Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-03-19

as he got within reach. LADDER was
soon placed under the window, ana 'hs
nurse followed him with satchei anu
some children's clothing.
MANY FAILED TO Use THE ROPES
Many comments were heard In the city
last night upon the failure OF the ordinary
life-saving appliances which are required
In every hotel not nre-proof TO prevent
SO shocking loss Of life at the WINDSOR
Hotel The law requires that In every
hotel which Is not up 10 the ire-prooi
standard there shall be kept ready TOT
use at all times rope i'm every sleeping
room; that the rope shall be long enough
TO reach between the ground and the
window OF the room. and that II shall be
so placed near the window that II can DC
used quickly as a means OF escape III
case OF FIRE. The law II 50 explicit mat
the only substitutes for ropes IN the
rooms must be other safety appliances,
TO be approved by the Fire Department
and IL is made the duty Of the department
TO inspect hotels regularly and see that
the law is complied with at every hotel.
a severe penalty, in the shape oil a me lor
every failure to comply with the law Is
nrovided for In the law. Opposition 10
the law was manifested by many hote'
nronrieiors in the city several years ago
when IL went into effect but all the pro
nrietors were compelled TO comply Win
the regulations.
ROPE IN EVERY ROOM.
Official of the Fire Department sai- iast
night that they had no doubt there was a
rope in every sleeping room OF the WIND
sor Hotel yesterday when the IRE D'oke
ont II was known that many ropes were
used as means OF escape with success put
some tried the ropes only TO lose hoiu
Of them and drop helpless TO the size walk
while others who might have used the
ropos forgot all about them in the eNcl.e-
mcnt and danger and jumped from lllo
windovs Some OF the victims OF the lic
probably did not have the strehs'n %
courage TO try 20 let themselves uo"H
10 the ground by means OF rope ~ "a
If they knew the ropes were wl'h'h '"e"
reach. ,,..,,,
There are miles of rope in the fith-
Avenue Hotel and in other hotels fronting
unon Madison Square, and the proprietors
who have complied with the law were
saving last night that they hoped there
you'd never be occasion TO use thehl'
The means Of spreading warning OF dah-
ger quickly in case OF fire Is reneu upon
In nrovent loss of lie. At the HOFFMAN
uoI,sa II was said last night that the
largest part Of the hotel was oil hloucl
dr,-proof construction. ana hie-'91'
ana ropcs were required only III 'iie Wv
mart of the hotel fronting on b'odN" -
| The high. modern fircproof hoteis az '0'
required to have the saIeiy app,la''e
4 WARNING UNHEEDED?
Miss Helen Gould, who has proved her-
self a public benefacuess on nuineI ous
occasions lately, was again 10 'He loi ,
Yesterday. The old Jay Could nome az
/ 10 . cast Forty-seventh street, is OF
| ~ Dortbcast corner Of Fifth avenue
| directly opposte the Windsor Hotel. MISE
! Gould's butler said that he was stahu
inc ON the front steps OF the house wher
he noticed flames in one Of the WINDOWS
! Of tho Windsor. lie rushed across the
street and into the hotel and called ou
hreathlesslv TO the clerk behind I'M
counter: "The hotel is on hre. for pou
sake warn the guests .. -,
According 10 the buffers story, IN
clerk surveyed him calmly ana ans"eIeu
"rhe - il is" The butler said he thel
called out TO as many persons as poSsipl
that the hotel was burning ana that the'
should fly for their lives.
As soon as Miss Gould learned that som
Of the guests were injured OF kilieu, 81
threw open her home TO receive those il
| distress.
Bring anybody who needs help sh
cried out excitedly. I'm turn the Whol
house into hospital If necessary.
MISS GOULDS AID.
Civ women who were injured were car
rled into the house. and then one VIII
was dead. Miss Gould was visibly affect
ed hit controlled herself. and al once Sc
about doing what she could to mitigat
the suffering She repeated her wiling
! ness TO make room for as many person
as needed the care she could give, an
from time to time the police or IRENE
carried in a sufferer. When the hotei wa
on the Forty-siXth-street side fell, blazn
Goals and debris were thrown all over IN
| Gould house, setting il on fire ON IN
| south side. There was momentary panic
and it seemed for a time as If the nous
| was doomed Preparations were made |
| carry out the victims Of the hotel hf
who had been brought in, and Miss GOul
! ordered the servants 10 remove the VAIN
able paintings from the walls. 4 portal
| of jay Gould was taken out at once, bu
| the fremen had lost 10 time in turning
stream on the Gould house and In ieN
| moments the danger was passed.
The work Of removing the victims W.
| stopped. and several more OF the inJure
were taken in later. A number of priVat
PHYSICIANS volunteered their services
and the ambulance doctors made re
ouent visits to the house. Miss Goul
added her services at every opportunit!
and her womanliness and strength wef
far 10 relieve the suffering and distress.
COLONEL OCHILTREE WENT OFT
WINDOW.
Colonel tom" Ochiltree had rooms O
the ground floor of the hotel. At In
first alarm of fire. Colonel Ochiltree
Swedish valet. Petersen by name. helpe
his master out of the window. This az
complished. he returned with a step-lat
der. which he mounted and leaped int
the room to gather up tho colonel
valuabies. While thus employed police
man entered the room, gave Petersen
lab with his club. and showed him out {
the window. Such. at least. is the stor
told at the Waldorf last night. Colon
Ochiltree lost all his clothing, jewelr
and several thousand dollars worth
art treasures.
The snow of 1881.