The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1908-05-07
MANY PEOPLE PERISH
IN A HOTEL FIRE
Ten Known to Have Lost Their
Lives.
BODIES BURIED IN THE RUINS.
The New Aveline, of Fort Wayne, Is
Mass of Flames Within a Quarter
of Hour After the Fire Was Dis
covered-Guests, Caught Unawares,
Take Desperate Chances.


Fort Wayne, Ind. Especially Ten
known dead, several missing and 13
seriously injured are the result Of
fire that destroyed the New Ave
line, Fort 'Waynes's principal hotel
Chief of Police Anckenbruck says he
believes that 20 bodies are still in
the ruins. The debris cannot be
searched carefully.
The hotel register was consumed
by the fire and there is no means of
determining who is missing.
The complete destruction of the in
terror Of the hotel makes the work
of recovering bodies a difficult task.
A confused heap of charred wood
bricks and twisted girders is piled up
between the walls to the second story.
Piece by piece this must be removed
before the roll of the dead can be
completed. Some of the bodies talk
en- out are mangled and charred be-
yond recognition. Infantry Company
ID 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
o'clock A. NJ, in the elevator shaft
by Night Clerk Ralph Hipkins. He
rushed to the upper floors alarming
the guests until the flames, which
had spread with great rapidity, drove
him back. His efforts, however, saw
ed many lives. The hotel was erect
ed half century ago and the wood
work was dry as tinder. 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.
The fire department rescued many
by means of ladders, but some fren-
zied by the rush of the flames, leap
ed from windows to the street.
r. S. Johnson, of Pana, ILL.,, jump
ed from the fifth story His body
struck a balcony and bounded far
into the street. He was badly crush
ed and died a short time later in st.
Josephs Hospital.
AS the flames increased men and
women were seen in the windows of
their rooms imploring for help. Some
did not wait for the assistance of the
firemen and jumped 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 COM
parative ease.
Saved Wife And Child.
There were many thrilling escapes.
Claude II. 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
lngs. valued at several thousand dol
lars. Hendricks, with his wife ahead
of him and his son in his arms, start
ed down the fire escape from the fifth
floor. At the third floor the fire broke
out below them at the turn in the
iron stairs. He swung Mrs. Hen
bricks 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. Other similar
~ HdTTOW escapes were numerous,
When the fire was at it's height
+. M. Matthews, of Columbus. O..
was seen wildly waving his arms at
a third-story window. He shrieked
for help in vain, and then leaped
from the window and went swirling
to the pavement below He was des-
perately hurt.
Many Thrilling Escapes.
John p. Strohecher, of New York. |
after thrilling escape from death In |
the flames, reached the ground al |
most naked. He had no time TO |
gather his apparel, the flames having |
burst into his room before he was |
awakened. Scores of men and women |
reached the ground with nothing on |
but night clothes. None of the guests |
had time to save their effects. Dry |
goods and clothing stores were thrown |
open to all who needed apparel, and |
they were supplied without question.
"A. X. Sallot, of New York, had a |
singular experience. The flames were |
In his room when he awoke. He !:
groped his way through the smoke to
a window and Nrawled out on the
ledge and hung4there precautiously.
edging away az inch at a time as
the names cYfed angrily from the
window. He as Just about to take
chances IN. lap OF four stories to
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