The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-12
FRENCH LICK SPRINGS FIRE.
windsor Hotel Burned and Guests
Lose Their VaIuabIes.

Srecial to the Indianapolis Journal.
FRENCH LICK, Ind. Oct. n.-Fire de-
stroyed the big Windsor Hotel at this place
between o'clock and o'clock this morn
ing. All the contents were lost and many
of the guests lost their effects. The fire
originated in the bake shop and was under
Roadway before it was discovered by the
Waterman, and soon the entire building was
a mass of flames. The guests were given
the alarm and soon they were rushing out
into the drizzling rain dressed in their
sleeping gowns. 1t was for while thought
three people had persisted in the building
but on investigation it was found all had
escaped. The Windsor was the main build
ing at the springs and contained the kit
chem dining room and storerooms which
is a severe loss to the company. The Cliff
ton pavilion and Casino stands but a few
yards away and would have been destroyed
but for the downpour of rain since 10
o'clock last night Some of the guests left
diamonds and other valuable effects, which
loss will possibly reach $4,000. The loss to
the company will exceed $4,000; insurance
about $25, 0O0 One of the guests says:
1.-THE fire broke out in the large dining
room, which is only used during the height
of the season. and, consequently, had been
shut up for some time. 1t was discovered
by one of the guests, a lady of about sew
enty years of age. Her room was over the
dining room. She Immediately gave the
alarm. There were about sixty guests in
the hotel about twenty of them being
women. There was almost no excitement
or panic, and there were no narrow escapes
A ludicrous feature was the appearance of
a very pompous old gentleman, who rushed
on the lawn in front of the building clad
only in night shirt and shiny silk hat.
white woman servant rushed from the
building in her night robe with a satchel
containing her valuableS under her arm.
Many of the guests lost their effects in
the flames. A lady from st. Louis lost
$500 worth of diamonds, besides other jew
elry. The same lady, who was staying with
her invalid husband and child, seized the
latter when the alarm was given, took it
to a place of safety, and then returned and
helped her husband out of the burning
building. Considerable comment was made
on the fact that the management made no
effort, TO give the alarm to its guests, and
it was only by luck that things came out
as well as they did
The fire lasted about two hours The COW
cred porches, which connected the pavilion
and Clifton houses with the Windsor, were
torn down and both buildings were saved.
The only water at hand was that obtained
by means of small hose used for sprinkling
the lawn. building known the club,
which was only a short distance from the
Windsor was also burned. 1t was stored
with dressed lumber. The origin of the fire
is supposed to be incendary as there had
been no fire in the dining room for two
weeks. The guests spent the remainder of
the night at West Baden Springs and at
Wells Hotel. Some of them did not go to
bed at all. The hotel contained 175 rooms
and had a capacity of about eight hundred
guests.
A dispatch from Louisville says: The
stock of the French Lick Springs Company
is owned almost exclusively by Louisville
people The president is Mr.. Samuel Ouer-
backer of the Ouerbacker-Gilm Conn.,
pany. The vice president is Mr.. w. S.
Wymond, of the Chess Wymond Company.
and the secretary and treasurer, Mr.. John
c. Howard. The stockholders are Messrs.
". w Thompson. d. w: sperry. E. H.
John Ouerbacker, j. M. Fetter w. w.
Compton, Stuart r. Knott, Lee Bloom, VIII
Gaulbert, John Doerhoefer and Mrs. Samuel
Ouerbacker, of LOUISVILLE Messrs. James
Duffy and George Pfau, of Jeffersonville,
and Mr.. George Overton, of Memphis. Mr..
Ouerbacker said this morning that the total
insurance on all the buildings was about
SIS OC0 He did not know how much of this
was placed on the Windsor. He said that
there was no suspicion of incendiarism in
the origin of the fire.