Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-02-22
Eighteen Persons Lose Their Lives by Burning Of
Park Hotel.
sEvENrY.FlRsr REGIMENT ARMoRY BURNED
Number Of Prominent People Among Those Who Lost Their
Lves.Many Compelled to Jump From Windows In Night
Clothes-Thrilins Rescues Made by Heroic Fire.
men.The Total Loss Three.quarters Of
Million Dollars

mined to jump the firemen gathered
arms, and with q final effort Mrs. Ben
nett wrenched herself free from he.
husbands grasp and with a piercing
scream flung herself into the arms OF
the waiting firemen. five stories below.
| When she jumped from the ledge the
flames were licking out Of the window
behind her and around her form. In
side the room all was in flames. Mrs.
Bennett was terribly burned about the
body. She was taken to Bellevue hospit-
al where she died. Her husband, when
Mrs. Bennett jumped. fell back into the
room. It is believed he was burned to
death.
| Col. Charles I. Burdett, of Connecti-
| cut met death in a terrible manner. His
| body, with the skull spit open, was
found lying the court yard within the
hotel. He had fallen at least five stories
to the extension roof. When the alarm
of fire reached him escape was cut off.
His room faced the court in the center
of the hoted and 1t was apparent he had
dragged the mattress from his bed and
the hotel dining room, several stories
below, and then by knotting sheets to-
gether he made rope and secured it
to the window. When his preparations
We're completed he lowered himself on
the improvised rope and then dropped.
Jfc n u
to break the fall. He miscalculated the
distance, went beyond the extension
and was killed.
Priest Rescues Priests.
Father Smith, fire chaplain. found
Bishop Ludden, of Syracuse in room
on the seventh floor of the hotel and
helped him to the street. Ludden told
the firemen then there were numberof
priests in the hotel. Father Smith re-
turned into the building, fought his way
thru the smoky way up the stairs and
conducted the priests down the stairs
to safety.
Firemen in searching the hotel found
the body of Mrs. McManus, an elderly
lady. 1t was found near the elevator
shaft so badly burned as to be almost
unrecognizable. Charles U. O'Connor,
and Fred S. Hoby died of their injuries
in the hospital IL which they We're talk
en-. One of the bodies awaiting identi-
fication was recognized by Henry New
man, of this city, as that of his niece,
Miss Esther Schlesinger, of Chicago,
who had come to New York to buy
goods for her employers in that city.
Rear Admiral Joseph N. Miller. retired.
who was reported mortally hurt, in the
fire. was not injured at all.
Oriain Mystery.
How the fire 'tarted in the hotel is a
mystery. Many police and fire officials
declare In their opinion the blaze in the
hotel was entirely independent of that
incidence that the two fires occurred so
near together. 1t was established with
fair degree of certainty today that
fire at the hotel originated at the
north elevator shaft. From this point
1t crept up to the fifth and sixth floors
and spread in every direction, COM
pletely cutting the upper floors. Park
Avenue Hotel was built by A. I. Stew
art, who spent $3,000,O00 on its con-
struction and furnishing. The building
occupies the entire front block on Park
avenue from Thirty-second to Thirty
third street. with a depth of nalf a
block. 1t is seven stories in height.