New Britain herald., 1916-01-04
WATERBURY HOTEL
 DESTROYED BY FIRE
One Man Loses Life and Probably
 Ten Others Injured

1 Waterbury, Jan. At seemed
 probable to both police and fire au-
 thorities this afternoon that only l Charles M. Decker of South Nor walk lost his life in the fire which l destroyed the Connecticut Hotel ! early in the morning. The list of ] injured will probably not exceed ten, although only six are hospital patients. The ruins within the four high walls of the hotel are to be searched when finally the fire which is underneath is extinguished. Streams of water were played on these ruins throughout the forenoon and their effectiveness was hampered by the ice coating which formed on the timbers and rubbish heaps which had cooled off,
 Decker was found unconscious from smoke in one of the hotel railways by Hoseman Quinn, of Com pany No. and was carried outside. He died from asphyxiation while being taken to the hospital in an ambulance.
 Hospital Patients
 The police list of hospital patients follows:
 Charles L. Hanks, Gardner, Mass, travelling salesman, both legs broken; John c. Calaway, Bantam, Conn.,, ribs
 
 tent of which is not yet determined Frank McCauley, Columbus, Ohio, travelling salesman, sprained knees from sliding down a water pipe from the fourth floor; c. c. Darling, Stonybrook, L.. l., suffering from smoke; Joseph P. McEvoy, Waterbury, injury to back, thought to be serious and X-ray is to be taken to determine if the vertebrae is dislocated; Hose man James Quinn suffering from smoke. A number of guests and hotel employees received bruises and lacera- tions during their efforts to get out of the hotel or in assisting others but none is suffering severely.
 Hotel Register Missing.
 Just how many guests were in the hotel when the fire broke out is not has not been found but when search is made it may be uncovered. It was thought that eighty persons were in the hotel last night. This number in cluded members of theatrical com pany, all of whom escaped without in- jury although each lost his or her effects Fred Hasse, manager of the hotel, and the police believe that in spite of the rapid development of the fire all who were on the upper floors escaped in one way or. another. Citizens who were on the street in the early stages of the fire and saw the flames sweep upward with a rush were of the opinion that if any guests were in their rooms at the time they could not, have escaped.
 Four Story Structure.
 The hotel was of four stories in | height, with brick walls and substan- l tia1 construction It is located in | congested district with the building 1 of the Reid and Hughes Dry Goods l and the plant of the Repub- !! ican just in the rear. After a, hard | fight, made so by the breeze, the l flames were confined within the hotel |
 Prominent Odd Fellow.
 South Norwalk, Jan. 4.-Charles M. Decker was 30 years old. For a num- Der of years he was engaged in the oyster industry, being employed on an oyster boat. Last Sunday he left this city to take charge of a grocery store in Waterbury for the owner, Robert Joselofsky of Norwalk. He is survived by a wife, two children, his father, four brothers and three sisters. Mr. Decker was a prominent Odd Fellow.