The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1872-12-19
NEW YORK.
Fearful Fire at the Fifth Avenue Hotel

New YORK, December II Tile fire al
he Filth Avenue Hotel last nigh, broke
out shortly after eleven o'clock, on the
second door Of the hotel The staircase
upon which The fire started was one at the
back Of the house leading from the laund.
nv 10 the basement 10 the servants rooms
on the attic floor The flames ran rapidly
up this stairway. It was as chimney.
there being no openings from il but at the
top aud and bottom The fire quickly ate
up the staircase, aud charred its surround
ing.
Then reaching the open space into Which
the rooms Of the servants opened. 1t burst
into its fullest strength. The flames, in
their passage, did little or no damage until
they attacked tho corridor at the top,
the drausht driving through the narrow
passage way carrying The Alnes quicker
and making them more destructive Is they
vent on, They spread over the entire OK.
len Of the west wing Tie woodwork of
the rooms where iie servants slept i'nmcdl.
ateIy caught fire, and soon the entire wing
was mass Of luril flames The flames
spread so rapidIy that tie servants asleep
. ,
ia the rooms at the top of the staircase were
overlakcn before assistance could reach
them. aud were completely shut Of FROM
the main building y
The hnmeu, who had in the meantime
arrived were too late to render them any
assistance, asby this time Tie apartments
ofthc poor creatures were cnvc!opcd IN
flames Shortly after one O'Clock this
morning. when it was found that mum.
Der of persons we're missing, the police Off
GERS aud Chief Of the Fire Department
effected an entrance by means Of an iron
ladder to the room where the people were
supposed to be-
They there found the cbarrel and burn
ed bodies of thirteen persons. Bedding
aud furniture were strewn about the rooms.
confused with human rrmDjDs The bod
les lay atIhe different places through which
the poor people had tried to find means Of
csrcss. Some had cudcsvored to escape
through the windows Others. in the en-.
dcavor to fad air, had fallen 10 the head
Of ol'lbe staircase.
The bodies Of two women were half con.
cealed under bed in an outer rom, where
they evidently had 'ripd TO shelter them
selves from the binding aud suffncating
smoke aud the sca!hing flame Wien THE
tiremen and police got into the wing the
floors Of this room were sound. tu, the
roof.timbcrs were burned, aud had fallen
upon the floors in acintusrd mass, aud up
on the bodies.
The bodies were speedily removed to the
Bellevue Hospital, from whence they were
sent TO the Nlorgue Owing to the con.
fusion and excitement, the names Of vic.
tins could not be asrerIaincd. Up to
twenty minutes past twoo'c clock twenty-five
dead bodics bad been receyered-sixtec'
in one room and six il auolhrr-which
are probably all
A poor servant girl was found on th'
third floor, wri'biug inrhc ogouics Of pain,
her body frigh'fu'Iy burned The .hrieks
Of the servants in the upper stories werr
heart rending, as the 6rcmcn were making
their way to rescue them. Large crowds
bad meantime gathered on the Streets
The excitement outside was kept up till
about two o'clock when the fire was about
cS'ingulshld.
The Hrahl cditorslly says: III is stat
ed gross carelcssne.s was apparent in the
condition OIL the warming apparatus, and
that there was too much anxiety to keep
the FIRE a secret. AMI too little cit u, male
to save the unfortunate girls. The whole
subject will no doubt be thoroughly iuyes.
tisated."
Tue losses are estimated at from $780,
600 to Sl50 0u0.