Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-12-12
The Fire at Fifth Avenue Hotel.
Terrible Loss Of g.iEc TYventy-'EsyS
Women FOGnd ssnrmed 90 Death.

night at q little past i in the upper part OF the
Fifth Avenue hotel, on Twenty-tird street side.
Engines were on the spot and soon at work pour.
ing streams upon the flames which at midnight
enVeloDcd tbe whole of the Fweuty-third street
side. Many guests had retired or were about
retiring when the alarm was sounded, and wien
the Hremen took the hose into the interior of the
building panic eusued among the more timid
Of them, who made rush for trunks, etc, de-
m9Dded settlement Of their bills and left the
house.
Alter the fire had been pretty well cxtin.
guished, the firemen, in going Il rough the
rooms in what is known as ''cOcklolt" occupied
by laundry women and domestics we're mortified
by stumbling over tue remains OF human beings
which were piled on the floors Lanterns were
Immediately procured and a horrible sight was
revealed. On the floor of room about twelve
feet square no less than fifteen bodies were
found, all burned beyond recognition Bodies
were tcund lying near an Only window of a
room, which was barred, so that escape by that
means (the staircase leading 10 the room beiup
on lire) was impossible, and they were com
PEELED to wait tor death with what resignation
they could summon. 1t is supposed that many
were burned 10 death while asleep. The pJsi-
tons OF some Of the charred remains showed
that the unfortunate creatures died in great
agony. Efforts will he made to-day TO convey
the remains of the unfortunate victims to the
morgue. Owing to confusion and excitement
tue names of the victims could not be ascer-
tanned. Up to 20 minutes past o'clock twenty
two dead bodies had been recovered sixteen ia
one room and six in another, which is probably
all.
The fire originated in the elevator or stair.
case leading TO the laundry. There were FIVE
hundred guests in the house, but none were
reported injured. The damage by fire and
water will not fall short Of hundred thousand
dollars.
The alarm was first given by one of the fe-
w m gbrin1 -aI . ,I... A.
Railways, awakening the guests, of whom there
were about five hundred in the hotel. Many of
the guests went TO the Office and inquired as TO
the excitement, but were informed by the clerks
That there was only a little fire in the laundry
ms attempt to keep the fire quiet SO us to avoid
pane, helped to bring about the terrible re-
suit. When the guests became coguizaut of
their danger scenes of confusion ensued, the
people moving about in apparent distraction.
baggage filled the Railways; the smoke was
suttocating and water drenched the floors IT
was nearly twelve O'Clock before any one gave
the alarm. passing policemen then learning
OF the fire inside caused the fire engines TO come
to the spot, but the fire by this time had made
considerable headway. Ladies were in a wild
state Of excitement. The carpets were still
covered with water. A poor servant girl was
found on the third floor writing in agonies of
pain, her body irightfuy burned
The shrieks Of the servants in the upper sto-
res were heartrending, as the firemen were
making their way u rescue them. Large crowds
mad IN the meantime gathered in the Streets
The excitement outside was kept up till about
two O'Clock, when the fire was about eXtin-
gulshed. The Herald editorially says that it is
stated that gross CareleSsneSS was apparent in
the condition OF the warming apparatus. and
That there was too much anxiety to keen the fire
secret and toe little effort made TO save the nm
fortunate girls. The whole subject will no donbt
be thoroughly Investigated.
The Herald says the loss is Sl5O,0O0. 1t gives
the following details The staircase upon which
the fire started was at the back of The house
leading IRON the laundry in the basement to the
servants room on the attic floor. The flames
ran rapidly up the stairway. 1t was as a Chin
ney, there being no openings from it but al the
top and bottom, and the strong dlaugbt, which
the are itself created, drew it onward with n
rapidly that nothing could excel, 1t ate up the
staircase and charfed its surroundings. Reach
ING the open space into which the rooms of the
servants opened, ii burst into its fullest strength
The flames in their passage did littleSlanIage
until they reached the corridor at the ted, the
draught driving through the narrow passage
way carrying the flames quicker and making,
them mOlc destructive. As they went on they
spread over the entire extent of the west wing
The woodwork of the rooms where the servants
slept Immediately caught and soon the entire
wing was a mass OF flames, which spread so
RAPIDLY that the servants asleep were oyertaken
were completely cut off from the main building.
The hremen rushed to that side Of the building,
drawn by the wild ShrickS of the terrified
women, Before they could reach the apartments
OF the poor creatures the flames had enveloped
them, and all became silent in the embrace of
death.
For long time while the fire RACED it was
supposed that only two or three pefsons were
injured, and that they had been taken from the
building, Shortly after one O'Clock it was found
that number of persons were missing, and
Capt Burden and Chief Perley Of the Gre de-
partnent climbed from the second roof to the
topmast by narrow iron ladder and entered
the rooms through a binding smoke where the
people were supposed to be. Breaking through
small window that opened upon the roof of
the main building they went into the two rear
rooms OF the southwestern wing and there
found the charred aud burned bodies Of thirteen
persons. Ihe beds, bedding and furniture were
Strewn about the room, confused with the bu-
man remains. The bodies lay at the different
places from which the poor people had tried to
hnd means OF egresS. Some had eudcayorcd TO
escape through the windows, and Others in en-.
deayoring to iud air had fallen at the head of
the staircase. The bodies of two women were
half concealed under the bed in the outer room,
where they had evidently tried to shelter them.
selves from the smoke and flames.
When the i1remcn and police rot into the
wing, the floors Ol this room we're sound but
the roof and tinberS were burned and had fallen
upon the floors in confused mass upon the
bodies The water was several inches deep upon
the floor and was liltering through to the
ground. The heavy beams of the roof had
fallen upon the burned bodies, gevering limbs
and initiating the remains horribly The bodies
were removed TO the hospital as speedily as
possible. The building was most unfortunately
constructed; so slight, indeed, were its floors
tnat the water went through them as a sieve. Ii
was an imposing sham. With the certainty that
hundred persons would be dOmiciled upon
each door, there was yet provided but one means
Of exit, and 10 reach this many of the guests
were compelled 10 traverse corridors almost
labyrinths. II was fortunate for the people liv-
ing in the vicinity that the fire did not break
out the night before, when nothing could have
saved the block with tue high gale then blow
ing
Eleven bodies are at the morgue, taken from
the ruins. Only two are recognizable, the others
being horribly burnt, mostly to crisp. All have
unmstakabe appearance Of having suffered
fearful agOnies. Mary McCabe and Mary Pagan
are the names those whose bodies are recog-
nizable Mary Heancy, one Of the servants Of
the hotel, is at the Bellevue hospital, having
been injured by falling through ,fre-escape
She states that when the alarm OF the fire was
given she ran and knocked at nearly all the
doors OF the other servants and burst open two
of them. She then tried to get down stairs, but
the smoke and flames drove her back, when
with Mary rurney aud Bridget Curtis she broke
open sEyisht and got Ua the roof, remaining
there till the hremen rescued her. She will soon
recover
The hotel is all in confusion to-day, q constant
stream of visitors pouring in one door and ont
through the other. In addition to the eleven
girls burned to death, two Others-M Mary Ann
Pagan and Mary Jones-who escaped the fate
OF The other girls sleeping with them by tearing
down wire screen from corridor window and
esca ing on to the roof were badly injured.
The walls in some places were spattered with
blood from the dead bodies carried down.
Mr.. Griswold, one OF the propretors, denies
the statement that there was any delay in send
ing the alarm, and says that prompt measures
were taken TO arouse the guests and servants.
The walls of the laundry on the foutth floor.
where the fire originated, are burned to cnders,
and the Staircases leading to the topmost land
ing where the servants apartments are situated
are completely destroyed. Most of the adioin-
ing rooms are Quilted, and the walls are already
torn down by wor6men. The three upper sto.
ries OF the Twenty-third street side are deserted
by the guests in consequence Of the constant
dripping OF water through the ceiling The
furniture is piled together in each room and
covered with tarpaulins. Broken trunks, heaps
OF damaged clothing and debris of the burned
rooms lie about on the stairs and corridors,
The proprietoIs state the amount of damages
cannot be estimated yet, and the insurance is
not ascertained. Externally there is nothing TO
Indicate that fire had taken place.
II Is now stated that the loss by the fire in
the Fifth avenue hotel is $40 900; insured
NF.ag.s al. g.NI... Al.