Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-03-19

Dung Leland worked ID the Sloic-looHl
Of his uncles' hotel. receiving goods from
the dealers and doing them out 10 the
servants. In 1865 he opened the Leland
House. in Springfield. ILL., In 1861 he as
sumed charge of the De,avan House. Al
bany. with his brothers. Charles and
LENS Leland.
NET SUCCESS IN CHICAGO.
The fame Of the Delcvan is history. but
i'm 1889 Mr.. Leland was tempted 10 30 10
Chicago. where he bought the Garden
House and made such a success Of II that
ten years later he sold out his interest
for 81 ,Oo000) cash.
With fortune idlcness seemed easy,
but Leland would have none Of It. for
when the Chicago Fair was preached Le-
| land influences were again at work. tie
/ was not only instrumental in taking the
| fair TO Chicago, but helped 10 preserve the
| lake front from the encroachments Of rail-
roads. and while conducting the Chicago
Beach Hotel made $4,000 in four months.
/ FIRE APPLIANCES LACKING.
When Mr. Leland was selected by Mr..
! Gerry 70 take charge of the WINDSOR
| Hotel he received encouragement to I'M
prove the building ana modernize 1t In
/ many ways; but, unfortunately, MS I'M
! provements did not run to firc-escapes,
/ automatic alarms, supposed 10 AWAKEN
! the DtllOIN at ANY ilONl VI AiaN h'r'''f -
appliances for preventing and extinguish-
ing fires.
Strange as il may seem. there has been
, n steady hotel objection To fire escapes OF
every kind The ropes required AT the
| windows were denounced as nuisance
| and 10y many hotel men considered unne-
! cessary and were only placed there De
/ cause required 10y law. II has long beeh
. the boast of hotel experts. especially when
fI.s Qifffi 0f1lf
] ings. that the safety Of a hotel from ne
Law i'm vigilant watch kept on the DIFF
/ fercnt floors.
Years ago. when Herald reporters can
/ vasscd the city i'm regard 10 the general
/ observance of the hre-escape law, a ma
! iority of the hotel proprietors said that
! il was impossible for any first-ciass hotei
/ TO burn with an adequate force OF "atCh-
J men on duty-at least with one parolling
/ each floor
The subject Of much discussion in the
big hotels last night was that the Wind
sor burst into fame. and escape was cut
off I'm many cases. at midday with every
man supposed to be at his post. the ire-
4 appliances i'm working order. and plenty or
D. strong men about the hotel TO eXtingush
fire or assist patrons 10 escape.
THRILLING INCIDENTS.
New York Tribune)
Albert Johnson. who is in Commissioner
Bradys Office was in one of the nrst
carriages in the St-Patrick's Day parade
/ yesterday. and reached the windsor Just
as the first cry of fire went up. lie jump
cd out of his carriage and ran toward the
hotel. and was caught i'm the rush. Inc
police soon forced the crowd back, but
! before they did Mr. Johnson saw a thrill
ing and horrible scene. when / came
uDr he said. "a woman appeared at one
OF the windows on the sixth floor and
started 90 climb out 4 hoarse shout
went up from the crowd for her to stay
| whore she was. She disreSarded this ana
sprang out straight. As she ala 50 SUD
den hush came over the thousands. II
| seemed as if no one breathed. We So"
her plunge straight down with her clothes
ulshod up by the descent so that her face
v-as not visible Then came sickening
J crilncb as she struck the ground, and
like a dull wave deep groan ran all
through the crowd. She was carried away
by hremen.
81 saw a man climb out on the trees
cape on the sixth floor and fan on ana
strike every landing all the way down.
He did not seem to have whole bone
left in his body. lie, too was carried
away .,,-
one Of the neryiest things recorded of
the fire was the action Of a man VINO
had rooms on the fifth floor on the Forty
sixth-street side. lie was in the room
with his wife and two children. lie OPEN
ed his door and found the hall Hooded
with flame. lie shut the door, and, tax
ing one of the ropes in the room care
| fully tied ii around the waist OF MS
vouneest child and let it carefully down
10 the street. At the bottom eager hands
unknotted the rope which was hurrledly
ldrawn up again. Then the second chliu
came down the same way. Then the Wo-
man followed. and for the last Tune the
rope was drawn up. Little bits OF hame
began TO appear at the window Inc man
carefully tied the rope TO fixture IN the
room. covered his hands with towel
and then twisting the rope around ms
leg. slid down like circus performer. lie
WAS greeted with "a cheer and hardy
had he reached the ground before me
flames reached out. and with one lick
parted the rope down which he had ira
yelled.