Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1902-02-23
EIGHTEEN ARE DEAD
Victims Of the Fire in Park Avenue
Hotel, New York.
SOME UNIDENTIFIED.
Guests We're Panic Stricken and In
the Excitement Jumped from the
Upper Stories Many We're
Saved by the firemen.

New York. Feb. 22.-EIghteen lives
were lost In a Ere which attacked the
Park Avenue Hotel early this morning
Fifty or more persons injured
Dead.
Colonel Alexander T. Piper Z. s
a. lre.iroI
Colonel Charles J.. Burdette. of Con
noctlcut, First United States volunteer
Infantry
W. A. Horn Of Denver. Colo.
A man named Iylsou OF Danycr
Colo.
Wm. Walker of Tennessee.
W C. Mardlardt uf Chicago
Norman Arson of Alabama
Mrs Charlotte Bennett OF Alabama.
Mrs. Z. W. McGlnnis. guest at the
hotel
Castor A. Robbins, guest al hotel.
Charles v. OCHnuor.
Fred S. Hoby
Miss Esther Schlesinger OF Chicago
Mrs. McManus.
Four unidentified
The fire started and consumed armo-
~ OF the Seyenty-First regiment New
York National Guard. a fine granite
structure. which with equipment cost
$3.50 900. The flames then communicat
ed with the Park Avenue hotel. where
q financial loss OF slOo 900 was Inflicted.
Shortly before ] o'clock FIRE was dis
covered bursting from the roof OF the
armory. The flames had gained tre-
meud0us hcadway aud by the time the
hremen arrived on the sceue il was
impossible TO do anything toward sav
ing the magnificent building. Several
times the iiames were communicated 90
the car barns of the Metropolitan
Street Railway CO.. but soon extln-
guished. Heat of burning armory be-
came more and more intense and short
ly after o'clock flames were dlscov
cred running along the windows and
woodwork of the Nth floor OF Park
Avenue Hotel. diagoually across the
street from the armory This was en-
tircly unexpected and police up 20 that
time had bent efforts toward removing
inmates In adjacent houses on cross
streets.
Frightened occupants of the hotel
soon appeared at every window and
many rcsgucs were made by means OF
ladders SEQ up by tho dr,mcn. Iu some
unexplained manner the fire got into
the basement of the elevator shaft and
sped on % way upward 90 the roof.
Most of the damage 20 the hotel was
done In rooms surrounding elevator
shaft
In the headquarters OF the Fifth brig
adc IN 3ith street and Park avenue IN
the quarters Of the armory. a large
quantity OF ammunition. both blank
and bullet cartridges were stored
These cartridges soon began exploding
and added 90 intense excitement.
Shortly after these explosions had
ceased a wall OF Thirty-Third street
side fell Inward. This crash was fol-
lowed by explosion OF about 1000
pounds of powder stored In the base
ment of the armory The detouat.0n
was terrific, but Hremeu had been
warned OF the danger and none OF
them were injured
Hospital records show 26 persons
we're taken 20 New York and Bellevue
Institutions. Nearly double that mum
Der, Injured in their pauicstrlckeu en-
deayors 10 escape, were given medical
aid on the spot
or the scores taken from the win
dows of the third. fourth and fifth
floors many were slightly burned and
hysterical from shocks on dead three
We're women. Death In each instance
was caused by burns or suifocation
with one exception. On man iumpc.
from the NTH story window 20 the IN.
ner court His skull was crushed and
death was instantaneous.
Men and women appeared az the win
dows of the Park Avenue side OF the
hotel and called for help. Mrs Char
lotte Bennett and her husband Har.
old. OF Alabama stood on the ledge OF
the NTH noor just over the p1rt.cu
over the main entrance 20 the hotel
Bennett was terror-strlckcn and
screamed again and again for some
one 20 rescue them. The husband
his wife and from the crowd OF
thousands gathered In the street. they
were shouted warnings not TO jump.
when II was seen that Mrs. Bennett
was determined 20 jump fremen gath.
cred In a circle and stretched out
their arms. With final desperate ef-
fort. Mrs. Bennett wreuched herself
free from her husband grasp and with
a piercing shrek flung herself into the
arms OF the waiting fremen five sto-
ries below. When she jumped from
the ledge on which she and her hus-
hu "a hnN ef,.F Nauraa mara Tfalrfuer one