New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-20
THOUSANDS AT THE RUINS.
FIRE LINES HARD TO KEEP.
PART OF 4 WALL FALLS AND DAMAGES
ADJOINING HOUSE.
THE TWO CHIMNEYs BLOWN DOWN WITH
DYNAMITE WORK STILL
HAMPERED by THE HEAT IN THE
WRECK-NO BODIES YET FOUND
THOUGH SOME PROPERTY
HAS BEEN TAKEN OUT.

HAS BEEN TAKEN OUT.
II was To be expected that many thousands OF
people would take advantage Of Sunday TO visit
the ruins Of the Windsor Hotel. to view the
havoc wrought by Fridays terrible fire. The
crowds that gathered in the neighborhood Of the
burned hotel from early yesterday morning until
night were even greater In numbers than had
been looked for. The drizzing rain that fell dur
ing the greater part Of the day and the forbid
ding weather generally had little effect in keep
ing away the throngs. Thousands Of people
poured into the city by rail and ferry and dur
ing the afternoon so packed with sightseers were
Madison. Fifth and Sixth aves. that IT was pos
sibe almost to walk on their heads. and what
little they were enabled to see badly compen-
stated them for the trouble Of their Journey.
The police looked for a tremendous crowd yes
terday. and prepared for it accordingly. But
large as was the force Of policemen on duty. the
utmost difficulty at times was experienced In
keeping the pushing multitudes in check be-
cause Of the danger arising from the demolition
Of the walls and chimneys still standing the
fire lines were extended. No one who could not
show that he had some authority for passing the
rolice Gordon was allowed to approach nearer
the ruins in Fifth-ave. than Forty-fourth-st on
the south and Forty y-eighth-st. on the north'
The cross streets within these limits were also
kept cleared from Madison to Sixth-ave. Many
appeals, especially by women. were made 20 the
police for permission 70 obtain a closer view OF
the wrecked building. but without avail Chlel
Devorv himself personally took charge Of the
police arrangements, and his strict orders 'ha'
none but those provided with badges or working
on the ruins should be allowed to pass We're
strictly obeyed. For their own protection the
kpp q dis
tance from the danger zone As It was several
accidents occurred from falling glass and flying
bricks and in one instance n further fatality
was narrowly avoided
FATALITY NARROWLY AVOIDED.
This WAS at o'clock in the afternoon. For
some hours before three worImen We're engaged
in den,olshing the wall on the Forty -seventh-st.
side Of the hotel site adjoining the row Of pri-
,ato houses extending to Madison-ave. The
wall was the only one which the fire left stand
ing Bv means Of ladders from the roof OF the
adjoining house three men reached the top OF
the wall six stories high. and with picks ana
hammers were oosening the bricks The pos
slbilitv Of the wall falling menaced the search-
ers below and # had been ordered that so much
Of il should bee removed as would bring it level
with the abutting houses. Dynamite could not
he used to bring down the dangerous mass of
brick and mortar, because Of the certain destruc-
ton which would follow 70 the dwellings II
overhung Consequently the three workmen
were sent up to raze II with pick and hammer.
with no better foothold than a dozen inches or
so Of crumbllng masonry. n miss-step would
have meant instant death for any Of the men.
About . o'clock brisk wind arose. causing
the wall 20 sway to an alarming degree. The
rocking Mt length became marked that the
three men were ordered down from their peril
Gus positlon. and the searchers near by ceased
work Less than FIVE minutes later a huge por-
ton OF the upper part OF the wall fell with
report that was heard for blocks away. Tons
Of bricks went crashing through the roof Of the
house next door. 40. East Forty seventh-st..
utterly destroying the upper floors OF the dwell
Ing The house Is tenanted by Mr.. and Mrs.
s S Crowen. Fortunately no one was in II
at the time the police having forced the Oc-
cupants 10 leave the house on Friday. when IL
was threatened with destruction by the fire.
Chief Devery Is understood 10 have given the
order for the three wreckers to leave the wall
The exact extent Of the damage TO Mr.. Crowelrs
house could not be ascertained FOR the reason
that the wind was swaying the still standing
part Of the wall which threatened to fall at any
moment. No one was permitted to pass through
the street and residents Of the adjoining and
opposite dwellings were warned not to venture
out
HUNDREDS WORKING on THE RUINS.
The search for bodies Of victims who are
thought 20 be buried beneath the ruins was CON
tinued throughout Sunday night and yesterday
and will go on without break. The contractors
have employed the ruins three shifts Of four
hundred men. working eight hours each and to-
day the total number will be increased TO two
thousand men More progress made yes
terday in delving into the wreckage than on the
previous day but the mass Of fallen brick is
still verltable kiln Of redhot masonry and
smoulderlng beams. Now and again the over
turning Of layer of bricks would start an
outbreak Three engines still at work
playing on the debris from which smoke and
steam continued to Fse in such volumes as al
most to shut the workmen from sight
Up till a late hour last night not one body
had been recovered. despite the large number
Of men al work. large number OF miscel-
laneous articles. including a lot of jewery. had
been found and we're taken last night in police
patrol wagon 20 the East Fifty-frst-st sta
ton. While the searching operations will be
pushed forward az rapidly as possible. the con-
tractors think that it viii take two or three
days for the ruins to cool of sufficiently to al
low of any real excavation work. Attention
is being mostly devoted now TO the region where
the main entrance was situated with the idea
that people may have been stricken down by the
falling walls as they We're attempting 70 escape
from the building. Although many people
are reported as missing IT is not believed by
the police or by the hremen who were engaged
in fighting the fire that many bodies Will be
found The list Of missing Is gradually de-
crcasing. and intelligence was received yester-
dav of several people who were supposed 10
have perished.
The streets surrounding the hotel were cleared
Of debris yesterday Hundreds of carts were III
use carving away bricks and wreckage. 1t
.,.,t ,aze uraaks however before the site be