The Alaska citizen., 1915-01-25
JACK ROBARTS
 LOSES HOTEL
 IN A B|C FIRE
FORMER RBANkSANS ARE LOSERS BY FIRE WHICH
 DESTROYS HOTEL.

A letter received on the last mali from the Outside by Mrs. J. II. Gas key brings the news of the burning on tie morning of December 26 of the kobarts hotel at Sol,h For, George, E. C. The letter was from Mrs. Robarts. who is Mrs. Caskey'S sister. and vividly describes con flagration in which several people nearly lost their lives, and in which Mr and Mrs. Jack Robarts, formerly of this city, lost their all. A copy of the Fort George Herald received at The Citizen office. also tells of the disaster which has overtaken the former Fairbanksans.
 According to the letter received ere MT and Mrs. Robarts were un- able to save any of their belong ings from the burning building, with the exception of their clothing which was thrown out of the window Mrs. Robarts and daughter Mona es- caped from the building ill their night dresses. MT Robarts saved tine life of lis aged mother by car rying her down stairs to the street and almost lost his own life from sufiocation in arousing the other inmates Of the hotel, totaling IA
 FIRE lNCENDlARY.
 The origin of the fire is supposed 10 have been incendiary, as another fire was known to have started in that manner while the Robarts build lng was burning. During the latter contlasIation two other nearby build ings were destroyed. The loss to the Robarts family, exclusive of their personal belongings. is estimated 1t $12,000 with insurance of $S,500
 The tire started on the morning # December 26, at 7:30 o'clock MT. and Mrs. Robarts had been the hosts at party and dance held at their hotel on Christmas night, the affair breaking up at about 3 a. III. At 7:30 o'clock, Mrs. Robal'ts was aroused from her sleep by hearing l man in the hallway cry 'fire!" designating the place. She quickly
 reused her husband, who, rushing into tie lobby of the hotel discover ed that the entire building was in flames. MT Robarts then rushed to the aid of sick man who was an occupant of a room on the lower floor, while Mrs. Robarts put their little daughter Mona out of a win dow Both of them then rushed to the rescue of Grandma Robarts leaving Mona outside standing in her pare feet in snow nearly to her Nnees. Mrs. Robarts then succeed ed in saving some of the clothing of the family with the exception of shoes and underwear. while her husband rushed to the upper floor 70 arouse the inmates of the rooms there, and was nearly suffocated but finally managed to escape. In rescuing their guests and their be, longings. both MT. and Mrs. Robarts suffered cuts on the head and hands, Mrs. Robarts writing that in some manner she sprained one of her wrists badly.
 LOSSES EXPLAINED.
 Owing to the fact that party had been held at the hotel the night before, Mrs. Robarts had all of her cut glass and chinaware un- packed, and this was an entire loss Part of her silver was saved for the reason that it was stored in a trunk Wnlch was m another build ing.
 Mrs. Robarts' letter was written on December 2S She stated that the family had not made any future plans Immediately after the fire | they accepted the offer of the home of prominent lumberman of Fort George, whose family is in the East | for the winter and were living there at the time the letter was written.