New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-18
and that other engines and ladder ,ru,..

and that other engines and ladder tr,cr.
dashng from every direction in re,ns. ~ns
other alarms which were sent in. Inaa..A
panic prevailed inside the hotel. and 'sols
women were jumping to their death and
minutes after the first alarm had hoo, H's
with such fearful rapidly did the fire .n m'n
that score Of inmates Of the hotel had ,, ,..sa
from the windows and fallen, some Of tb.,
the heads Of the people below. beating ,h.,. VI
the ground. While the ladders were being u.,''
up for the rescue Of those who were ,,u,s
plteously for help. two women Jumped ,,o,. "s
upper floor One landed on a bit Of gr.sr.~a
and although badly hurt. was not nor,su. ~
jured, as was the one who followed ana s.
the pavement shatterlng almost every 49,.
her body Even While the tall ladders IT,.
the incline in front OF the building nrenosr w
already rushing up the rungs. As they y...,'
the windows cheer after cheer rose fro,. y,
multltudes within sight Of the blazing ~
In the efforts Of the nremen many people Wa.
saved from death only by heroic exertons
GALLANT WORK OF FIREMEy
The fire fighters behaved superbly. VIII
bravery that in more than one case ,nyo,v..
the risk Of their own lives. they brought a..
to safety women and children whom ,rgs.
had made entirely helpless. The hremep w...
nobly aided by policemen and many clyIli,,.
But despite their splendid endeavors It wa. g.
possible 10 succor all, and. when a little bs,,,.
4 o'clock. the walls began falling In. II Va,
known that there were buried beneath thor, -
bodies OF many people. the exact number :.
which will probably not be known for san.
time. If ever.
WHEN THE Sun WENT DOWN
The spectacle presented at shutdown was A..
never TO be forgotten. The wind had died dow,
so that the smoke lowered over the ruins IN.
huge yellow and black blanket. Now and th,r
current of air would swirl the smoke ax,v
and then would be revealed the ghostly an
hordered towers Of brick left standing within n.
walls Of the ruined building. There were peprv
of spectators inside the fire lines. and some !,
these commented in ierky and hystercal va,
on the tragedy whose closing scenes they We,
witnessing.
do you see that battered steel chimney sjet
ing out of the brick like the crane projects,
from the wreck OF the Maine in Havana Har
bor?" said a wel-dressed man. Well a60g,
four feet down under that pile Of brick the 6r.
men will find tall woman, with blonde hal,
with no dress waist on. She climbed along n,
front OF the hotel clingng 10 the window-ledgss
on the fourth floor Il few seconds before ths
wall fell over. and then she jumped out and tel
Before she could be moved the wall began 70
| bulge and her tomb IS just about the base q
! that steel chimney"
As night came on the lights began TO appea,
/ up and down the aYenUe-and such variety
of lights, There was the angry red and yellow
| blaze, inside the ruins. and through the smoke
shone the bright white electric street lights
Thcn the firemen lighted big oil torches 10 tsclI.
tate their work during the long night while the
tireless streams Of water from Wheeling en-.
/ gines were cooling the redh0t ruins Now ;ri
then would occur an explosion deep in the pls
of wreckage and then perhaps a barn q
| Windsor Hotel liquor or carboy Of chemas
! would lend blue or pink or green hue 10 he
! blaze II was a constantly changing eXhibam
| in pyrotechnics. and the people who craned their
| heads and pushed each other to get closer 70
the fire line never tired Of the spectacle.
QUEER FEATURES OF THE FIRE
One Of the freak features Of the fire was
the tremendous fling given to some Of the pieces
of the front wall when it fell over into Fifth.
ave- block CT brownstone weighing seven o,
eight hundred pounds vas thrown on TO the
asphalt in Forty-sixth-st. and rolled 100 feet
I'm Forty-sixth-st. toward SiXth-ave. Its sides
were Clipped and cracked from the force OF Il,
fall and it presented a stranded look separated
az it was from the great mass Of bricks ant
mortar which covered Fifth-aye. to a depth o.
ten feet.
George Vassar's Son & Co, builders had
wooden tool shanty in Ftfth-aye.. and brick
and stone fell around II. some Of them dashIns
through the area windows OF the brownsons
houses opposite But the shanty went through
II all unframed.
POLITICIANS DISCUSS THE FIRE
Many men at the Democratic Club last even.
ing had been witnesses OF the fire. and they
gathered in groups and talked about the caam'
ity to the exclusion Of politics. Among them
was Richard Croker. Mayor Van Wyck am
John F. Carroll. who expressed sorrow over IN
, Shocking disaster, but said they could make q
criticisms The Mayor said: 4 can hard.
understand yet how such a terrible loss OF Il;
: could occur in the hotel in the daytime
seems Impossible 10 provide against great los
, Of life by such fires"