The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-02-23
ALABAMIANS SUFFER
IN NEW YORK FIRE
Former Congressman CASTOR A.R0b-
bins Sprang from Sixth Story
Window to His Death.

location: Beach. Sophia, shock ana go
location; Meyer, Emma g.. SavaDMqnt
Ga. shock; Bennett. Mary c., DeuH
Colo. shock and burns: Hennets Co4l
rine NJ. Denver. Colo. shock and 1880
ark, N. j.. burns on face and hno1o6
Hat. Miss Anna, Newark n. u, bdE1D
and shock: Bradley. W. b.. ooq<4
Carolina, sprained ankle; HalA WIulom
D.. Williamsville, Mass. partial ou0ooqp
ton and hands burned; HrisAaMs 0oGnlA
Savannah. Ca. shock. she II N iuva&4
A PERILoUs EsCA1E.
The IRE in the armory started o. ~
third floor Of the Thirty third 0treet 80
where there was tier Of rooms oceQroo1
by different companies Of the rsGiu6Dk
Within five minutes the whole etfur1o
was beyond saving. and ten uinut6D Ieeee
was no one in the armcry Il thor t1o
except janitor and his family. z1UF
escaped by going through Oeut1lo ~
In the room and thence along che onnGrS
meuts on the Thirty-foufth 8treek ~
to safety on the roofs OF houoeo tosf&&
east This passage was attsnded ~ 4
danger. owing to the Icy condition - ~
roof
Six alarms were turned IN for che N.
but in spite of the quick response. ~
armory was soon doomed to deetruct1on.
The prevailing gale made II impoaolb9a -
check the flames. Several hun1461
pounds Of ammunition stored In the ce1-
lar of the armory detonated In . eeri(9
Of minor explosions. partly wrsck1ng ~
portion Of the walls near which X ,wls
stored. This added terror and cau6e4
fear Of greater explosions to those vi0
were fighting the flames. ~
1t was not until almost o'clock the&
the flames were discovered In tn B1FE
Avenue Hotel directly across frcm ~
armory. Manager Reed. Of th6 hofaL
had been on the roof watching the Are
in the armory with guests from the hcters
He had descended to the FIRST floor and
was standing talking to a guest when :
burst Of flames came through the slevatot
shaft.
ALARM In HOTEL.
Immediately he ordered his men 10 -
through the hotel to give the alarm. The
lights almost Immediately went out, ana
the hotel corridors were In darkness. The
flames leaped up through the elevator
shaft and seemed to gather around the
nth and sixth floors. hlling the halls
with dense smoke and making exit ~
| means Of the stairway almost imp6esib1e.
Manager Reed ran up u ebe fourth
floor ana there entered the elevator wfich
was descending He alikhked * the 1ret
ncor and soon after the elevator VS. =
wreck
various opinions were given a. 70 the
origin OF the fire in the hotel. The
manager claims that It was Of incendiary
origin. Others hold . that the nre
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 shaft. The idea of incendiary
origin is secuted by guests OF the hotel
and by Fire Chief Croker.
Another theory In that the FIRE started
on the fifth or sixth noors ana thus re-
suited in the damage to those floors more
than to any other portion OF the build
ing. The theory advanced by the ma
jority as to the airshaft IL confirmed BY
many OF the fire company.
The flames mounted rapidly and the
fire extinguishers made little impression
The guests on the fifth and sixth floors
had been aroused and those who had not
lost their heads started for the stairwayss
clad only in wrappers and some with
only sheets thrown over them. Scores
OF people were taken from the windows
of the third. fourth and fifth floors Of
the house by firemen and by police,
many Of the rescued being made hysteri-
cal from fright.
ACTION OF BENNETTs.
At the windows on the Park Avenue
side of the hotel many persons appeared
Women were screaming frantically. Many
women. guests Of the hotel. who were to
leave today on the transport McClsllan
for Manila, appeared ct nth floor
window of the Thirty-thord Street side,
screaming loudly. A Mrs. Charlotte
Bennett and her husband Of Aiahama
stood on the fifth floor on . ledge.
directly ever the portfco ana main en-
trance of the hotel. Mrs, Bennett evil
IDENTIFY thinking that no one was going
to rescue her. struggled from her hus-
bands grasp and shouted that she was
going to jump. The firemen gathered
in a circle below and stretched out their
arms. She broke. away from her hus-
band and flung herself out OF the window
while the flames had almost enveIoped
her. She was badly injured. Her hus-
band rushed into the hall ana made his
escape, though he was slightly burned
and almost overcome by smoke. Colonel
Burdett was on the sixth floor Of the hotel
Soon after the alarm Of fire reached him
all escape was cut of. He dragged
the mastress from 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 a. rope and secured II to the
window. His object was to land on the
mattress and thus break his fall. He
miscalculated the distance and fell to the
court. He was killed.
j. NJ. Sheehan. a contractor from New
Berg, Pa, occupied room on the fourth
floor. He was in his room until he
heard the scream of Fire in the hall.
He partly dressed himself and CROPPED
his way through the smoke and dark
ness until he reached the stairway.
SHEEHAN's BRAVERY.
There he was met by two elderly We
men who were trying to find means Of
escape for themselves With his assist
ance, the two women were led to safety
and he himself escaped only finally to
fall over in dazed condition in tho
corridor of the hotsl.
Mrs. Piper. whose husband. Colonel Alex
NJ. Piper, was found burned to death
near the elevator shaft. managed to es-
cape, and was taken by friends to
private resideile. out partially clad. she
was not informed of the death Of her
husband. as 1t was feared that the shoeh
would kill her.
One Of the saddest incidents Of the
nre was the death OF Mrs. Salome FostpF
the 'srombs Angel who for fftsen yeAss
has done service in behalf Of female
prisoners in the Tombs ana other cisF
prisoners. Mrs. Foster was the widow