The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-02-13
GUESTS 1T HOTEL HAVE
 CLOSE ESCAPES FROM DEATH
Fire Had Gained Considerable Head way When Discovered in the Bat tie House and Was Awkward
 for Firemen to Handle.

Mobile, February 12.-At 20 minutes of Il o'clock tonight, fire was discovered In several unoccupied rooms used for stor- age purposes over the kitchen in the north wing of the Battle house.
 The indications were that the fire had been burning some time.
 The cook, who discovered the fire, lost no time in informing Night Clerk R. L. Cherry who turned the annunciator in the office with a fire alarm in every room. About the same time, box 13, at Royal and St. Francis streets was pulled by the police, and all the central division of the Mobile fire departmet responded.
 Notwithstanding the promptness with which thte fire departmentt responded, and the activity they displayed in get tig ten lines of hose into the building, the fire had taken firm hold of the northeast wing and defied efforts to sub due it.
 Some of the guests on the fifth floor were awakened by the smoke which f1lled the corridors a moment before the hotel alarm was turned in, and they issued into the corridors shouting fire.
 Upper Stories Soon Emptied.
 The simultaneous alarm, coupled with the great shouting of bell boys in all parts of the house, sent without delay from the office. brought out every one of the 141 guests, and the upper stories of the hotel were emptied in five and half minutes.
 Too much credit cannot be given Joseph Parks and Bernard Constantine, elevator hoys, who stuck to their posts .nntil they were half choked with smoke, and Parks had been burned on the face and hands.
 The first occupants of rooms aroused in the hotel by the smoke were MT. and Mrs. w. J. Kildun of Mobile, who occupied rooms on the fifth floor. They made their escape in their night clothes and bare footed. The occupant of the next room, a drummer from Philadelphia, ran down the steps into the office without vestige of clothing on. He was suffering terribly from nervousness, and was taken to drug store for treatment.
 One of the first incidents to disturb the celerity with which the guests were got out of the upper rooms was the panic of Bridget Collins, a chamber maid, who was suffering from nervousness, and had to be removed by force.
 Attacks Adjoining Buildings.
 Hundreds of thousands gallons of wa ter were poured every minute in the fire, but the fire gradually ate its way along the roof and entered the eptrome south end of the structure
 The fire in the Battle House is spread ing rapidly, and has broken through the roof on the north side, facing St. Francis street It's location makes it difficult for the firemen to fight. At midnight the flames are towering high out of the roof, and it looks as if the building is doomed. The fire broke out on the fifth floor, and many of the occupants of rooms on that floor lost all their effects, some of them not having time to get on their clothes. One gentleman. wife and child, made their escape down the fire escape to the first story gallery, and were taken to a place of safety by firemen. Their names are yet unknown.
 At 1 clock 1t was seen that the build ing was doomed. The leads from the street were run into Siamese nozzles and all efforts made to save adjoining prop erty.
 At2 a. m. the fire is still burning fierce Iy, threatening the Commercial hotel, ad- joining on Royal street, from which all the guests escaped, leaving their person. al effects in the hotel.
 An extension of the fire is also threat ened on the east side.
 The loss on the Battle house will be a quarter of million dollars. and Mir. Will liam visard. the proprietor. states that half of this Is covered by insurance.
 At 2:9O a. m. the fire is not under con trol, but is still confined to the original building, and through very heavy downpour of rain may not go farther. Loss on Battle House will be as first esti- mated, s250000.