New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-20
HOW SOME GUESTS ESCAPED.
MRS. JAMES BRANDS REMARKABLE
PRESENCE OF MIND.
SAFE CONTAINING JEWELS VALUED AT $4,000
LOST IN THE FI.AMEs-woRK OF AN
INCENDIARY SUGGESTED


In the confusion following the fire it was re-
ported by the police that inquiries had been
made for James Brand. They really were made
for his widow who was n guest AT the windsor
She is safe the Hotel Savoy but her escape
was narrow and her rescue was due largely to
her great GOODNESS in the face of imminent peril
Mr7. Brand is sixty years old, yet her conduct
won much praise from the fremen who saved
her. and she made remarkable contrast with
the other women who were in like danger.
Her room was on the hfth-floor, al the Forty
seventh-st. corner looking out Fifth-ave.
She WAS watching the parade when she first per
coived that the hotel was on fire Finding that
the corridors were already full Of flame. she
calmly shut the door Of her room and signalled
TO those in tho street for aid Before long the
nremen placed a ladder against the window Of
an adjoining room, and two oc them made their
way from that room into Mrs. Brands room.
AS they opened her door and rushed in flames
came in with them The old lady stand
ing there. calm as a statue. Throw ing a blanket
over her head the hremen carried her through a
part Of the burning corridor TO the window
where the ladder was. and. aided greatly by Mrs.
Brand who did not once lose her presence Of
mind soon carried her down in safety to the
street
Joseph Haworth the actor who was reported
at the Lambs to he among the missing windsor
Hotel guests. is ut Atlantic City
SAFE WITH JEWELS LOST.
A. p Demorest entered the East Fifty-hrst-st
station shortly after noon yesterday. and told
Acting Captain I.antry that he had small safe
filed with Jewels walked at $4,000. in the ruins
Of the fire. He his wife and his daughter and
son occupied rooms 800. 321 and 323 Of the
hotel on the third floor. Fifth-ave and
Forty-seventh-st. They were all in their rooms
when the fire occurred. His wife went to the
drawing room and opened the door for some
reason. and was met by dense volume Of
smoke. Up TO that time there had been no
alarm although there was fire alarm I'm the
drawing room near the door. Mr.. Demorest
was bitter in his criticism of what he called
negligence Of the employees. His wife quickly
shut the door and apprised the rest Of the family
OF the fire
The daughter went to a small safe containing
the jewelry and tried to open It, hut failed for
getting the combination in her excitement. Mr..
Demorest said that all this time the flames in
creased and the room becoming filed with
smoke He opened the door and saw that the
hotel would soon ne destroyed He saw three
men. he says rushing about in the smoke and
I
he was certain they were not employees. He
thinks they were robbers. He then shut the
door and he and his family went out on the fire
escape and were helped down by the hremen.
Mr.. Demorest was sure that the safe would re-
slst the action Of the heat
Mr. Demorest said that he had a parrot Of
which the family was proud They had placed
the parrot in the window 50 that it might catch
some Of the tunes the parade went by. He
forgot all about the parrot and after he escaped
he stood at Forty-seventh-st. and Fifth-ave
and watched the bird. II was twenty minutes
before the flames reached the bird which was
! talking and whistng all the time Finally
big cloud OF smoke and flame came out Of the
window and then the parrot disappeared
SAYS HE SAVED MKINLEY JEWELS
II reported that Mrs. Abner Mckinley
! had lost great deal Of jewelry Thomas Cleary.
/ Of No oil Third-ave. called on Inspector Har
lev and said that at the time of the fire he was
near the hotel. He rushed into the hallway and
assisted woman out. and he afterward ascer-
tanned that she was Mrs Abner Mckinley He
/ took her to the street and put her in a cab Mrs
Mckinley told him that she had dropped a bag
containing some tewelry He ran back and got
the bag and gave 1t to Mrs Mckinley and she
drove TO No. IL East Forty-sixth-st. and after
ward to the Manhattan Hotel. Inspector Harley
held Cleary to verify the story They went to
the Manhattan Hotel. but Mrs. Mckinley was
not in.
A. NJ. Fuller. Of PittsbNrg. is at the Manhat-
tan Hotel His wife. who was dangerously
burned in the fire. is also AZ the Manhattan in
/ a precarious condition. and with a physician in
constant attendance. His daughter Miss Mar
garet Fuller. and Mrs Fullers sister Nancy
| Bradley probably persisted in the flames and
7 their bodies have not been found
/ THINKS THIEVES STARTED THE FLAMES
Mr. Fuller is bitter against the hotel manage
+ ment and employees. and seems to think the
rapid spread of the flames was due In part AZ
least to the lack Of discipline Of the hotel ON
poyes He also said that tho fire must have
been started by an incendiary. with robbery FOR
the motive
My wife an invalid. and had been under
her physicians for six weeks" said Mr.
Fuller last night. in describing his experience
she had a room the fourth floor NV
daughter was studying music. and. to avoid
annoying her mother she took room on the
sixth floor. Mrs Bradley took room en- suite
with my daughter.
Il had finished my dinner and stepped down
into the lobby 20 get afternoon paper
heard the music Of the bands I'm the passne
parade Then / looked around the lobby and
surprised TO find ii deserted. not an en-
ploye being in sight. I thought that thry had
been attracted from their posts by the passing
snow and paid little attention 20 II. when
heard the cry of Fire. FIRE. and 4 woman
in the livery Of female employc ran by me
No other person was in sight
Il was only few feet from the elevator and
tried to get to 1t. but already found tongues OF