Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1872-12-26
THE LAST HORROR.
Burning of n Portion of the New Y0r
Fifth Avenue HOtel-EIeven Servant Girl
Burned Death.

Burning of II Portion of the New York
Fifth Avenue HoteI-EIeven Servant Girls
Burned to Death.
The list of horrors that are charged to the
account of the closing year has had most
deplorable addition in the fire at the Fifth
Avenue Hotel, in New York. Eleven human
cinders, and peGuniary damage to the amount
of $3.50 600, are the net results of the calamity.
A New York paper gives the following particu-
lars of the terrible affair:
The fire originated in the Twenty-third
street wing, occupied by the 500 servants en-
ployed in the hotel, through which wooden
spiral staircase runs from top to bottom, and
also the laundry elevator. The smoke was
first detected by gentleman boarder about
retiring to bed, who informed the clerk. The
alarm was given, and when the employees of
the house reached the upper stories, occupied
by the servants, the flames had gained furious
Hed;r%aS On the Top no9T "nere .he spiral f
fifth and sixth stories were reused with diff
GUILTY, and escaped hurriedly in their night
dresses. By this time CONSERVATION had
spread among the guests, nearly all of whom
vacated the premises more or less panic
stricken.
The scrub-women, occupying two rooms in
the seventh story, were completely cut off
from escape by the stairway. A window
opened on the roof, few feet below, but it
was barred up by strong iron grating, in
tended to prevent any ingress from the quar-
ters of the late servants. 1t is said this graf
ing could have been readily wrenched loose,
but the women who perished had doubtless
lost all presence of mind. for their roasted
bodies were found huddled together in the
center of the room.
The fire originated probably through the
carelessness of some of the female servants,
and crept rapidly upward between the lath
partition to the wooden cockloft, covered with
tarred roof, where the unfortunate women
perished. It must have been burning some
time before the alarm given.
The bodies of the victims were taken in am
balances to the Morgue. The scene at the
Morgue was truly heartrending. From 8
o'clock until 5 a constant stream of men and
women viewed the bodies of the unfortunate
women who uara burned or scalded- to death
in the fire-trap attic. 1t is estimated that over
25. 900 persons viewed the charred remains,
most of whom were attracted by morbid curl
osity, though many were searching for rela-
tives and friends who had been employed in
the hotel. The police had great difficulty in
restraining women, thousands of whom clam
ored for admission. When many of them con-
fronted the terrible sight, they began terrible
weeping, praying, and deported themselves
extravagantly. Several were led off in a faint
ing condition, and one young woman, who was
accompanied by her mother, fell in fit and
was removed by force.
The bodies were ranged side by side, in
rough pine coffins, in the yard at the western
end of the Morgue. Several among the de-
ceased had been burned almost to cinders,
while others had been literally roasted. In
some instances the flesh was scalded from the
bones.
The Herald editorially says it is stated that
gross carelessness was apparent in the condi-
ton of the warming apparatus and that there
was too much anxiety to keep the hre secret,
and too little effort made to save the unfortu-
nate girls. The whole subject will no doubt
be thoroughly investigated.
The losses estimated at from $130,000
fo 81 10 O00.