Utica, NY Metropolitan Hotel Fire, May 1907

Smoke Suffocates Two During Utica Hotel Fire

Several Other Persons, Overcome, Are Carried Out.

Utica, May 23. -- By a fire that caused less than $5,000 damage in the Metropolitan Hotel shortly after midnight, Mrs. Hannah S. Zintsmaster, an employe of the hotel, and George James, a guest, were suffocated in their rooms and died before the firemen got them to the street.

Six or seven persons were overcome with smoke and had to be carried out by the firemen and five or six who attempted to slide to safety down the ropes from their rooms were either injured by striking the walk too severely or had their hands badly lacerated.

The fire started at the bottom of the elevator shaft and shot to the top of the four-story building in a moment. Volumes of smoke poured out the elevator openings and filled the halls to such an extent that people could not find the stairways and some of them were unable to leave their rooms.

The firemen had no difficulty keeping the fire within the shaft but they had trouble reaching the rooms and getting the people out safely. They were aided greatly by the hotel employes, some of whom went through the halls breaking open the doors and dragging people by main strength to the open air.

Syracuse People in Hotel; One Has Narrow Escape

Mishel Shehadl of No. 110 Westcott street, a member of the firm of Shehadl Bros., was a guest at the Metropolitan Hotel at Utica, in which two people were suffocated during a fire which broke out at 12:05 o'clock yesterday morning. Mr. Shehadl escaped by sliding down a rope from the third floor. His hands were burned by the rope.

Other names appearing on the hotel register were: C. F. Cutter and wife, Syracuse, and J. Wilcox and wife, Syracuse.

The Post Standard, Syracuse, NY 24 May 1907

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CIGARETTE BURNS HOTEL

Utica, N. Y., May 23 -- A lighted cigarette tossed into the cellar of the Metropolitan hotel through an elevator shaft caused a fire this morning costing the lives of two persons and imperilled the lives of half a hundred guests.

The dead:

ANNIE SULLIVAN, CHAMBERMAID

GEORGE A. JAMES, OF CLINTON, A GUEST

Several of the rescued are at hospitals in critical condition.

Coshocton Daily Age, Coshocton, OH 23 May 1907
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