The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1908-05-05
HOTEL BURNS down.
Fatal Fire In Biggest Hosiery o.
Fort Wayne, Ind.
TWELVE OR MORE KILLED

Death List May Include Twenty-Sev-
en- Persons Reported Missins-clerk's
Prompt Action In Alarming Guests
Means of Saving Many Lives.
Fort. Wayne. Ind, May 5.-Caught
on the upper floors of thetNew Aveline
hotel six story building more than
fifty years old, when fire broke out in
the hotel, more than dozen persons
We're burned to death and a score OF
others seriously hurt. The hotel was
the largest in this city and was known
as the New AveIine" because of two
upper floors that We're added to the old
building several years ago.
1t is believed that when the death
list is completed it will be found that
about twenty persons died in the
flames. The hotel register was destroy
ed, so there is no way of determining
the exact number of those who occu-
pied rooms when the fire was discov
cred. Seven persons, however, have
been reported as missing and it is be-
lieved that most of these are dead.
The Known Dead.
The known dead are:
Joseph w. Devinney, 443 Hudson av-
enue, Camden, " J., salesman for
Crawford & Lehman, Philadelphia;
was former member of the Camden
city council
J. E. Ellis, salesman for Carson,
@
Morris Hirsch. salesman for the Pa
cific Coast Borax company. Chicago.
r.. S. Johnson. salesman, Pana. Ill.
]. B. Miller Sheboygan, Wis, sales
man for Landon & Brown, Philadel-
phia.
William A. Pitcher, salesman, Du-
Iuth, Mich.
Three unidentified men and two I'M
identified women.
The complete destruction of the inte-
rior of the hotel makes the work of re-
covering bodies difficult task A con-
fused heap of charred wood bricks and
twisted Orders is piled up between the
walls to beyond the second story.
Piece by piece this must be removed
before the roll Of the dead can be COM
pleted Some of the bodies taken out
are mangled and charred beyond recog-
milton. Infantry Company D and Bat
terry B of the national guard are on
duty and aiding the fire and police
forces to clear away the debris.
The fire was discovered in the eleva-
tor shaft by Night Clerk Ralph Hip
kins He rushed TO the upper floors,
alarming the guests until the flames,
which had spread with great rapidity,
drove him back His effoEts, however,
saved many lives. The hotel was erect
ed half century ago, and the wood
work was dry as finder. 1t burned like
matchwood and within a few minutes
from the time the fire was discovered
the whole interior of the hotel was a
mass of flames, and the only means Of
escape left was by the windows.
Leap From Windows to Street.
AS the flames increased men and wo.
men were seen in the windows of their
rooms imploring for help. Some did
not wait for the assistance of the fire
men and leaped to the street. Those
who left their rooms before the flames
cut off their retreat were able to make
their way to the fire escapes and were
saved with comparative ease.
There were many thrilling escapes,
Claude H. Yarnell of the Fort Wayne
baseball team, his sister, Mrs. John
Hendricks, and John Hendricks of Chi
cago, manager of the Fort Wayne
team, barely escaped with their lives,
Varnel lost all his personal belong
ings, valued at several thousand dol
lars Hendricks, with his wife ahead
of him and his son in his arms, started
down the fire escape from the fifth
floor. At the third floor the fire broke
out below them at the turn on the iron
stairs. He swung Mrs Hendricks over
the railing of the third floor platform
and she dropped to the platform OF
the story below. thus avoiding the
blaze swept portion of the fire escape
Then he dropped his son into the arms
OF his wife, and he followed them in
this way to the ground in safety. 9th
er similarly narrow escapes were nu.
merous.
Building Erected Half Century Ago.
The New Aveline hotel was SIN
story building of brick. 1t stood in
the business center of the city. Its
erection was begun in 1852 but it was
not completed as a four story building
until several years later. In 1895 the
binding was extensively remodeled
and the two top stories were added
The hotel and its Furnishings Were
valued at $4,000
The framework of the interior was
of wood, dried like finder from half
century's seasoning and it burned with
great rapidity Within quarter of an
hour from the time the fire was dis.
covered in the elevator shaft the entire
building was wrapped in flames. The
whole interior became a roaring fur
mace, and from basement to roof all
was blazing at once In rapid success
sion the floors fell to the basement.
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