Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-01-27
THREE KILLED,
MANY INJURED.
The Richardson Hotel, One Of the
BeStknOWn HOStelTieS in
Lowell, Was Burned Today,
STARTED IN KITCHEN
1t Is Believed That an Over
heated Stove Caused tho
Outbreak
FIRE WAS DISCOVERED AT 2A M.
The Blaze Cut Oft Approach to
the Two Upper Floors OF
the Building.

Associated Press Dispatches by Special Wires
Lowell, Mass, Jan. ~. AT least 1
three lives we're lest early today m q |
ire which badly damaged the Richard
son Hotel, one Of the bcst-huoWn hos |
telries in this city. IL is believed that |
when tho ruins Of the hotel have been |
searched it will be- found that the liat |
of fatalities will be increased. Seven |
inj jured refeons were taken to the hos
pital, while nearly a score Of others
were treated 10y physicians aud lodged
10 other hotels and relidences in the
neiqhborhoud. All the known dead
we're women. Two OF them have not
been identified, while the third was a
woman who was employed yesterday aa
a pastry cook at the hotel Her name
was unknown 20 the hotel proprietor,
but she came from Boston. Most OF
those who we're injured were either
burned, cut 10y failing glass or received
injuries in jumping from The windows
of the upper stories. Among those
who we're injured are; a. $. Anthony
OF New Bedford, cut by falling glass
and aleo injured by jumping from an
upper story to a liie-net; h. II. Dickey
Of Portland, Me-, numerous cuts and
bruises caused by jumping from the
fourth story; John \. Haich Of New
York, badly burned and almost over
! come by smokes AndIeW Lynch Of
Lowell, badly bruised bj fall from rope
/ iire-eecape and also burned; John
hutchinson Of New York, severely
bruised 10y jumping from a ladder and
somewhat burned; Ira Allen Of
Lowell, injured by fall from a fire
escape.
The fire 10 believed TO have started
ia the kitchen from an overheateu
stove. II Is thought that IL had been
burning for nearly an hour before 1t
was discovered, at about o'clock.
The hotel, a fouT-stoTy brick etruo-
tuIe, iH situated on the corner Of Mid
dlesex and Ehorndike streets. opposite
the Boston & Maine railtoad station.
The flames originated on the Thorn
dixie street side, OF % the rear OF the
building, and worked up to the upper
floors. During the evening there had
been a meeting cf business men nt the
hotel, and after the meeting adjourned
! many of those who attended remained
at the hotel 10 play cards in a room on
the second floor. About 2 o'clock
there was a smell of smoke, and when
the door of the room was opened 10y
some Investigator there was strong
! rush Of smoke and heat into the room.
, 1t is due to the presence Of mind OF
those in the room that the list o
I casualties was not greater. While
one of the number went outside 10 Rivi
= the alarm, the others ran through the
I corridors, kicking the doors and aIous-
3 ing the occupants Of the varioui
y rooms. All the guests on the secouC
and first floors we're aroused, but Wher
an attempt was made to reach thl
third and fourth floors the men Wer'
driven back by the smoke and flames
y All the persons on the first and seconG
Y floors escaped without injury. Whei
. the tremen arrived, many persons ol
? the third and fourth fioors were nang
= ing from the window-ledges. Unfortu
nately, the apparatus responding q
e the first alarm did not include enougl
aerial ladders to remove these psrson
from their dangerous positions.
second alarm was sounded, aud Whel
sufficient long ladders had reached th
d scene all who were visibly in peril ver
X rescued. Some Of the persons VIII
'e we're hanging from the windows, how
s. ever, had become exhausted beior
this time and had dropped into th
1t life-nets, thst were spread below
r. Among this number was A. $. An
ie thony of New Bedford, who occupied
a room on the fourth floor. MI. An
Y. thony hau hung from the Window-ledg
IS. for II minutes. His strength was raT
il idly giving out and, fearing that th
" flames would reach him, he droppe
NJ into the life-net He suffered n
NJ burns, but his face was badly cut b
N falling glass, and he was somewhat IN
M iured by his fall. Most Of the peopl
on the third and fourth floors wh
we're not taken down by tremen mar
aged 20 escape by the rope iire-esoapes
~ All left the hotsl In their Nigh
4, clothes, and they did not have an Of
~ portunity to save their personal effects