The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-03-20
THE HOTEL HOLOCAUST.
WOrkmen Still Unable to Make Much Proc.
rcss in the Ruins.
FORTy.FouR PERSONS ARE STILL MISSING
Those In the Hospitals Are Doing
Weii--Thc standing walls a Det-
rimcnt TO the work.

New York, March 1e.-f.ittle prosress
was made today in removing the debris
OF the Windsor hotel FIRE in the effort to
discover the bodies that are supposed TO
be buried there. All day long over 200
men labored as much as the nusty, muddy
steaming mass OF broken stone. twisted
iron and crushed brick would admit. A
heavy, sitting yapor arose continually
retarding the progress OF the workers
and keeping them for the most part
away from the center of the ruins. From
Fifth avenue much of the debris that had
fallen into the street had beenc feared away
and the men we're able 10 reach portion
OF the first floor, What small portions OF
wall could be blasted down we're levelled.
but the great pillar of brick at Forty
seventh street still stood. 1t was in such
n threatening condition that the police
notified the residents of the houses across
the street to remain inside their dwell
ngs to prevent any fatalities when the
crash came.
Up to midnight no bodies had been dis
covered and no more deaths from injuries
received at the fire were reported from
the hospitals bu. "a number OF the injured
were still in serious condition. The
death list remains the same us yesterday,
sixteen, and the list of missing has been
reduced TO fortyfour as number OF
those previously unaccounted for reported
in person or had been located by friends.
In driz2ling rain more than zoo men
continued today to work among the debris
and smouderng ruins OF the Windsor
hotel, searching for the bodies of those
who persisted in the flames, and to re-
cover any yaluables that might have es-
capped the ravages of the FIRE. The efforts
of the ecarchers were futile, however, as
the ruins were too hot to permit much
progress, and the smoke arising from the
burning material was rendered more dense
by the dampness OF the atmosphere. At
intervals during the night flames burst
forth from the burning emhers and drove
the workmen back.
Work was begun this morning 10 den'ol-
lsh the standing walls on the north ana
east sides of the burned buildings and later
the number OF workers was re-enforced
and the work of removing the rubbish
pushed as vigorously as was possible. The
chimney, IS feet high. standing on the
Forty seventh street side, near Fifth ave-
nue.. was blown up today, Thirty pounds
OF dynamite were placed under the base OF
this chimney and electricity was used TO
explode It, Steam and smoke still issues
from the debris and now and then gusts
of flame shoot up. even at this late hour
after the fire.
When the workmen dig down a little
way the debris is so hot that they are
obliged to move 10 new location. Dur
ing the day workmen were engaged in
picking to pieces the sixstory wall that
is standing on the Forty-sevonth street
side of the hotel site. In order TO mako
the search in the ruins safe.
a large force of men were at work dur
ing the afternoon on what was the main
entrance TO the hotel. II was expected that
bodies would be found there. A large
amount of small articles. principally the
personal property of guests, was found.
Daniel Sweeney. the head wrecker OF
the wrecking department. soE three men
had narrow escape from INJURY and pos
sibly death about o'clock, The four men
We're on top of the siX-story wall which
was still standing on the Forty seventh
street rear corner of the hotel, tearing it
down, A stiff north wind blew up sud-
denly and Sweeney felt the wall trembling
beneath him. Sweeney cried out a warn
ing and the men hurried from their dang
erous position. They were just outside the
danger line. when a great section of the
wall. thirty or more feet square and in
Guiding the portion OF the wall on which
he had been working went down with
he house back, wreckirg g. The house
had been vacated by order OF the building
department and nobody was injured,