The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-03-21
THE WINDSOR HOTEL FIRE
The Dead So Far Accounted for Num-.
ber sixteen. With Sfxty.Six Missing
and Fifty Seven Wounded-Immeu ems e
Amount Of Valuable Lost
PURE

Amount Of vaisablss Lost
New York, March 1s.-Through the
incessant rain today, their efforts hin
dered by a choking smoke that arose
from the half Quenched ruins, more
than 200 men from the building, police
and fire departments sought, but with
only half satisfying results, for bodies
Of persons believed to have perished
in yesterdays fire at the Windsor no
tel. Most of the time the smoke was
so dense that the workmen could
scarcely see their hands before their
faces and the heat from the mass of
debris, glowing red in places, held the
rescuers almost beyond its limits.
Besides, the remnants of the walls
left standing were so shaky and threat
ening that it would have been danger
Gus to allow the men to work about
the mass of riveted iron and brick.
Efforts were concentrated on clearing
away the debris, removing weak walls,
drilling the chimneys and other parts
of the walls for blasting, and making
the way safe for the men to dig in the
ruins for the bodies.
No bodies were taken from the
seething mass of ruins today. The Ia
test estimate tonight is sixteen dead,
sixty-six missing and fifty-seven in
jured. 1t is believed the men will be
able to proceed with the gruesome
search tomorrow with more satisfac-
tory results. Several fire engines had
kept their stations all night long
| throwing heavy streams of water on
| the ruins. Occasionally mass of
| flame would struggle up from some un-
noticed spot like a bubble and burst
away as the streams were played on
| it. Through the day explosions Of gas
| punctuated the continual pumping
| sound of the engines.
| Warren F. Leland, the proprietor of
/ the Windsor, had somewhat recovered
today, but was still in feeble condi-
! tion. He is as yet unable tosaccouni
for the origin of the fire.
1t was learned today that Elbridge
T. Gerry had the building and the fur
niture that belonged to the hotel fully
insured, and even the annual rental
for which he Unidentified himself with
policies aggregationg $4,000. Mr.. Ger.
| ry carried policies aggregating $685.
900 on the building and had insurance
for 100000 on the furnishings. In ad.
dition to this, Mr.. Leland had policies
aggregating 100000 on his own fur.
niture in the hotel. Most of the poll
cies that covered the hotel were writ
ten with corporations that have theil
main offices in other states than New
York.
No estimate can be made of the
precio metal and gems which hav,
withstood the flames and lie hidder
in the embers and wreckage of thu
great hotel. One family lost jewelr!
valued at 100000, and the total viii
run up somewhere near 81, 900, 900
How much has been picked up ant
carried away can never be known, no.
can all ever be recovered.
Mrs. Nancy Kirk, who lost her life
and her daughter, Mrs. Mary Kirl
Haskins, had the family jewels, valued
at more than 100000 with them
There were scores of other wealth,
families who lived in the hotel ant
who lost jewels worth thousands o
dollars
The dead SO far ascertained numbe
sixteen.
Archibald Clavering Gunter, thu
we'll known no. elist, was patron o
the Windsor hotel and it Is fearet
that he lost his life, with his child.
Colonel Thomas Ochiltree said to
night: "Mr. Gunter was in my apart
ments al hour before the fire and
have no doubt that his body will b,
discovered in the ruins Of the hotel
He was a very large stout man an'
was a constant sufferer from asthm;
and would find it difficult to make hi
escape through the smoke"