New Britain herald., 1926-01-23
Lafayette House, One
 Of Oldest Hostelries In City Completely Destroyed At 2 a. m.
Bremen Rescue Several One Man Killed in Fall From Fourth Floor Taxi Taking Injured to Hospital Skids and Over turns.

Allentown, Pa, Jan. 2S Pl-Eisht persons are known to have been killed, four persons are unaccount- ed for and a score of more were in iured here early today when fire de- stroyed the Lafayette hotel, a five story brick structure on Seventh street, one of the oldest hosteleries in the city.
 Falls Four Stories
 One of the known dead was a guest at the hotel, and lost his life when he fell from a window on the fourth floor and landed on the side walk. The other three were found huddled together in corner on tho fourth floor when, at a, m. tho ruins had cooled sufficiently to per mnt firemen to explore the upper part of the structure.
 The fire broke out shortly after a, m. and spread so rapidly thai it cut off the escape of most Of tn guests, many of whom had to be car ried down ladders by tiremen. Np time was had to dress and the guests were forced into the cold blasts ot the winter morning clad in their night clothes. The temperature 1 lowered between 15 and IS above zero.
 70 Taken to Hospital Twenty of the guests, all suffering from burns. or injuries received when they jumped to the streets were st either the Allentown 0, Sacred Heart hospitals. Six. at tn, Allentown hospital are unidentified Three of them, doctors said, proba bly, will die, One of the six suffered a fractured skull, while another had bitten off part of his tongue,
 Of those unaccounted for. tive lived at the hotel permanently. On, Is James Mckeever, e, a subscrip. tion solicitor for the Allentown Morning Call, The other is Mis-, Anna Novanak. a waitress at tht hotel. Bremen told of hearing Nc, Keever in his room, but were unablt to open the door, while another sait he was leading Miss Novanak [, safety when she broke away iron him. Both are believed to have los their lives.
 List of Missing
 The other missing guests were a follows.
 William Frederick. Hazelton. Pa
 W. Gorsky, Trenton. N. J.
 A. Jackson, Hazelton, Pa. C. A. Bechtoldt, Belleville, N. ] George " Forry, Philadelphia.
 Norman K. Keiser, Binghamtor
 N. Y.
 John siegenfoos, East Greenvill,
 Pa-
 R. J. Charles. Philadelphia. Anton Turussau, Allentown. , William A. Pelford and ". , Burns. both Of Philadelphia, escape
 from the burning structure at tn outset of the fire and registered 6 another hotel.
 Among the injured guests take to hospitals were: At Allentown hospital. . J. R. Patterson, Ashley. Pa. :, II. l.. Hannum, Altoona. Pa, a Victor Donohue, Erie. Pa. o Robert Jacoby, Allentown, Pa.
 Edward Geiger, Allentown, Pa.
 John l.. Thomas. Germantow q Philadelphia. Pa.
 V George L. Harding. Bangor. Me. Alexander Group, Bordhman. Pa
 Edward J. Tichey. Scranton. Pa John l.. Richmar. l.anSford, Pa ,, J. r. Ncgley. Millersburg, Pa. At the Sacred Heart hospital. N LeRoy Hoppenhaver and Geori
 Heinhard. both of Allentown. . TaNiCah Ovcrturns " On the way to a hospital, ta, ," cab, carrying one of the injur eS guests, whose name was not asce o' tained. was overturned while roun
 ing a corner. The occupants we d slightly shaken up, but no one N l' injured as a result of the crash. o' The cause of the fire had | ne been determined. nor had any r, IL son been advanced when firem CT were able to enter the ruins. Tn o' first consideration was 10 find a
 bodies of guests CT employees vht on escape had been cut off. and N LIS were either burned or smother ne to death.
 aW Soothing Mass of Flames n' Breaking out shortly after Is o'clock. the inside of the hotel V c' a mass of flames when f1remen ~ rived. The railways and stairwi II" ahlaze and. unable to leave th L.. rooms, frightened and bevilde % guests stood at tho windows WI " ing for the rescuers. Speetat,
 standing on the sidewalks bel
 unable 10 be or any aSsistar . could see tho occupants Of nv burning building. and hear Il fp cries for help.
 ick Ladders were run ue as soon ,, firemen arrived aud the work rn- carrying down Inc guests IT'S started. Clad in but flimsy ! his ments, a poor covering for the { ext