The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1908-05-05
SCORE DIE IN FIRE
IN INDIANA HOTEL
AyeIine, at Fort Wayne, Burned,
With Great Loss of Life.
MANY THRILLING ESCAPES
Night Clerk Risks Life to Arouse
Sleeping Guests and Saves Many
Brick Building Goes Up Like
finder.

Fort Wayne, Ind.-Caught on the
upper floors of the New Aveline Ho-
tel, a six-story building more than
fifty years old, when fire broke out
in the hotel early in the morning,
more than score Of persons were
burned to death and thirteen others
seriously hurt. The hotel was the
largest in this city, and was known
as the New Aveline because of two
upper floors that were added to the
old building several years ago.
Ten bodies have been taken out of
the ruins, and it is believed that
when the death list is completed it
will be found that nearly thirty per-
sons died in the flames. The hotel
register was destroyed, so there is no
way of determining the exact number
of those who occupied rooms when
the fire was discovered. Seven per-
sons, however, have been reported as
missing, and it is believed that most
of these are dead. Chief of Police
Anckenbruck said he believed that
twenty bodies are still in the ruins.
The identified dead are: r. S.
Johnson, Pana, ILL.,; M. Hirsch, New
York; j. B. Miller, Sheboygan, Wis;
J. E. Ellis, salesman for Carson, Pr
RE, Scott & Co., Chicago; w. A.
Pitcher, Fort Wayne, salesman for
S. f. Boyser & Co., Fort Wayne: J.
W. Devinney, Camden, N. j., sales
man for Crawford C Lehman, Phila-
delphia.
The complete destruction of the
interior of the hotel makes the work
of recovering bodies difficult task.
A confused heap of charred wood,
bricks and twisted Orders is piled up
between the walls higher than the
second story. Some of the bodies
taken out are charred beyond recog-
milton. Infantry Company D and
Battery B, of the National Guard, are
on duty and aiding the fire and police
forces to clear away the debris.
The fire was discovered at $50
in the morning in the elevator shaft
by Night Clerk Ralph Hopkins. He
rushed to the upper floors, alarming
the guests, until the flames, which
had spread with great rapidity, drove
him back. His efforts, however,
saved many lives. The hotel was
erected half a century ago, and the
lnLSElOI WOOuWOIk Was DIS DIS
finder. Within a few minutes from
the time the fire was discovered the
whole interior of the hotel was mass
of flames, and the only means of es-
cape was by the windows
The Fire Department rescued many
with ladders, but some. frenzied by
the rush of the flames, leaped from
windows to the street.
R. 8. Johnson, of Pana, ILL.,, jumped
from the fifth story. His body struck
balcony and bounded far into the
street. He was badly crushed, and
died a short time later in st. Joseph's
Hospital e. M. Mathews, of Column
bus, Ohio, jumped from third-story
window.
AS the flames increased men and
women were seen in the windows of
their rooms pleading for help. 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. Varnell, of the Fort Wayne
baseball team; his sister, Mrs John
Hendricks, and John Hendricks, Of
Chicago, manager of the Fort Wayne
team, barely escaped with their lives
Varnell lost all his personal belong
ings, valued at several thousand dol
lars.
Scores of men and women reached
ihe ground with nothing on but night
clothes. None of the guests had time
90 save their effects. Dry goods and
clothing stores were thrown open 80
all who needed apparel and they
were supplied without question.