Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1902-03-03

EIGHTEEN GUESTS PERISH AND
SCORES ARE INJURED.
FINE ARMORY DESTROYED
Priceless Portraits of Famous Gener-
ais and Rare Souvenirs Consumed
Property Loss Over 100000
Many People of Note Among the
Victims.

New York, Feb. 23.-The seventy
first regiment armory, destroyed IN
Friday nights fire, cost the state $780,
600 to build The loss will be some
what more. The fire destroyed the
original famous paintings Of General
Grant, Sherman and Sheridan, the So
900 sword presented by the state Oh
Massachusetts for the services OF Mas
sachusetts volunteers, all the original
war records, rosters, numerous othef
valuable trophies and prize arJlclcs.
The damage to the Park Avenue hotel,
Manager Reed said, will not exceed
$4,000. The hotel $ still open, selv-
ing meals and providing accommoda-
ton for guests. 1t is assumed that the
fire in the armory started from cigar
or a cigarette.
The manager claims the fire was or
incendiary origin in the hotel. Others
hold that the fire originated from
sparks from the burning armory build
ing, swept by the wind in the direction
of the hotel, descending the air shaft,
alongside the elevator, ignitinS debris
piled up in the basement near the ele-
vator shaft The latter theory is con-
firmed by many fire captains.
The latest reports increase the num-
Der of known dead to seventeen IN
the fire that swept through the fourth,
fifth and sixth floors of the hotel,
having originated in the armory across
the street, reducing it to mass OF
ruins. It was the worst hotel fire
since the Windsor was destroyed. The
fire was first seen about 1880 Satur-
day morning in the armory, and in
remarkable short time that building
was af1ame from end to end. The
hotel was crowded with guests who
had come to attend the festivities IN
honor of Prince Henry. More than
five hundred persons were in the
house Following is a list of persons
who lost their lives in the hotel or who
died from the injuries received:
Newman Acton, Colorado Springs.
Col Charles L. Burdett, Hartford,
commander of LIST regiment Connecti-
cut volunteers.
William J. Bernhard, furniture
buyer for Siegel Cooper & Co., Chica-
go.
Mrs. William j. Bernhard
Lee G.. Conrad, New York.
Fred S. Hovey, Lyons, N. Y.
J. r. Hames (not certain, may be
Thomas Horne), Denver.
John Iveson, Denver.
Minnie E. Ligdert, Denver.
Mrs. J. McManus. elderly invalid.
Captain Charles O'Connell, formerly
clerk of the supreme court.
Ex-Congressman CASTOR A. Robbins,
Savannah.
Esther Schlessinger, daughter of
prominent merchant, Chicago.
Jacob SPAIN, Rochester.
John G.. Walker, Columbia, Tenn.
Col Alexander M. Piper, u. S. A.,
retired.
Mrs. Salome Foster, known as the
"Tombs angel"
Unidentified body of woman, may
be the wife of Rev William S. Board
man, patient at Bellevue hospital
The injured are: Lester L. Wood
bury, Portland, Maine; Frank Ever
hardt, agent for candy company; Il.
S. Hesit. Columbia, Pa; William Steb-
bins, Jr., West Indies: Rev William
S. Boardman, hotel; Perry w. Liv-
ingston, Campville, N. Y; Charlotte
Bennett, Sophia Beach; Emma s.
Meyer, Savannah; Mary c. Bennett,
Denver; Catherine M Bennett, Den
yer; Mrs. Samuel H. Hall, Newark;
Miss Anna Hall, Newark; w. S. Brad
ley, South Carolina; VIM. D. Hale,
Williamsville, Mass; Sarah Brigham,
Savannah.