The Globe-republican., 1890-10-22
HOTEL HORROR.
Burning Of the Leland Hotel al
Syracuse, N. z.
Twenty-Five Persons Reported as Having
Perished Guests Jump From Windows
and Are Dashed to Pieces-Shock.
ing Scenes.

ing Scenes.
| SYRACUSE, N. Y, Oct. i6.-What
proved to be the most disastrous fire
that has visited Syracuse for many
years was discovered in the Leland
Rotel at 1880 o'clock this morning.
An eye witnes to the fire says it is
positive that at least twenty-five per
sons have lost their lives and many
more have been more or less injured
One woman was being lowered from q
window by the aid of rope. She had
reached point opposite the third story
when the rope became ignited from a
burning sill, the rope parted, and the
woman fell to the pavement her brains
being dashed out and her body flattened
into shapeless mass
Frank Carrick. of Glenns Falls n Y,
has been identified as one of those that
were burned to death.
Many people crazed with fright lost
their lives by jumping from windows.
One man says he saw six people Jump
from different windows on the Fayette
street side of the building within a
space of four minutes and the sight
sickened him with it's horror and he was
compelled to leave the spot.
The building was provided with both
iron fire escapes on the outside and
ropes on the inside, which were the
means of saving many lives
Among those injured is Cora Tanner,
the actress, who was severely burned
about the head and feet She was play
ing an engagement at the Grand Opera
House, and had room in the hotel
Most of those killed were on the
fourth and fifth stories
Frank Casey, of Glenns Falls, n. ",
and Emil Forbes, a prominent brewer
of Syracuse, are among the dead.
The building will be total loss. 1t
was built two years ago at cost Of
$50, coo and the total loss must be $780,
600. 1t was SIX stories high and con-
ia ned 400 rooms.
The fire, which started in the kitchen,
spread by means OF the elevator we'll,
which was near the sta rway. and so all
means Of escape were cut off and those
in the upper stories were compelled to
jump.
Within fifteen minutes after the blaze
was first discovered the entire building
was wrapped in flames. 1t was impos-
sible for the guests to escape. The
scene was one of the widest confusion
and people were to be seen at the WIN
dows on every floor shricking frantically
for help, which could not be given them.
Many were seen to fall back into the
flames fainting and exhausted while
others hurled themselves from the
windows, meeting death on the pave
ment.
The scenes and incidents connected
with the rescue of inmates were heart !
rending in the extreme. A man and /
woman were seen locked in each others |
the northeast corner of the building. !
Below them was perfect sea of flame. !
with no possibility of escape except by
the window and that seemed newt /
able death. No assistance could reach |
them. The woman seemed to be
anxious to jump, but her husband
was earnestly entreating her to desist
The crowd below waited with bated
breath. The woman made one last eff
fort to jump, was restrained by her hus- +
band, and the cry of the crowd signaled
the awful end that must have befallen
them as they fell backward into the
room into mass of flames.
At window on the fourth floor, all
most directly under this, woman APP
peared under the window. She was sur
on all sides from the interior
of the room by fierce flames. She
seemed irresolute as to whether to jump
to the pavement or to face the fiery foe
that was fast encroaching on her life.
She did not jump, but seemed to be
by either fear or a feeling that
escape would come from some other
source. She stepped down from the sill
into the room. but remained at the win
dow but an instant when the whole room
became envelopsd in flames and the
woman sank back from view.
The fir ghtful shrieks Of the guests
md the crackle of the flames could be
heard for blocks away. The building
burned so rapidly that most of the peo-
pie on the upper floors were obliged to
Use the fire escape or jump for their
ives.
Seven or eight men and children
Jumped from the upper stories onto a
he'd in the rear OF the Blu lding. At
me time seven persons were struggling
ogether on the shed, which had already
aught fire from the flying sparks. The
'ic:ims were half naked. Several Of
hem were seen to tear off of their
ody under garments that had caught
re.
One of the most frightful incidents of
he fire was the terrible death of
roman who Jumped from the fifth story /
( the building Several policemen
TODD on the sidewalk holding nets
eady to catch the guests as they jumped.
'wo persons, man and woman, q
lmped into one Of the nets almost at
be same moment and escaped with r
roken limbs.
The next to Jump was woman who
ppeared in window on the fifth story
! her night clothes She leaped out !.
the window, and missing the net was
ashed to pieces on the stone sidewalk