The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-04
Vigorous Investigation as TO
Cause of COnflagration
Instituted
GRAND JURY VISITS
SCENE OF DISASTER
Eight Separate Investigations Are Al
ready Under Way-President of
Firm Operating Hotel De-
clares Fire Was Set

Boston, December 3.--The fire which
the Arcadia hotel, n Iow-priced IodE-
Ing house In the south End district
early today. had become the subject of
eight separate Investigations by night
fall. some of these were aimed mt de-
termininE where lay responsibility for
the conditions which mnde the loss of
life so lnrge. and others were directed
toward devising measures to protect
hundreds of other men forced by cir
cumstances TO seek shelter in similar
places.
Most important of the investigations
was that begun by the grand jury Dis
rected by District Attorney Pelletier. .Ils
jurymen visited the hotel while the ruins
we're still smoulderipg. They saw the
remains of cots laid side by side in a
general dormitory on the fifth floor and
narrow box-like rooms ON floors below
in which privacy was obtained by in
rates for a few cents more than wss
paid by the dormitory occupants.
The cause of the fire was not deter
mined
Painters Materials Found
A large quantity of painters materials.
District Attorney Pelletier said, was
found in a closet on the second floor.
but apparently 1t had not been touched
by the flames.
Later the jury went to the city hospital
morgue where Medical Examiner Timothy
J. Leary pointed out that In nearly every
Instance death had been caused by suf-
location, although in two or three cases
it was evident that fire ended the lives.
Other lodging houses in the vicinity were
afterwards Inspected by the jury in order
to see how those houses We're conducted
in reference to the safety OF the oceu-
pants at night.
other Investigations were the official
inquest by Medical Examiner Leary. in
qUiries by the fire commissioner, the
building commissioner and the board of
health the city police department, the
! state police and personal research BY
/ Mayor Fitzgerald
| Started Under Stairs
| Joseph G. Lyons of Brookline. presi-
gent of the firm which operated the
Arcadia as part of a chain of lodging
houses in Boston, New York, Brooklyn,
Newark and Jersey City, believes the fire
started under the stairs in the main hall
mysterious fires have been discovered
there. he said
This fire was undoubtedly set he
added.
None of the men found dead had been
Identified tonight.
Two of the injured taken to the city
hospital, William Sullivan and George h.
Adams. and during the day
Search of the bodies developed little to
assist i'm Identification. 1t revealed the
financial circumstances of the men when
only $147 was gathered from the effects
of all the victims
Several hundred human derelicts roamed
the streets tonight without a place to
sleep. Mayor Fitzgerald ordered a limit
placed on the number of guests to be ae-
commodated by each lodging house, and
many were left without a place to go.
1t was estimated tonight that more than
5000 men in poor circumstances report to
the low price lodging houses each night.
All of the bodies were so mutilated as
to make Identification impossible The
victims were men in poor circumstances.
Caught in the crowded hunks on the top
floor of the five-story brick building and
in the small rooms on the fourth floor
they were helpless
When the men We're aroused the stair
WAYS were I'm flames and there was
mad rush for fire escapes at the rear.
Practically all the men We're naked.
Many were rescued. The police assisted.
Some escaped by walking a shaky board
stretched to an adjoining building or by
Jumping across a one-foot alley to neigh
boring structures.
The property loss is only $4,000.
The lower floors were occupied by
stores Apparently the fire started in
a hallway closet on a floor nearest the
street
Flames Sweep Stairways
Flames swept up the wooden stairways
and burned through the roof
According to william Walsh, night
clerk. there were ITS lodges in the build
ing when the fire was discovered by
passing newsboy. After turning In the
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