The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1890-10-17
Awful Holocaust Of Guests Of the La.
land Hotel Witnessed at
Syracuse. N. Y.
Six Bodies Recovered Fifteen Persons
Missing Eleven Seriously, N Not
Fatally Injured.
Rescued Gaests Rented n Second Tine
BY Fire i'm the Globe Hotel-pe
tails Of the Disasters.

SYRACUSE. N. T., Oct. i7.--The splen
did Leland hotel lies buried In it, own
ashes, aud tho prophecy of hundreds
who viewed the building In the courss
Of construction that 10 was fire-trap
has been woefuIly verified, To give IN
eeepFAte description OF the horrifying
scene of its destruction, which began
at i2,45 q. m, would be impossible. Ts
those frrt on the sccne the cries Of ths
poor .wretches doomed 10 death by shs
slow torture OF Ere were blood-curdling
The cries of -See hin jump. and
"Tbsrs's One Barnins,"
coming repeatedly from the throats Of
the spectators, only added to the intense
agony Of the scene. The streets were
6lled with people escaping barely with
their lives. bringing tales of horror Of
these left to their fate within the burn.
ing building IL scanned an interminable
time before the fire Departments bouid
ges stream to play upon the flames.
Hoarse cries of men and shrieks of
women filed the air. ~ they would ap-
pear for moment at the windows of
The upper stories and fall back ex-
hausted. The tales Of hair-breadth es-
capes by those who did succeed In get
ting ont would fill q volume. The New
York Central depot, Congress hall. Che
Globe hotel, Vanderbilt house. Mansion
house and every ayaiiable place was
turned into an infirmary for the care az
the injured, and refuge for those who
came
Out Of the DrsAdfai Heioeamst
alive. : Louis Leland, proprietor OF the
Ocean Hotel at Long Branch, who has
bean visiting his cousin, Warren Leland,
Jr., IN this city. was the Rrst 20 discover
the firs. He was going from the Office
st :45 when he noticed q light through
cracks In the door opening into the
stairway which led 70 the kitchen and
storexoom above. Opening the door he
sAw that the upper end q the stairway
- 80 = u. - - ~. ~ 49,. sqssss ~ -
- utRht clerks Porter B. Jones ana John
Hridxeman rang the electric alarm that
riaes bell I'm every room I'm the house,
and Mr.. Jones sent an alarm OF fire TO
the telephone Office. In the meantime
Louis Leland and the elevator boy,
Henry Roecher, had run mp stairs and
Dashed rhroaxh the Halle
giving the alarm and clerk Jones kept
&C work on the IRE alarm. In less than
. minute, however, the entire northwest
corner 0f the bnilding was afirs and all
efforts OF the hotel employees TO check
tbs progress OF the flames were unavail-
x~z& ExwexxM Hmax%r &sxae&& a
guests were awake the light shaft In the
center OF the building was burning, and
there being mo- opening nc the top the
only draught was through the windows
Of the rooms opening into the well. The
Elsasss Lacked UP the winaew sashes
and gaining headway into four rooms In
each fioor at the same time, the fire
swept through the entire building.
scores Of guests who had been awaken
ed by the cracking OF the flames or the
ringing OF the electric bells rushed out
Of their rooms into the halls only TO find
them fun OF smoke. The halls rang
with the cries and shrleks OF frightened
men and women. Dozens Of men and
women who had fallen ON the fioor and
and smoke, were dragged 10 the exits.
responded 20 the alarm OF fire with about
twenty-five men who did excellent SER
vice In re0cuinK guests. In less than
ten minutes after the alarm had bean
given the rescuers were driven from the
inside OF the building and the only
means of assistance was from the out
side. On the outside
Pandsmonium Kssigned.
Spectators glanced at the burning
structure for m instant and then turned
sway sickened. Bhrieks still filed tho
cir when the Office Of the hotel was
abandoned to the flames. In q window
In the fifth story on the northeast cor
nsr, man and woman were seen strug-
Cling In each others arms. The wife
seemed 10 mako strenuous efforts u
hurI herself from the easement, and the
husband appeared strongly 70 oppose
her awful purpose. Below them was q
sea of IRE. Tongues Of fire framed the
window wherein they stood. A piteous
wall from the threats Of the throng
unally told the story that the couple |
bad ceased their struggles and had
fallen back exhaused, TO be
Consumed by ths Flamas.
Even before these two were lost sight OF |
n woman scantily clad appeared at q |
window but one door below them to |
mutely appeal for asAistance--a plea |
that seemed In vain. Her courage was |
remarkable. She waited and called fer /
help. Once or twice she climbed upon |
ths easing ~ II 10 jump, and the crowd
turned their eyes away with horror. /
Every effort was made that could be
made 10 reach her with ladders, but al /
were Intellectual. The fremen tried 70
throw o stream Of water to her but
failed, and she
Fell Back Into the Fiames.
The scene was but repetition Of others
equally h0rrifying ON every side Of the I
building. Frenxsed people crowded to
the windows crying for help. The Hayes
truck was run up 90 the building and
m attempt made to hoist the ladder.
There was some hitch In Che machinerN