New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-04-12


The number of lives lost cannot now be given, Dnt
it is feared that some 40 or 80 persons perishcd,
either by being burned directly or first smothercd
by smoke and then consumed. From the best in
formation at hand it seems that the fire caught III
the storeroo in the basement, and was first seen
coming through the ground floor just north Oh the
office, aud in ten minutes it had assembled tue
elevators and rotunda, and spread itself over inc
sixth floor under the roof This fioo1 was occupie"
entirely by employees of the hotel the most oil "ho"
were women. The fire spread rapidly, ming every
and hole with flames and SMOKE anu
the scene was of the most terrible oesclp
ton. Frantic men, women, and chh"reh
ran through the halls slreking in the most heart
rending manner IN their wild and desperate eIo,'S
to escape. The smoke was so dense in some OF the
halls that the gas jets were extingulshed' winch
rendered egress, even 10 those most lahiiiar WIFI
the building matter of great difficulty
The Fire Department on the spot promptly
andhundreds of people congregated at the SCENE
ready and willing to render any aid necessary Inc
density of the smoke in the halls drove many guests
and boarlcrs back into their rooms, who rushed 10
the windows as means of escape. LADDERS
were raised as soon as possible ana "onlch
and children, dressed in only their nlght-
Clothes were thus taken from the burning o'iiu'ns,
Some tainted from fright and Others sank exhausted
to the ground from nervous prostration Inc iau-
ders generally were too short 10 reach to the min
and sixth stories, but by hosting some OF them
on the one story balcony on the east sue
and the two-stOry balcony on the north hiuo
of the building these floors were reached, ana III
those at the windows were rescued Inc Sh'hnei
fre-cscape was also brought promptly INTO service
and was the means OF saving many llNeS'
SCENES or HORROR.
NrJ;Ia +bis work WIS going on some
fripbtful scenes occurred. One man, WHO
had been occupying window on the NaIniit-St'
front of the hotel, became desperate at the seeming
DELAY in cffectinC his escape. With nervous hands
he tore the sheets from his bed into strips, tied them
together fastening this mproyi5cd rope 10 inc
window-s and disro gartlinS the act that IL dio
not reach more than twenty feet, he let NM
self down hand over hand Men below who saw his
Dosition turned away their faces TO avoid witness
ing the sickening event that was inevitable. FL
nolly he reached the end Of the rope and then Tor
the first time he seemed to realize his posi-
ton. He stopped, threw his head back, re-
vealing a CHASTITY face and swung slowly 10 ana
fro swayed by the breeze which the Io"llh5
fames above created. His limbs swulP around con-
vu!svely as though TO catch upon something then
he let go and groans went mp from hundreds a. nc
vhirlcd round and round, and finally struck on the
red to a saloon across the street and died in few
moments. Two other men jumped from the fourth
story windows. one of whom seemed not to be dan
ecrousIy hurt while the other expired III few mo-
ments.
A woman at a fifth-stOry window on the Filt-sf.
front became panlc-strcken and jumped ont. She
alighed on her feet and carr ed 10 the ST. James
Fotel still alive. Her husband, who had been
standing by her side then tore up the bedding
and let tho strips 50 made out CI
the window. TO this the fremen attached a rope,
which the man hauled up mai,ingit fast to the Will
,low-sir, and safely descended by it. j. +. Wilson
iunpcd from q fourth-story window and was killed.
Andrew Eusman and a Mrs. Scott met their death liz
the Same way.
The mortality among the female help Of the hotel
is feared TO I've great There were some two hundred
Of them all of whom were lodged in the uppc.
story OF the building. The panic among them
was perfectly terrible, and number Of them
Jumped from the upper windows on the Elm-st. or
rear side of the house. Some of them are known
to have been killed in this manner and several
others were carried awayby friends and their names
have not get been asccrtaincd.
RAPID SPREAD Oh THE FLAMES.
kta quarter past =, or about half an hour after
the fire was discovered, the entire roof abiaze
and the flames were rapidly descending 10 the lower
stories A half hour later tho floors and interior
wall BEGAN TO fall The roof cell in aud there is
nothing left Of of the finest notcls III the coun-
try except the Wal.ui-St. front aud parts Of the
Fourth and Fiftl-sts. faces. The loss on the blrg
and contents will be from $4,000 to ~ 100000.
The fire engines are still playing on the fire. A
force has been organized 10 search for dead bodies,
but the Fire Department have not yet succeeded in
cooling off the debris sufficiently 10 enable search
TO be made There are several dead bodies al the
Morgue waiting Identification. Six persons, whose
names are unknown, were killed either by jumping
from windows or were sufocated Ly smoke and
dragged out Of the burning building. 1t is difficult
to procure the names of the dead, bat it is hoped
that complete nearly complete list of them will
be obtained this evening.
Great crowds Of people have thronged the vicinity
of the fire all day, Of them looking for absent
friends, but the great mass of them were melted
only by curiosity. There is strong guard of police
surrounding the ruins ana one is permitted
within the limits excepting reporters and those di-
rectly interested in the calamity.
1t was at first reported that Kate CLAYTON, wlo so
narrowly escaped death at the burning of the Brook
lyn Theater, had .suffered serious injury. This
proves to have been without foundation. She had
sufficient presence of mind TO wrap her face and
head with wetted towels and walked and rolled
down stairs. Except having few bruises she is
safe
TIE KILLED.
Dr. Auler, the coroner gives the following list of
tbe killed as reported to him. and he thinks il COM
prises all now known to be dead
ADAMS, The Rev. A. r., incumbent of parish In Berk-