The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-05-04
RECOVER / BODIES
FROM HOTEL RUINS,
RESCUERSAT WORK
Many Victims in the Hos
pital, Several of Whom
Will Die.
Defective Wiring Given
as Cause of the Fort
Wayne Disaster.

FORT WAYNE. Ind. May 4--EIeven|
bodies, four of which are so badly
burned that all hope of Identification
las been abandoned. are lying in the
morgue in this city today, as the result
of the New Aveline Hotel horror early
yesterday morning.
The fire. which had its origin near
the elevator shaft on the nrst door.
vas caused by defective wiring. It was
discovered BY hotel employees a. $50
O'Clock. and the alarm was spread
throughout the hotel Within five min
utes, however. the interior Of the struc-
ture was a seething furnace, and many
or the guests were caught in their
rooms before they had time 10 ger into
the nails and make their way 10 the
| hre-escapes.
Without nets and with the only aerial
truck in .he city fire department temp
orarily thrown out Of commission
through defects. the firemen were handi-
capped anG many of the guests were
either killed or injured by jumping from
The windows. Within ten minutes after
the FIRE was discovered the flames had
eaten their way through the wood OF
The interior construction, and the Eve
upper floors mad fallen in, carrying
down with the mass Of burning wreck
age the bodies Of those who were un-
able 10 reach a place OF safety.
Victims in Hospital.
Fully twenty guests are in the hos
pitaIs suffering from burns or injuries
/ received in jumping from the windows.
| Z. NJ Matthews, a travelling salesman
of Columbus. jumped from the fifth
story aIighting on the back Of his read
and shoulders in the middle Of the
street. lie was picked up, and Is stiu
alive. a patient IN a local hospital His
injuries will prove fatal
Many Of the escapes were miraculous.
Five guests crawled 200 feet on a ledge
rot more than eight inches wide. finally
reaching a place OF safety
II is supposed that at least three more
bodies remain in the ruins
The hotel was the largest in Fort
WAYNE. II was owned by the estate OF
| Thomas p. Shoaf. a carpet importer OF
/ New York. and was managed by the
| Knickerbockel Trust Company. Of New
York. There were eighty rooms IN the
hotel. and the FIRE swept it i:vm end to
! end.
The known dead are;
List of Victims.
r. S. JOHNSON. Pana. III
J. B. MILLER. Sheboygan Falls. Wis.
] f. ELLIS. OF Carson, Pirre. Scott
| & Co. Chicago.
W. A. PITCHER. salesman Tor S. +.
| Bowser & Co. Fort Wayne
j w. DEVINY,. salesman for Craw-
| ford & Lehman, Philadelphia
MORRIS PIERSCH. Chicago
frETAT2T rs RTllllM f<R. Boston.
Miss MARY BURLETT. assistant
mstron. AIishawai-a, Ino.. Orphans
Home -
Unidentified man badly charred, sup
rosed TO be Attorney FRANK BAX-
TER. OF Auburn, IND
Tnide,ltifed body. supposed 10 be
, CHARI .ES BENJAMIN. OF the Detroit
Neckwear Company.
TTnfdentifed body, supposed 70 be
CHARLES BLOOMER, OF Boston.
The known missing are:
Companion OF Frank Baxter. OF Au
~ r. 80 r TRIBE. Dalhart. Tex, a mil
Iionafre ranchman, known to have been
in Room 80. near the elevator mas not
been seen since the nre-
BURKE. colored porter AT the Motel
The injured are:
r. c. O'DonnelI. right arm broken in
jumping.
about face and head
A. Meth. P1ttsburg, burned about face,
arms and legs
Lyman Campbell, jumped three stories.
badly shocked
Charles Falls. Columbus, Ohio, cash in
leg. confusion on head and badly lacer-
afed; leaped three stories.
-. NJ. Matthews. Columbus, Ohio back
broken and burns.
George A. sill. Philadelphia: badly cut
and burned about face an2 arms
Miss Agnes NadeaU, three ribs broken
confusion on head; injuries viii prove
fatal.
Miss Margaret Meechan, Miss Anna
BLOCK. and Nathan Bell, ali employees.
an burned and blistered.
F. c. Philips. Calumet. Mich, face
and head scOrched.
John Long. bartender, arms broken.
John p. Strohrecker, travelling saI les
man. New York city, burned about head
and arms.