Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-12-04

the night clerk, lH6lG NtAN 80 $50
in the building when the hre was dls-
covered by passing newshoy. AIT
er turning in an alarm he rushed TO
the third floor, awakening the men
with his shouts. The top noor was
one large room, filed with cots ana
hunks. On the fourth floor where the
loss of life was heaviest, there were
30 tiny rooms, like cells, with two cots
in each. The hallway ran through the
center. Nearly all those occupying
rooms on the front of the building
persisted. The men in the rear rooms,
opening on the fire escape, had lockea
the doors when they went to bed ana
those in front were unable to reach the
fire escape.
When the firemen arrived, names
were shooting 90 feet in the air from
the windows on the fourth and NTH
floors and the fire escapes and the
roof were a mass of shriekfng, strug-
Cling humanity. Despite shouts of as
surances from below, three men jump
ed from the roof. Two were instantly
killed The third who had wrapped a
mattress about himself, escaped with
a few bruises.
Lille nets WE'RE quiChiy c1iSiShSo ~
the firemen and many were rescued in
this manner. Others were taken down
ladders with the flames sweeping about
them. The intense heat soon drove the
firemen from their ladders and made
it necessary to fight the fire from the
street and from the Elevated Railway
structure running in front of the build
ing.
The fire was in the heart of crowd
I'd tenement and lower class hotel dis
trict Hundreds of occupants of adj
Joining buildings rushed to the street
when the great quantity of apparatus
called out by three alarms changed up
to their doors. Scores of excited for
eigners crowded about the burning
building and impeded the firemen in
their work. A large squad of police
had great difficulty in forcing back the
throng.
1t was nearly an hour after the fire.
men arrived before they were able to
enter the lodging house. The first man
to ascend q smoking ladder shouted:
MY God, boys, that place is Uttered
with dead"
Medical Examiner George E. Nc
Grath arrived shortly afterwards and
soon was joined by DR.. Timothy Leary,
associate medical examiner. 1t was a
gruesome sight as the bodies were re-
moved in the early dawn. Onlookers
crowded about the automobile hearse,
but many turned away as the burned
and mangled bodies were lowered one
by one. to the street and placed in the
wicker baskets.
AT daybreak the firemen were still
searching the ruins. The hospitals re-
ported that many of those who escaped
were destitute. Their clothes and
meagre belongings were lost in the
mad scramble to escape.
The search was continued, during the
forenoon, and two more bodies were
taken from the ruins, making the total
deaths o.
One of the injured was reported in
a critical condition, but the others
were making favorable progress.
Only one of the dead was identified,
during the forenoon. This was George
F. Adams of South Boston, who had
succumbed to his burns at a hospital.
Most of the injured, of whom there
are II at the City hospital. either lived
in Boston or had no homes. One of
them, Patrick Quinn, said he lived at
2l1 Friendship street Providence; an
other gave his name as Frank Harris,
South Market street, Chicago and a
third said he was Charles Smith of 706
Abbott street, South Fitchburg
Two Investigations of the fire were
ordered Immediately. Acting upon the
suggestions of Medical Examiner
Leary. District Attorney Joseph c.
Pelletier instructed the grand jury to
view the ruins, today, and preparations
were made for the examination of wit
nesses with view to determining
whether all Of the fire regulations had
been observed by the owners and
lessees Of the property.
Mayor Fitzgerald ordered the build
ing inspection force of the city govern
ment TO make thorough probe of the
disaster and its probable causes.
The Arcadia Hotel was conducted by
the Lyons Hotel Co, which has a chain
Of lodging houses in the big Eastern
cities. w. II. and ]. G. Lyons compose
the company.
Seven other hotels are operated by
the company here and there are Is
houses under the same management in
New York, Brooklyn and Jersey CITY