The New York herald., 1872-12-12
What Ellen Keefe, One Of the Servant
Girls, Says.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.

Why Was tho Fire Department Not Sig
nailed In Time l-Criminal Negligence
Somewhere.
An eyewitness OF the fire makes the following
statement concerning the terrible disaster:-In my
opinion somebody is greatly to blame for the loss
of life at the fire in the Fifth avenue Hotel on
Tuesday night l entered the vestibule on the
Fifth avenue side about seven minutes alter
eleven, my attention being attracted by the smoke
issuing through the doors. The clerk repeatedly
on being asked told me that there was little
fire In the laundry only, and one rather tarty
replied that there was no necessity OF making
fuss about it, On going down to the billiard room
found the donkey engine with one hose at work.
While was in the telegraph room, fully ten min
utes before l went down to the billiard room,
heard the shrieks Of the girls In the attic the
Twenty third street side. Now, why was an alarm
not given to the Fire Departments Why did the
hotel people wait over quarter OF an hour before
coming to the conclusion that their own meagre
appliances could not combat the flames, especially
as they knew, as they must have known, by the
screeches that could be plainly heard from the
attic long before they did send for the Fire De.
partment, that many lives were at
stalker believe in my soul that the
girls could have been saved II the Fire
Department had been signalled at once when
the fire was discovered raging-for it ragged from
the start-for, as it was, the fremen were on hand
WITHIN less than two minutes after they were sig-
nailed, at twenty minutes past eleven. Now, this
being so, and the screeches Of the girls being
heard minutes and longer after the hotel people
had put their own hose to work, is 1t not
apparent that the nremen would have saved
them had they been sent for when they should have
been. 1t may be that the proprietors had an idea
that II they sent for the fremen, though the fire
might have been put out quicker than they could
do 1t themselves that II they did their carpets
furniture would be badly damaged. Is IL possible
that they had more thought for their carpets than
they had for the lives OF the poor creatures who
were coOped up in the garrett behind their IRON
screened bound windowsS
Now let me give you an instance Of how the hotel
tried to conceal the extent OF the fire at the start
When l went into the ''well" west Of the billiard
room l saw smoke issuing from and great glare
of light apparently in the southwesterly end OF the
Twenty-third street wing of the building, near the
roof. The screeches Of the girls coming from
that direction were at the time loud
and piercing. came back into the billiard room
and asked one OF the hotel employees, who was in
his shirt sleeves "Where is the fire p, "Oh! It's
nothing,n he replied "only little smoke from the
laundry" Pointing high up where the smoke was
puling up over the roof and calling his attention
TO the shrieks of the women. he answered: 'sThese
id girls will scare the guests If they
go on that way. What do you think of that
for cold-bloodedness2 Allow me to say, in conclu-
sion, that / witnessed the heartrending incident
dav, that OF the poor servant girl, halfclad and
bleeding and burned, lying on the floor Of the par
lor with not doctor to attend to her, nor any
one, In fact to help her in any way until an out
slider boldly entered a room and got out pillow
for her to rest her head upon.