Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-10-16
APPALLING SIGHTS.
The Leland Hotel, Syracuse,
NJ. Y, in Flames.
MANY OF THE GUESTS CREMATED.

IN Ihlrty Minutes Enyelops the En-
tire structure-The stairs Abiaxe and
No Exit Exec pit Through the Windows
Terrible Leaps for Life-The I'm
prisoned Victims Seen at the Windows
Impioring for Impossible Rescue
Wide Variations in the Reports of
Fatalities.
SYRACUSE, n. Y, Oct. 10 The Lelan d
hotel in this city caught fire at 1880
o'clock last night and at this writing the
hotel is total ruin and the fire under
control. 1t WAS the largest hotel in Cen
trail New York and was full of guests.
Everything is in such confusion that it is
aster, but Syracuse has undoubtedly suf-
fered terrible holocaust in the burning
of the building. Reports of all kinds are
flying around as to the number of human
lives sacrificed. One man says he saw
twenty-five persons lose their lives in at
tempting TO escape and the rumor is cur
rent that the total loss will reach fifty.
Later-Twenty- Five Victims
The fire spread with amazing rapidity.
In thirty minutes from the time it was dis
covered it had enveloped the whole
building. The number of killed is now
estimated at twenty-five. Among those
injured is Cora Tanner, the actress, who
was severely burned about the head and
feet. She was playing an engagement at
the Grand Opera house, and had room
at the hotel Every physician in Syracuse
is on the ground. Most of those killed
were on the fourth and fifth stories
No Escape But to Jump for Life.
The fire, which started in the kitchen,
spread by means of the elevator we'll
which was near the stairway, and so all
means of escape were cut off, and those in
the upper stories were compelled to jump.
The clerk of the hotel began sending in
the alarm by telephone but the flames
spread so rapidly that he was driven from
the instrument and compelled to Jump to
save his own life. The fremen saved
many lives
A BIood-Curdling Scene.
The scene was one of the widest confu-
sion and people were to be seen at the
windows on every floor shrieking frantic
ally for help. which could not be given
them. Many were seen to fall back into
the flames, fsinting and exhausted. while
other hurled themselves from the win
dows, meeting death on the pavement. 1t
is impossible to ascertain the names of
those who are killed. Many who escaped
from the lower stories will die from the
effects OF their injuries. occasioned by the
flames and portions of the falling walls.
The New York Central depot, which is
across the street from the hotel, was in
great danger and the entire fire depart
ment turned its efforts to saving the depot
and surrounding structures.
Missed the Life Net.
One of the most frightful incidents of
the fire was the terrible death of woman
who jumped from the fifth story of the
building. Several policemen stood on the
sidewalk, holding nets ready to catch the
guests as they jumped. Two persons, a
man and woman, jumped into one of
the nets almost at the same moment. and
escaped with broken limbs. The next to
jump was a woman, who appeared in a
window in the fifth story IN her night
clothes. She ieaped out of the window.
and missing the net was dashed to pieces
on the stone sidewalk.
Half-Saked Victims.
Seven or eight men and children jumped
from the upper stories on to u shed in the
rear of the building. At one time seven
persons were struggling together on the
shed, which had caught fire from the fly
ing sparks. The victims were half naked
Several of them were seen to tear off
their under garments, that had caught
fire.
One woman lay on the ground where
she had fallen, tearing the hair from her
head. Her hair had caught fire, and it
was with difficulty that the flames were
uuenched.
Incidents of the Horror.
Ons man says he saw six people jump
from different windows on the Fayette
street side of the building within space
OF four minutes, and the sight so sickened
him with it. horror that he was compelled
to leave the spot.
The building was provided with both
iron ire-escapes on the outside and ropes
on the inside which were the means of
saving many lives
One woman was found with nursing
babg in her arms crouched in a stairway
where she had been overcome by smoke
She was removed by the firemen.
r.. ~. Nichols. or Dunk had his leg
broken by jumping.
Cora Tanner escaped by means of a
rope. She climbed out of window and
slid down the rope
w. Fl. Harrop, of New York, jumped,
and had both legs broken. Most of the
guests were taken to the Vanderbilt
house.
The Money Loss Half = Million.
Ths building was built two years ago at
a cost of $4,000 1t was six stories high
and contained 400 rooms. 1t is impossi-
BILE 10 learn how many guests were in the
hotel at the time the fire started. The
loss will reach $500, O0O. The loss on the
otel is partly covered by insurance
Still Later-ConfiictIng Reports.
3. A. M-LAter reports make the esti-
mate of the number of dead from five to
twenty-five. IL is impossible TO get any
thing like definite estimates at this
time AZ everything is in a state of con-