Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-12-11
TELEGRAMS TO THE STAR.
This Afternoons Dispatches.
Associated Press Reports.
a New York Horror!
TWENTY-FIVE VICTIMS OE THE FIFTH AVENUE
HOTEL FIRE.
Sixteen Dead Bodies In One Room
and SIN I'm An0ther-rhey are
Burned Beyond Recox-
njtion-Panfc Among
the Guests of the
House.

House.
NEW YORK. Dec. IA tire broke out AZ a
little past IL O'Clock last night In the upper part
of the Fifth avenue hotel. on the sd street side
The engines, when the alarm was gwen, were
quickly on The spot, and were soon at work
pouring streams npOn the flames which at mid
night enveloped the whole sd street side. Many
guests had retired, or were about retiring, when
the alarm was sounded. and when the fremen
brought the hose in the interior Of the building
A PANIC
ensued among the mare timid of them, and
rush was made for truaks, &c, by guests who
demanded settlement OF their bills and Irft the
house. After the fire had been pretty well ex-
tnguisbed the fremen on the ground went
through the rooms IN what il known as the
cock loft" occupied by the laundry women
and were Mortified by stumbling over the re-
mains Of human beings which were piled on
the moor. Lanterns were immediately procured,
and
HORRIBLE SIGHT
revealed. On the floor of q room about twelye
teet square were found no less than sixteen
bodies, all burned beyond recognition. The
bodies were found lying near the only window
of the room, which WAS burned 10 that escape
by that means the staircase leading to the room
being on fire. was impossible, and thew were
compelled TO wait for death with what res.gns-
nation they could summon. IL il supposed many
were burned TO death while asleep. The posi-
ton of some Of the charred remains showed that
the unfortunate creatures
DIED IN GREAT AGONY.
Efforts Will be made TO day 10 convey the re-
mains Of the unfortunate victims TO the morgue.
Owing TO the confusion aud excitement the
names OF the victims could not be ascertained
Up TO twenty minutes past 2, twenty-five hal
been recovered, sixteen in one room and six i'm
another, which Is probably all. The tire origi-
mated in the elevator on the staircase leading %
the laundry. There were i've hundred guests In
the house, but none are reported INJURED. The
damage by the fire and water will not tall short
OF $4,000,
THE ALARM
was first given by one OF the female servants,
" Sl,r lah nrh sba hall.
awakening the guests. Many of the guests went
to the Office and inquired a. TO the excitement
but were informed by the clerks that there was
only little hre ia the laundry. This attempt
10 keep the fire quiet so as TO avoid a panic,
helped TO bring ABOUT terrible results. When
the guests became cognizant OF their danger,
sCEEEs OF CosFUsIoN
| ensued. People were NOV ng about in apparent
| distraction, luggage filled the Railways, the
smoke was suffocating, and water drencned the
floors. IL was nearly l. O'Clock before any one
gave the alarm. A passing policeman then
learning of the fire inside, cause.-the fire engines
| to come 10 the spot The fire by this time had
| considerable Roadway. The ladies we're
IN A WILD STATE or EXCITEMENT.
The carpets were still covered with water. A
poor servant girl WAS found on the third floor
writhing in agonieS of pain, her body being
| trghfully burned. The shreks of the servants
in the upper stories were heart-reDding a. the
fremen we're making their way TO rescue them.
Large crowds had in the meantime gathered in
the streets. The excitement outside kept up tai
| tinguished.
The Herald editorially saws sit is stated that
GROSS CARRLEssNEss WAS APPAREET
IN the condition Of the warming apparatus, and
that there was too much anxiety to keep the
| fire secret and too little efforts made to save the
unfortunate girls. The whole subject will no
doubt be thoroughly investigated. There are
various statements as TO the origin of the fire.
One says it was caused by the bursting Of a
steam pipe IN the laundry. Some seventy or
eighty servants altogether were awakened from
the top floor and hurried down stairs. Their
clothing was utterly ruined. A fireman named
DeaYey was seriously injured by falling through
crevice 10 the pavement. The hotel furni-
ture was worth about 500 600; fully one fourth
OF this was utterly ruined. The house is owned
by A X. Eno, but Is leased to Darling, Girls.
void & Co.
GUEST ASSIGNED TO A BURNING ROOM.
Just before the alarm guest was assigned
room which, on reaching, he discovered to be
on hre. Returning TO the clerk, he was in
formed that there was no other room vacant.
The fire was not known al this time in the office.
Among the most prominent guests were Gen.
Burnside, Gen. Horace Porter and G. NJ. Pull
man. OF Chicago. Several OF the lady guests
were accommodated in neigh boring hotels aud
houses Miss Nilsson, the actress, was a LADY
guest.
Later.
BODIES AT THE NoRGUE.
Eleven bodies are at the mOrgue, which were
taken fIom the ruins of the Fifth Avenue HOtei
lire. Only two are recognizable, the others being
30 horribly burned, almost TO crisp. All have
the unmistakable appearance OF having
SUFFERED MOST FEARFUL AGONIEs.
Mary McCabe and Mary Pagan are tue names
OF those whose bodies are recognizable. Mary
heaney, one OF the servants OF the hotel, l. IT
Bellevue hospital, having been injured by fall
ing through a fire escape. She states that when
the alarm was given she ran and knocked az
nearly all the doors of the other servants, aud
burst open two OF them. She then tried TO get
down stairs, but the smoke and flames drove
her back, when with Mary Tarney and Bridget
Quits, she broke open a sky-light and got on
the roof, remaining there TILL the fremen res
cued them. She Nill soon recover.
--latest
ELEVEN GIRLS AND NOT TWENTY-FIVE BURNED
TO DEATH.
twenty-five, persisted in the fire at the Fifth
Avenue Hotel last night. Eleven bodies have
been recovered, and they are supposed TO be
all, though Others may be found. The hotel il
all confusion to-day. A constant stream OF
visitors Is pouring through one door and out
through the other. In addition TO the eleven
girls burned TO death, two others, Mary Ann
Pagan and Mary Jones, who escaped the fate OF
the other girls sleeping with them by tearing
down a wire screen from a corridor window sud
escaping TO the roof, were badly injured.
The walls in some places were spattered with
blood froD the dead bodies carried down. Mr..
OrlsWold, one OF the proprietOrs, emph atiesl!v
contradicts the statement that there was sny
delay IN sounding an alarm. On the contrary,
he says that within few minutes after the IRE
was discovered three servants were dispatched
to give the alarm, and prompt measures were
taken to arouse the guests and servants. The
walls Of the laundry OF the hotel on the
b tSuIln noor, where the ire originated, are
burned to clnders, and masses OF icicles depend
nom the ceiling. The staircase leading TO the
topnost landing, where the servants apart
ments are situated, Is completely destroyed, and
most OF the adj accent rooms are Quilted, and the
walls are already tom down by the workmen.
Inc three upper floors of the sd street wing are
oesetsea by the guests in consequence of the |
constant dripping OF water through the ceilings.
The furniture is piled together in each room, /
covered with tarpaulin. Broken trunks, heaps /
of damaged clothing, and debris OF the burned /
rooms lie about on the stairs and corridors
The proprietors state that the amount of dam Il
age cannot be estimated yet, and the insurance. /
which is in the hands of the agent has NOT .esn /
ascertained. Externally there Is nothing 10 in 4
dicate that IRE bad taken place. The follow
tng gris iost their lives: Della Cummings, Mary /
LIZZIE Moran, Margaret Campbell, Honorah /
ward, Mary Donnoliy, Kate Gushing.