Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-02-27

superintendent, and thed shut off the
ammonia flow, which is used in the ice
making plant. by that time the smoke
had become dense. l jumped to the
telephone and yelled fire. then
rushed over to the water valves, and
turned plenty Of water into the boilers.
II yelled to the fireman to open the
fire doors and run. / then opened the
pumps which poured water into the
boilers, and made my way to the kitch-
en-. Lights were out there.
Unconscious in Coal Hole
when I returned to the basement,
and called to Boyle, he didn't answer.
Cropping my way through the smoke, /
found him lying unconscious in the coal
hole, leading to SAMSON street. man
aged to get the lid of the coal hole off 4,
and pulled Boyle into the street. Then
/ collapsed"
Boyle said that at o o'clock a waiter
had come to him and told him there was
a fire.
"I shut off the dampers and opened
the fire doors, and then started the
pumps" he said. by that time
everybody was out of the basement and
first floor. crawled toward the coal
hole. and that's the last / remember
trict. reached the fire before the fire
companies had arrived.
II saw Clarence Kugler, of the
restaurant company, standing in tht
doorway" he explained. My God
Is there no way TO reach those men or
the second and third foors7 he said tc
me.
Driven Back by Flames
ttT -. toI - toir h,,I
was forced back. Several firemen ar
rived then, and they. too, were driver
back by the smoke and flames.
"It was fully ten minutes before tho
diners realized the place was afire. II
was then that windows were raised or
the second floor. Two men were goine
70 iump. hut were ordered to remain al
the windows.
''Then windows on the third fool
were opened. Ladders were run VI
and the work of bringing the trapped
men and women out was begun. Two
men on the third floor did not wait fol
the ladders. but climbed down the elec.
trio sign, and dropped to the street."
Explosion Came First
The fire was discovered following {
muffed explosion.
There were four alarms at short in
tervals. recording the rapidity with
which the flames spread.
The dinner rush at the restaurant
had ended and on the first floor ther,
were only few scattered parties. Mos
of the diners were on the second anC
third floors.
On the second floor employees of tn,
Ritter Canning Co. were holding a ban
quet and on the third floor reunion
Of the 1908 class of the Central Higl
School was in progress, with sixty mel
in attendance.
Several professional entertainers wer,
about to present vaudeville entertain
ment at the end of the banquet.
Then came the explosion, which wa
plainly heard on the first floor, bu
which did not alarm the banqueters OF
the second and third floors.
Walters hurried in among the table
on the first floor, assuring patrons ther,
was no cause for alarm.
Plunged in Darkness
Suddenly the entire building wa,
plunged in darkness. Almost immedi
ately. smoke began to pour up from
the basement. The explosion in tn
engine room had released large quan
titles of kissing steam, which added +
the confusion.
When the lights were extinguishe,
the bannueters on the third floor jeste,
among themselves, but finally Waite
w. Hess. president of the Glass of 100
Association, sent one of their numbe