The evening times., 1899-07-28
FLAMES IN AN OLD HOTEL.
Smith 4 McNeill's Narrowly Escapes
Destruction.

destruction.
New York, July 1s-Smith & McNeli's
Hotel, in Greenwich Street, which for near
ly half century has been landmark In
the lower part of the city, narrowly es-
capped destruction by fire yesterday after
noon.
Policeman Frank A. DriscoIl. of the Mac
dougal Street station, who happened to be
ing from the roof on the Greenwich Street
side at fiva minutes after IL O'Clock, and
turned in an alarm
AT the time the upper floors of the hotel
were deserted save by the servants. OF
these many girls who were employed at
night were asleep in the servants quart
ers, In a four-story brick extension, which
ruEs through to yesey Street. Most of
these seized what clothing they could lay
their hands on and made dash for the
stairs. A dozen or so. however who were
half suffocated by the smoke, gave way 10
| panic and were unable to make any effort
to save themselves.
TIE restaui on the first and second
floors were crb-ded with customers. Soma
of these became alarmed and ran to the
street. but the great majority refused to be-
lieve that there was any danger and quietly
kept their seats.
While lines of hose were run into the
building on the Greenwich and Vesey Street
sides, fireman ran up the escapes to rescue
the women who had taken refuge on the
roof. On their way up they were met BY
Thomas Donovan. an remploye OF the Postal
Telegraph Company and Albert Kramer
OF Washington Market who were assisting
Nora Breen and Mary Hussey down the es-
capes The women were in a fainting con-
dition, but reached the street unhurt.
Nellie Hurley, laundress, was found in
room on the top floor overcome by smoke
and was carried to the street by fireman
| who was assisted by Harry Striker, OF
| Washington Market. She was attended to
! by physician, who refused to give his
| name. and she was taken away by friends.
| Among those who were reused from sleep
! by the flames was Nellie Sullivan, a girl
| employed in the kitchen. She was found
on the third floor by Roundsman Mitchell.
of the Church Street station, helpless from
| fright and suffering from severe burns on
| the breast and arms. In her frenzy she
resisted her rescuer. who was obliged to
| drag her through smoke and flames to a
! window on the Vesey Street side, from
which she was handed down ladder and
taken to the Hudson Street Hospital in an
ambulance Two other girls who were
/ hysterical from fright were also taken
out of the Vesey Street wing and removed
| to the hospital.
! Great bravery was shown by the wait
resses who were at work in the restaurant
of the second floor. One of these, who re-
| fused to give her name, was said to be
Mrs. Irene Bush. the champion 4co-miie
! bicyclist She and Emma Stroder rescued
another waitress named Mary Murphy. who
had become hysterical. and carried her In
! their arms across the street to store,
| where she soon revived.
| Two other mattresses. Louise Shaugh-
messy and Jennie Murphy, discovered fam
ing brands falling down the dumb waiter
shaft. and extinguished them with pitchers
! of ice water which they took from the
tables. In doing so Miss Shaughnessy was
painfully burned about the hands, but went
on brayely with her work as If nothing had
happened
! Florence McCabe tainted in the rush
| down the stairs, and would probably have
/ been suffocated had she not been found
/ by Tillie Mccarthy and Agnes Moioney.
| mattresses, who picked her up in their
arms and carried her to the street.
While the work of rescue was going on
! the fremen made short work of the flames,
| which had spread from the laundry to
the two upper floors of the Vesey Street
| wing. These and the laundry were COM
pletely destroyed but the flames were con-
fined TO these portions of the house. al
though the whole structure was pretty
thoroughly flooded with water.
The damage to the house probably does
not exceed $4,000, including the machinery
in the laundry. which was entirely de-
stroyed. The house was thoroughly in
sured Just what caused the fire is not
known and may never be discovered. 1t
is suspected that it may have originated
| from an overheated steam pipe running
/ from the laundry.
The hotel covers the greater part OF the
block bounded by Greenwich, Washington,
Vesey. and Fulton Streets. and is one OF
the oldest in the city. 1t was established
I i,