Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-10-16
TERRIBLE HOLOCAUST.
Over Twenty People Lose Their Lives in
Hotel Fire.

SYRACUSE, October 16th-A. M-What proved
to be the most disastrous fire that has visited
Syracuse for many years was discovered in the
Leland Hotel al 1890 O'Clock this morning It
is now O'Clock, and the fire is still burning
fiercely, although the entire Fire Department.
consisting of nine engines, are working hard to
save further loss of life and limb.
An eye witness is positive that at least twenty
FIVE persons lost their lives, and many were in
jured. One woman was being lowered from the
window by the aid of ropes She had reached
became ignited from the burning sill. The
rope parted and the woman fell to the pave
ment. Her brains were dashed out ard the
body h4ttened into a Shapeless mass.
So great is the confusion and excitement that
the identity of those killed and injured is wholly
unknown Uddertakers and aGIbulances are
flying in all directions, and the streets in the
neighborhood ofthe ill-fated hotel are thronged
with crowds of people.
Frank Carey of Glen Falls, y. Y, has been
identified as one Of those burned to death.
Many people, eraZed with fright lost their
lives by jumI ing from the windows. One man
says he saw six people jump from different win
dows on the Fayette-street side of the building
within q space of four minutes and the sight SO
sckened him with its horrors tn at he was com
pelled to leave the spot.
The building was provided with both iron
fire ESCAPES on the outside and ropes on the in-
side, which were the means o. saving many
lives.
Burnett Forbes, stockbroker of this city,
escaped into the street almost entirely naked
One woman was found with a babe in her
arms cr0uched in the stairway, where she had
been overcome by smoke. She was r moved
by the fremen, but has not yet regainsd con-
sciousness, and it is impossible to say what her
name or experience was.
The fire is said to have started in the kitchen
A man and woman were seen locked in each
others arms in a window of the fifth floor at the
was perfect sea of flames. No possibility of
escape except by the window was open to them,
and that seemed inevitable death.
No assistance could reach them. The woman
seemed to be anxious to jump, but her husband
was earnestly entreating herto desist. The crowd
below waited with bated breaths. The woman
made one last effort to jump but was restrained
by her husband, and the cry of the crowd sig
nailed the awful end that must have befallen
them as they fell backward iuto the room into a
mass of flames.
At a window on the fourth floor. almost d.
rectly under this, a woman was surrounded on
all sides from the interior OF the room by the
fierce flames. She seemed irresolu.e as to
whether to jump u the pavement or TO face the
fiery foe that was fast encroaching on her
liberties and life. She stepped upon the sill of
the window and placed her hands above her
head.
The people in the street shuddered and
turned their faces to shut out the horrible
sight that must meet their gaze should the
woman jump to the ground. She seemed to be
withheld either by 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 window but an instant,
when the whole room became enveloped in
flames and she sank back from view
A. M.-The hotel is still burning. Vague ru-
mors are atioat that the list of killed will num-
Der fifty persons, but this fact cannot be sub
stantiated aud it is believed the number will be
less than twenty-five, the first estimate The
guard lines stretched across the streets are in
adequate TO keep back the surging crowds of
people that are packed in the streets leading to
the hotel, and the police are stationed all
around.
The scenes and incidents connected with the
rescue OF inmates are heartrending in the ex-
treme. The cries of the women standing in the
upper windows and of the excited crowd be-
low were deafening and added to this the con-
slant roar of the many fire engines created
babel of confusion and panicky excitement in
and around the hotel
Newspaper representatives are endeavori1g
with all the energy at their command to obtain
substantial list of those who have lost their
lives, but have so far met with little success
The building will be a total loss. 1t was
built two years ago at cost of Sl50000. 1t is
six stories high and contained 400 rooms. 1t is
impossible to learn how many guests were in
the hotel at the time fire broke out The total
loss will not fall short of $500 900.
N