Of the hosiery will
number half a hundred.
In the fight of panc-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. bouts of fremen who were pre-
pairing f. go to her rescue, jumped from
the fctI floor and was picked up in
dying condition.
Fire Starts in Armory.
The fire started shortly after midnight
IL. the armory, which occupies the entire
block between Thirty-third and Thirty
fourth streets on Fourth avenue. A COM
pany of the Seventy first regiment was
a drill Friday night, and it is supposed
The fire was started by the explosion Of
a magazine after the miiitiamen left the
armory. The fire started on the main
floor and burned quickly upward
Before an alarm had been turned in the
flames completely enye'oped the building,
and when the fremen reached the scene
the blaze had 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 and
daughter, who lived in the tower of the
armory. persisted. One of the startling
features of the armory fire was the ex-
plosion in volleys 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 building, and the police and fire.
men gave warning to all tenants of the
apartment houses near by that they were
in great danger. They fed into the street
at once with what effects they could take
with them.
Guests In Panic.
There was great commotion in the no
tel, and the efforts of the rescuers were
not successful in arousing all in time to
make their escape by 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 nae jumped across Fourth avenue
and broke cut 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 ambulances and all the available
police reserves were called to the scene
of the FIRE.
A miraculous escape was thay 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 snow, and crept along TO
the third window. Here she rested and
looked about for her husband, who soon
followed her along the same perilous
plank The two chung to the window sill
until ladders were raised. when they were
assisted to the ground by iremen.
At 4:30 O'clock the fire was gotten I'M
der control