, 1890-10-17
SM0ULDERING RUINS.
SMUULUERING RUINS.
Details Of Yesterdays Terrible
Fire at Syracuse.
Eight Lives Lost-The Prop.
erty Valued at s125,O00
0'Brien and Dillon Tell Why
They Left Ireland.

lhA1Aobf wv u III AAAkbALANhA
Leland hotel, the most modern and finest
appointed hotel in Central New York, is
today nothing but smouldering ruins. 1t
was I2:45 this morning when the FIRE was
first discovered 10 tae region of the kitch-
en-, on the second floor, and inside of
fifteen minutes the building was in flames
from end to end, aud before thirty min
utes had elapsed the walls had fallen with
the exception OF the northeast corner.
The whole was one seathine furnace to
which was added the horror that many
lives were involved. At first it wa feared
that the loss of life was about thirty, but
the night wore along and the number of
missing and dead was reduced to seven or
eight.
When the flames began to sweep
through the hotel. Night Clerk Jones set
the automatic fire alarm bell ringing. Be
fore the rudely awakened guests could re
alize what was the matter, flames and
smoke rushed through the halls. cutting
off the usual means of exit. Each room
was provided with a common rope FIRE es-
cape, and by means of these many lives
were saved.
The burning hotel. viewed from the
street, presented a scene which can never
be forgotten. AT many windows of the
FIVE stories OF the burning building could
be seen men and women ~piteously calling
for help or making their escape by means
of the rope appliance. Ia a window in
the fifth story a man and woman were
seen apparently struggling in each others
arms. The woman evidently wanted to
throw herself put OF the window. Below
them was a sea of flames. Soon after
they were lost to view. On the fifth floor,
toward the Fayette street side, four
women appeared at the window. Their
screams for help we're heard above the
din and roar. The firemen shouted for
them to stay where they were. A hook
and ladder was put into position. The
evils of overhead wires were again dem
onstrated, the wires being in the way and
preventing the raising of the ladder.
Minutes seemed like hours while one of
the ladder men mounted the rounds and
cut the wires.
Among the frightened women at the
window was Annie Cummings, one of
the servants. Her companions tried to
persuade her from jumping headlong into
the street While the ladder men we're
at work hosting the ladders willing hands
had hold of the jumping net. The Cum
mings woman jumped with the evident
intention Of landing in it. but missed and
was dashed to death.
On all sides men aud women could be
seen dropping from the windows or slid
ing down the fire escapes. On the roof
IF tho kattar hottoa fonafoI offka aada ~
the building, at one time lay seven per-
sons unconscious and injured. Cora Tan
ner, the actress. when aroused. rushed
into a g%entleman's room aud cried: For
Gods sake save me. He let her down
by a rope, and she escaped with only
lacerated hands, saving ali her valuables.
The other members OF the company also
had narrow escapes.
Folio wing is a list of the dead as far as
known: Annie Cummings, jumped from
the fifth floor and killed instantly; Wal
liam f. Harrop, Elizabeth, N. j., low
cred himself by a rope half way down
from the fourth floor, when the rope
burned off and he fell to the ground and
died at 4 a. M; Rose Schwaz, hotel do
nestle, jumped from the fifth floor and
died from the shock and internal injuries
at 5 a. m. an unknown woman, hotel do
nestle, Jumped from the fifth floor and
was instantly killed.
At 3 o'clock this afternoon the superin-
tendent of public works ordered the men
engaged in exploring the ruins to stop
work, as all the missing had been account
ed for.
The loss on the hotel exceeds 1925, 900.
The hotel cost $50, 900 and the furniture
was all destroyed. Considerable loss was
sustained by the American Express COM
panY in its building and express matter
adjoining the hotel. Individual inmates
of the hotellost heavily IN personal effects.
1t is probable that the loss of life viii not
exceed eight-three guests and five ser
wants. Thirty persons were severely IN
iured.