Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-09-26
TWO LIVES LOST
In Burning Of Hotel Brunswick,
Rochester, N. H.
Several Injured and Forty More Lives
in Serious Danger.
Loss Is Heavy-Work of the Rescucrs
Was Grand.

Rochester, N. H., Sept. 25.-Two per-
sons were burned to death, several were
injured, aud the lives of 40 others were
gravely endangered at a fire during the
night which destroyed the Hotel Bruins
wick, located on Hanson street, this
city. That many more of the guests at
the hosiery did not perish is considered
almost miraculous in view of the fierce
ness of the fire which cut off practically
all escape from the burning building
and forced the majority of the inmates
to jump from the windows.
The dead:
Geo. HARDWOOD, Concord, N. H.; Mrs.
Geo. HARDWOOD, his wife.
The injured:
Geo. McHugh, Boston, back Sprained
by jumping from third story window;
William McHugh, Boston, legs injured
by jumping from same window; Clar-
| ence w. Paige, manager of the hotel,
burned about the head Mrs. c. w.
Paige, his wife, slightly burned and in
| jured; unknown man of LacOnia, bruis-
| es OH body.
| Mr.. and Mrs. HARDWOOD occupied Room
| 10 on the second floor, and it was evil
dent that they had made a desperate
attempt to escape from the flames, for
their bodies We're found in an adjoin-
| ing apartment from which they had
undoubtedly tried to leap to the ground.
! Although it was rumOred during the
| night that several guests had been I'M
| accounted for, it was established dur
| ing the forenoon that all who were in
| the hotel when the fire broke out had
| been located.
| The progress of the fire was marked
| by thrilling incidents, notable those of
| the reckless jumping from the rooms in
| the upper story, methods of escape
| which resulted in comparatively few
| being injured. When the fire was at it's
| height, the mad rush of the guests
| from the hotel began. When the guests
were awakened the fire had gained such
Roadway that there was no iopportu-
| nifty of saving any property or of put
! ting on street clothing. In the thick and
| sitting smoke it was impossible for
some of those in the upper stories to
reach the natural means of exit and it
was those persons principally, who
leaped unhesitatingly from the win
dows of their rooms to the pavement
below.
Hotel Brunswick was an old struct-
ture, built of wood, and three stories in
height The building was, therefore, of a
nature conducive to quick spread of the
fire which is believed to have been
caused by the explosion of lamp in
the kitchen just before ] o'clock. Be-
fore many moments had elapsed, the
flames had mounted the elevator well
to the top story and then spread to the
various rooms.
First to be awakened by the smell of
smoke and the cracking of the fire
were Mr.. and Mrs. Paige. Realizing&at
once the danger, but first taking
thought of the safety of the guests,
they made a tour of the various rooms
Mr.. Paige on the top floor and his wife
on the second Both cried out as loudly
as possible at the same time striking
the doors of the rooms. When their
word of warning had been done there
was barely an opportunity for the pro-
prictor and his wife to reach the street
by means of the stairway Both were
burned slightly and Mrs. Paige suffered
Shock to her nervous system from
which she has not yet recovered
Meantime, citizen had sounded the
alarm and soon the entire apparatus
or the city was at the fire. Ladders
were raised at once to the upper stories
and some of those guests who had not
been able to leave by the staircase,
were rescued by the firemen. Some.
however, could not be reached in tine
to prevent them from jumping. Among
those who had narrow escapes were
the McHagh brothers of Boston. both
of whom leaped from their room on
the third story. On sheir decent they
struck telegraph wires, a circumstance.
which undoubtedly saved their lives.
The unknown guest from Laconia al
so jumped from the third story, but he,
too, struck the wires and his injuries
Were comparatively slight.
1t Was seen that it would be impos- |
sible to save the hotel itself so the fire.
men. the work Of rescue having been
keeping the flames from spreading. The |
Ira IL. Moore hardware store on the |
east occupying three floors of a wood |
en- building was endangered but the |
firemen flooded it with water and it |
was saved. A small wooden building |
on the west side was damaged by water
and smoke.
The scantily clad guests were cared |
for at the neighboring houses and at /
the Wrisley hotel and the neighbors |
furnished clothing. All the guests lost
their personal property. John Watson,
an overseer Of the Sanford mills, lost i
a diamond ring, valued at $40 and also /
si00 in cash
The all out sounded at o'clock and Il
at that hour only the walls of the hotel Il
was standing. The building was owned Il
by the j. P. Dodge estate and was II
valued at $1,000. The furniture was
valued at 1880 and this is a total loss ID
70 Mr.. and Mrs. Paige II
Rochester, n. H., Sept. 25.-MedicalI
examiner Neil spent today in an effort II
70 determine the identity of the man II
and woman who lost their lives in the N
ire, that destroyed the Brunswick
hotel shortly after midnight. Tonight,
ne issued statement in which he said
nat evidence which he thought was
conclusive. established the identity oil
ne man as Harry Atwood of White
Continued on page A. 4.