The Republican journal., 1872-12-19
The Death Trap at the Fifth Avenue
Hotel

The Death Trap at the Fifth Avenue
Hotel.
SO far as can be ascertained the terrible
fire at the Fifth Avenue Hotel originated
in a small closet on the third floor, near
the private staircase leading to the SER
wants dormitoIies. Through the opening
for this winding staircase the flames ran
with great rapidity and soon reached the
upper floor This floor, on the Twenty
third street side, is cut up into small
rooms, each COMMUNICATIVE or more beds.
The ceiling is about eight feet high, and
the passageways about five feet wide.
There is Il great deal OF light woodwork.
consisting mainly of partitions, and the
ceiling was of common lath and plaster,
offering no resistance to the flames, which
soon ate their way through and seized up
on the beams, .joists and ratters. Fed by
this light wood work the flames. soon at
ter the fire was discovered, had spread for
distance of nearly 100 feet, darling
rapidly through the narrow passage ways
and filling them and the rooms with a hot
and binding smoke, to inhale which was
certain death. Here was the death trap. the
fatal room in which eleven women perished.
This stairway is situated in the centre
OF the southern half of the hotel and ex-
tends from the laundry IN the basement to
the roof, seven stories above 1t is intend
ed as private passage by which the ser
wants can pass from the lower stories to
the sleeping rooms without interfering
with the movements of the guests of the
house. The stairway is very narrow and
winds SO closely around supporting shaft
OF iron that is mounted with great diff
Guilty. The landings are very numerous,
being built on every floor and also be-
tween the stories. Opening upon every
landing place is a small, lcw-studded
room, six feet by nine, in which slept on
the night OF the fire girls who during the
day worked in the laundry. The rooms.
stairway and platforms are completely in
cased in an envelope of wood work. max
ing the passage way resemble, outward
ly, the wel-hole of IL large elevator. In
side there is 4 tremendous draft at all
times OF the year, the construction of the
stairway making it in fact huge ventiat-
ing shaft. The guests OF the hotel would
not suspect the existence Of the stairway
were il not tor :. small door on every floor
which opens upon one OF the platforms of
the staircase. Had 1t not been for these
doors all the servants who slept in the
little stairway rooms would have perish
ed. AS 1t was, the peril OF many OF them
was great.
The windows OF the women's sleeping
apartments looked out upon the root of
the hotel, and We're protected by q wire
netting fastened on the outside in such IL
manner that they could not readily be re-
moved by either the inmates Of the rooms
or any one seeking ingress from without
ii was the opinion of all VINO examined
these gratngs that they were the princi-
pal cause OF this terrible loss OF life.
Some OF the unfortunate We're found di-
rectlY beneath the windows leading to
the inference that they had, on awak Ing.
and indlng their rooms and passage ways
1llled with smoke, endeavored to open the
windows. only to lind themselves baf1ied
by the wire screens. Others had crawled
under their beds and were there sutfocateu.
The bodies We're all found in wo rooms
near the head OF the staircase Nearly all
oi those who escaped We're aroused barely
III Tune to get out on the root through a
passageWay, or down the stairs toward
The Broadway front. In few cases the
wire gratngs and windows were broken
IN by those on the roof and the inmates
were rescued. In one OF Two instances
the inmates OF rooms seized chairs or other
missiles and broke the windows or wire
grating, cutting their hands and faces, and
1lnally clamberlng upon the roof Those
who We're burned had not sufficient pres
ence OF mind to adopt the expedient. 1t
is more than probable they We're so blind
ed and confused by the smoke that they
scarcely knew what TO do, or perhaps they
were halt unconscious, when aroused.
from the effect OF inhaling smoke.
The most CHASTITY and thrilling feature
OF the tragedy was the appearance Of the
bodies of the servant-girl at the time
they We're discovered. The only mode
OF access to this fearful spot was by the
way OF the windows opening upon Il lower
roof. Through this Aperture the specta-
tor was obliged to climb, and he then
would have found himself in small low.
lll-Ventlated apartment, which, although
not too large tor the convenience of one
person, was the bedroom OF no less than
ten human beings, who We're still ln death |
the charred remains scattered about the
floor and on the beds, being all that was
lett to tell the story OF their cruel and un-
timely fate. The dull Pickering of a fire
mans lantern furnished light for those
who witnessed the scene, and added much |
to the ghastliness of the faces Of The dead |
The couches Were ranged close together, |
side by side, along each wall, leaving a |
passage between the two rows. Two |
bodies were found in the beds upon one
side and three upon the other. The visitor |
stumbling over something in the way, |
the lantern was lowered, bringing to light |
the blackened body OF girl who in her |
ag0nles of suttocation had crawled partly |
underneath the bed. whele she had died |
Near the window through which the en- |
trance had been made, was the most hor- |
rible sight OF all. Two girls, who had |
apparently been awakened by the heat |
and smoke, but We're unable TO escape, |
were found firmly clasped in each others |
arms, and in this position had become in |
sensible and SO died. Another woman |
was lying upon her side drawn up into an |
attitude indicating the terrible anguish OF |
her death.
1t was impossible to remain long in the |
heated, smoking garnet, the terrible stencil |
becoming unbearable after a few moments. |
The lew who witnessed the terrible scene |
were aWe-stricken, and even the police |
and hremen who ale accustomed to such |
things were Mortified There was not one |
who was not glad to escape from the |
death-trap, and each will remember the |
experience to his dying day.
The Great Diamond SWindIe,