The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1899-03-24
Little Progress, Made in Remov.
ing the Debris From the
Ruins Of the Hotel.
Abner Mckinicy's Family. Who Were
Guests Of the Hotel. Mirac.
uously Escaped,
bsring K.scuc.. PROM Window. to Death,
scenes Of Hrartrcndtng Intensity
Described Financial Los. Of
Almost On. million Dot
tats on Hotel

NV ioRE, March 10 Flames which
originated from the iguiting of a lace
curtain burst forth from the second
foor Of the Windsor hotel at nth
street and fifth avenue. shortly after
o'clock Friday afternoon, Just ~ tho
~. PatricA's day parade was passing
the building and in few moments
they had lcapcd up To the roof
and cuvclopcd the entire Fifth
avenue aud s7th street fronts
Of ihc hotel Ten minutes later
the flames were roaring through the
interior Of thc hotel. aud all escape
by means Of stairwAys and elevators
was rut on. There was the widest
scene al excitement within aud with
out the binding. Hundred Of guests
aud employees we're IN the hotel when
the tirc broke out, and Tor many of
them 10 escape with safety was impo>-
slble.
Soon after the first alarm was given
people In the lower noors Of the hotel.
those who bad easy access to the street
and the stairway, commenced to pour
out Of the building in great numbers.
bu, II soon became very apparent that
n great majority Of the occupants
OF the hotel were either panic
stricken or unable 10 make
their way To- the ground door.
Windows were thrown up ON every
eide Of the building and the gurktA
mostly women. Ia nil stages OF terror.
made their appearance and uttered
frantic appeals for assistance to the
crowd below. As the flames gathered
about them they became more and
more terror stricken. aud presently
some of them stood upon the narrow
window stills aud bcckoncd to the spec
tators that they were about 10 leap.
The men collected upon the sidewalks
ready 20 render any assistance they
could. and Ia the meantime some of
thc women left the window sillS and
dropped To the streets la most in,
stances the efforts TO catch them and
break their full fall were unavailing.
for they struck the sidewalk and IN
most cases broken limbs were the re-
suit.
A. soon as the frcmcn could get
their scaling ladders into position they
climbed the sides OF the building and
entered at every window where there
was an unfortunate guest appealing
for assistance, and many cases az lac.
role rescue were witnessed by the
throng In the streets At the corner of
S5th street and 9TH avenue, directly
across from the hotel is the home OF
Miss Helen Gould, aud at her dircc-
ton many OF the injured were
carried there and were treated by
physicians aud nurses whom she had
sent for. In the meantime the chief of
police had telcphoncd To every hospital
In tho city, asking that assistance he
sent. Ambulapces forced their way
through the crowds as quickly as pos
siblc and the injured people who had
made tho frigh,fu leaps from the hotel
windows were placed in them and re.
moved to the hosp tails. Several occu-
pants Of the hotel appeared at the win
dows Of the sixth and seventh stories
and even on the roof AMI lcapcd to the
streets from those points
Very few of them escaped either in.
slant death pr injuries which resulted
In their death n short time later.
One of the most daring rescues Of.
fccted by the frcmcn occurred on the
fifth floor on the 5th avenue front.
An elderly woman was seen at win
dow and two 6rcmcn succeeded in
reaching the window Immediately un.
derneath One of them climbed To the
coping of the window on which she was
standing and then swung the woman
clear Of the window and landed her
safe in the arms of his companion, who
with the assistance of several other
frcmen, passed her down to the street.
The first horror occurred just Is
minutes after tho FIRE broke out. A
handsome woman appeared at the win
dow of room on the fourth floor She
held out her arms TO the crown below.
Then she raised her hands as IL in sup
plication. and in moment climbed to
the window and leaped. She turned
about like a top and struck the iron
railing in front of the hotel. Her body
seem "a be impaled there, but fell on