The San Francisco call., 1899-03-18

NEW TOR, March 17.-Flames which
originated from the igniting OF lace
curtain burst forth from the second
floor Of the Windsor Hotel, at Forty
seventh street and Fifth avenue, short
II after o'clock this afternoon, just
as the St Patrick's day parade was
passing the building, and in a few mo-
ments they had leaped TO the roof and
enveIoped the entire Fifth avenue and
Forty-seventh street fronts Of the no
lei
Ten minutes later the flames were
roaring through the interior OF the no
tel. and all escape by means Of stair
v-avs and elevators was cut of. There
was the widest scene of excitement.
Hundreds OF guests and employees
were in the hotel when the fire broke
out. and for many of them escape was
impossible. Probably from ren to flf
teen lives were lost within half an hour,
and from thirty to forty persons were
injured by jumping from windows and
rushing through the roaring flames in
the corridors and on the stairways-
MANY who were injured died later in
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 It may be twenty-four
hours or. more before the complete list
IF fatalities becomes known, and it will
he longer than that before it can be as
car-ained definitely how many charred
bodies are in the mass Of fallen ma
sonrv that marks the spot where the
hotel stood.
The flames could not be checked and
in two hours from the time the fire
broke out the entire structure was IN
ruins and the streets on three sides of
rhe building were filed with debris
from fallen walls and chimneys, while
the streams Of water being poured upon
the interior Of the ruins had no other
effect than to fill the air with clouds
Of scaIding steam, making it impossl-
bic for any one 70 approach near
anough. 10 search for the bodies Of those
who perished.
The fire was the most spectacular
that could be imagined When 1t broke
o1.t Fifth avenue was crowded with
1e0nIe watching the St Patrick's day
uarada. and every window N the 'front.'
Of the hotel facing Fifth avenue was
filed with spectators.
A. soon as the flames were ulScOF-
erad shooting from the windows, tha[
part Of the procession which was near
he building came to na1t, anu III d
few minutes the parade was dlsodHded'
for the police came rusnlnS Io"dLu CAle
IRE from every direction anu "neLe
-ba-- we're able drove the people from
-. straAts one fire alarm after an
C-rar vas turned in The engines
.,.s11sed a wild scramble among the pa
"a dArs and spectators as they ruSIleu
along the street and fell into position
for service. ..
tbe hotel the windows were crowded Dy
. Iarre numb Of spectators, residents
of this city. who had congregated tnefe
TO witness the parade.
soon after the first alarm was gwen
nsoDIa in the lower floors OF the hotel,
tbosa who had easy access to the street
and the stairway commence - --l Poui
osI+ of the building in great numbers,
mn ir very soon became apparent thaI
. great majority OF the occupants OF
r. hotel were either panic stricken OF
unable 10 make their way TO the ground
floor. a,-er,-
windows were thrown up on eNeLS
side 0f tbe building, and guests most
~ 1z-oroAn in all stages Of terror, naade
rhair aDpearauce and uttered Irdnuc
e7,raa1r for q assistance to the crowd De
-, AZ the flames gathered bout
them they became more ana LIole teL
rCr stricken and presently sOitle o1 1ii'Il.i -
stood upon the narrow WlhdoW ts sLils
and oacxOned 70 the spectators thaI
tbe,- we're about TO leap. The men col
Iected on the sidewalks ready to rem
der any assistance they could, and IN
the meantime some Of the women Ieft
the window siIls and dropped 70 tne
street. In most instances the efIofts
TO catch them and break thelr aMLIl il
fan we're unavafIfng, for they struck
the sidewalk and in most cases broken
Iir1rbs We're 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 Win
dow where there was an unfortunate
guest appealing for assistance, ana