The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1899-03-22
LIVES LOST IN A BURNING HOTEL.
THE WINDSOR. DESTROYED.



Fire broke out In the Windsor hotel,
New York, last Friday afternoon
While thousands of people were view
Ing the st. Patrick's Day parade from
the windows and balconies the cry OF
fire" rang through the corridors. In
a moment the building was whirl-
wind of fame. The engines reached
the hotel with difficulty so dense was
the crowd.
Thus far sixteen persons were killed
in the fire and a number are stili un-
accounted for. The dead:
Connolly, John. Flanagan, Kate, Glib
son, Mrs. Addie. Goodman, Eleanor
Louise. Grandy, Miss Lasalles, OF
Elizabeth City. N c., Henry Mrs
Mehitable, Kirk. Nancy Ann. aged 49,
widow of James S. Kirk soap manu-
facturer, of Chicago; Leland, Mrs.
Warren. wife of the proprietor of the
hotel; Leland Miss Helen, daughter
of proprietor of hotel; Paddock. Anne
liza, Sullivan, Mary, unknown woman,
who Jumped from Fifth avenue WIN
dow. died at Helen Goulds home; un-
known man, jumped from roof at rear
of hotel, body not recovered; unknown
woman. mother of child, jumped from
The hospital reports as to the injured
are most favorable. Most of the pa
tients are improving. Some OF them
were able to leave the hospital and
others will be discharged in few
days.
There was the widest scene of ex-
element within and without the
building. Hundreds of guests and
employees were in the hotel when the
fire broke out, and for many of them
escape with safety was impossible.
Probably from ten to fifteen lives were
lost within half hour. and thirty or
forty persons were injured In jumping
from windows and in rushing through
the roaring flames in the corridors and
on the stairways. Many who were in
jured died later at nearby residences
and at hospitals. and others who
made wild leaps to the stone Sidewalks
were so badly injured that they are
still lowering between life and death.
Soon after the first alarm was given
people in the lower floors of the hotel,
those who had easy access TO the
street and stairway, commenced to
pour out of the building in great
numbers, but IL very soon became ap-
parent that a great majority of the
occupants of the hotel were either
panic-stricken or unable to make their
way to the ground floor.
Windows were thrown UP on every
side of the building and guests, most
ly women, in all stages of terror, made
their appearance and uttered frantic
appeals for assistance to the crowd be-
low. As the flames gathered about
them they became more and more
terror-stricken. and presently some or
them stood upon the narrow window
slls and beckoned to the spectators
that they were about to leap.
MI. tAl 10 eli
walks ready to render any assistance
they could, and in the meantime some
of the women left the window-sllls
and dropped TO the streets. In most
instances the efforts to catch them
and break their awful fall were un-
availing. for they struck the sidewalk,
and in most cases broken limbs were
the result. AS soon as the fremen
could get their scaling ladders into
position they climbed the sides of the
building and entered at every window
where ther was an unfortunate guest
appealing for assistance, and many
cases of heroic rescue were witnessed
by the throng in the streets.
At the corner of Forty-seventh
street and Fifth avenue, directly
across from the hotel. is the home of
Miss Helen Gould, and at her direction
many of the injured were carried
there and We're treated by physicians
and nurses whom she had sent for.
The first horror occurred just 10
minutes after the fire broke out. a
handsome woman appeared at the
window of a room on the fourth floor
She held out her arms to the crowd
below. Then she raised her hands as
IL in supplication. and in moment
climbed to the window and leaped.
She turned about like n top and
struck the iron railing i'm front OF the
hotel. Her body seemed TO be impaled
there, but 1t fell off and into the area
way. She was dead. The woman was
identified as Mrs. Amelia Paddock, of
Irvington, N. Y.
The Presidents brother, Abner Nc
Kinley. who with his family lived at
the hotel escaped uninjured. but lost
all of his effects.
The loss of the fire is estimated
roughly at $1,000.0OO. The building
was valued at s350.000. Tho loss on
the contents of the building is almost
complete. The salvage men managed
to save $4,000 worth of paintings on
the first floor of the hotel
Many of the guests who lived at the
Windsor lost valuable jewelry and
bric-a-brac and furnishings, among
them being II. +. Flower, a nephew of
Ex-Governor Flower. who. among
other things. lost a package Of jewelry
valued at Sb,UUO. Inc WlnusOr was
owned by Elbridge T. Gerry. There
was 100000 insurance on the building
and $4,000 on the contents.
President Mckinley. when in New
York, always stopped at the Windsor.
suspicion became current Monday
that the fire was the work of thieves.
Many of the guests who had lost dear
friends and all their valuabes openly
declared that thieves had set the big
hotel on fire for the purpose of Great
ing a panic and looting the rooms. The
police were investigating these stories
very closely and questioning the four
men now under arrest. The police say
that there must be at least 30 bodies
in the ruins.
Elbridge T. Gerry had insurance ag-
gregating $4,000 on the Hotel Winds
or and s120000 on its furniture. War
rem Leland, the proprietor had $780,
600 insurance. 1t Is estimated that 81,
100000 was lost In jewelry belonging
to people living at the hotel.