Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1890-10-16
DIED IN A HOTEL FIRE.
TERRIBLE TRAGEDY AT SYR-
RACUSE THIS MORNING.
ONE OF THE FINEST BUILDINGS IN
THE COUNTRY BURNED.
1T WAS NOT FIREPROOF AMI
EIGHT LIVES WE'RE LOST.

Il SYRACUSE, N. Y. Oct. 16.-Thc maj
nificent Leland, the most modern an
p the finest appointed hotel in Centr;
y New York, is to-day nothing but mas
Il OF smouldering ruins.
d 1t was 12.45 this morning when fir
$ was discovered in the region of tn
kitchen, located on the second floor, i
the rear of the west side of the building
Inside of fifteen minutes the building wa
in flames from end to end, and belor
thirty minutes had elapsed the walls ha,
u fallen, with the exception Of the north
east corner.
] The whole was one seething furnace, tt
which was added the horror that man,
lives were involved. At first it was feared
l that the loss of life was in the neighbor
hood of thirty, but as the day wore along
he number of missing and dead was re-
duced to seven or eight.
When the flames began to sweep through
the hotel the night clerk and porter set
the automatic fire alarm bells ringing
and before the rudely awakened guests
could realize what was the matter the
flames and smoke rushed through the halls
cutting off all ordinary means of escape.
The scene was frightful one. Strong
men seemed paralyzed with fear and knew
not what to do. Others more cool hur-
riedly donned some of their clot hing and
girded about them the patent fire es-
cape with which each room was equip
ped. 1t was nothing but piece of web
bing and rope, but by this means many
lives were saved.
AN AGoNIzING SIGHT.
The burning hotel, viewed from the
street, presented scene which will never
be forgotten. 1t was agonizing in the
extreme. In many of the windows OF
the five stories of the burning building
could be seen men and women piteousl,
calling for help or making their escape by
means of the rope appliances.
In window on the fifth story man
and woman were seen to be apparently
struggling in each Others arms. The
woman evidently wanted to throw her.
self out of the window. Below them was
sea OF flames. Soon after they were lost
to view.
On the fifth floor, toward the Lafayette
street side, four women appeared at the
window. Their screams for help could
be heard above the din and roar. The
tircmcn shouted to them to stay where
they were. A ladder was put into posi-.
ton, but the overhead wires prevented
the raising of the ladders. Minutes
seemed hours while one ladder man
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 per-
suade her from jumping head long into
the street. While the ladder men were
at work raising the ladders, willing
hands had held the jumping net. The
Cummings woman jumped with the evil
dent intention OF landing in the net, but
struck on the pavement and fractured
her skull fatally.
STRUCK THE WIRES.
The Cummings woman in her descent |
struck the wires and her body bounded |
over and over and she fell bruised and |
mangled heap seven feet from the net.
Meanwhile the ladder men were work |
ing with will and succeeded in placing
an extension ladder against the building. |
A cry Of horror rang out from the spccta.
tors when il was found that it was too
short, but this was quickly succeeded by
a cheer when one of the ladder men
mounted The ladder and standing on the
topmost round reached up and helped
down three women.
II was the " ork Of n hero. Had the |
Cummings woman waited n moment or
two her life would have been saved.
PIERCE RUSHING FLAMES.
On all 81 les men and women could be |
seen dropping from the windows or slid
ing down the fire escapes. In the center |
of the buildings was the court yard. |
Here was being enacted similar scenes to |
those outside the building. Some of the
guests jumped while others used fire
escapes.
On the roof of the boiler house, located |
at the west side of the building, at one
time lay six or seven persons unconscious
and injured. They were removed by the
fremen and carried to place of safety.
The flames swept through the build
ing with unparalleled rapiditv. Chief
Engineer Riley, of the fire department,
says, that when he arrived at the scene
and his men made for the upper portion
Of the building he with a couple OF hose
men had reached the fourth floor and
found they could go no further.
THE KILLED.
The following is the list Of the dead SO
tar as known: Annie Cummings, of New
York, aged "a. William L. Har-
rop, Of Elizabeth, New Jersey.
He lowered himself by rope half way
down from the fourth floor when the
rope burned off and he fell to the ground.
He died at the hospital at 4 a. m.
Rose Schwarz, % years. hotel don,cs-
tic, jumped from the fifth floor. The
right side OF her face was smashed, she
sustained compound fracture of both
arms, and received wounds about her
held n nd fnce Che d;ed fro,,, .L. .t,.ri,