The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1899-03-24

Jumped from Windows and ROOF
To Instant Death.
New York, March 1S.-Flames, which
originated from the igniting of 4 lace
curtain. burst forth from the second
floor of the Windsor hotel, at Forty
seventh street and Fifth avenue, short
~ after three o'clock yesterday after
noon, just as the St. Patrick's day pa
rade was passing the building, and in
few moments they had leapcd to tic
roof and envelOped the entire Fifth
avenue and FOrty-second street fronts
of the hotel. Ten minutes later the
flames were roaring through the liz
terror of the hotel. and all escape by
means of stairways and elevators was
cut off.
wild Scenes of Excitement.
There was the widest scene of eX-
citement within and without The |uili-
ing. Hundreds of guests and employees
were in the hotel when the fire broke
out. and for many of them II escape
was simply impossible. Probably from
10 to - lives were lost within a hall
hour, and 30 or 40 persons werS injured
in jumping from the windows and III
rushing through the roaring flames in
the corridors and on the stairways.
Died ut Nearby Residences.
Many who were injured died later 1T
nearby residences and at hospitals and
others who made wild leaps to tho
stone sidewalks were so BADLY injured
that they are still lowering between
lie and death. 1t may be 24 hours and
more before the complete list of IA
talities becomes known, and it will br
longer than that before it can be ascer-
tanned definitely how many charred
bodies are in the mass of fallen mason
~ thai marks the spot where the hotel
stood.
4 Spectacular Scene.
The fire was the most spectacular
that could be imagined. When it
broke out Fifth avenue was crowded
with people watching the st. Patrick's
Day parade, and every window in the
front of the hotel facing Fifth avenue
was filed with spectators. The day was
all that could he desired, and an Unusu-
ally large number of people were on
the streets on that account. a fact
which iuterfered not little with the
movements of the firemen and police.
Drove the People from the Streets.
As soon as the flames were liscov-
cred shooting from the windows, that
part of the st. Patrick's Day process
sion which was near the building caTlc
To halt, and in few minutes tn
parade was disbanded, for the police
came rushing toward the fire from ev-
cry direction. and as far as they were
able. drove the people from the streets.
The Fire Engines Appear.
One alarm after another was turned
I'm, and the first of the fire engines
were not long in appearing upon the
scene. The engines caused a wild
scramble among the Paraders and
spectators as they rushed along the
street and fell into positions for ser
ice.
In addition 20 the regular guests Of
the hotel the windows Were crowded
by a large number of spectators. resi-
dents of this city, who had couCTegat-
ed there To witness the parade.
Pnnic-StriclSen Guests.
Soon after the first alarm was given
people in the lower floors of the hotel.
who had easy access 40 the streets
aud To the stairway, commenced t.
pour out of the building in grca: num-
bers. but il very soon became apparent
that great ma aiority of the occupants |
OF the hotel were either nanic-stricken
or unable to make their way 20 the !
ground floor. Windows were thrown !
up on every side of the BUILDING. and |
guests. mostly women, IN all stages of |
terror. made their appearance and III |
tered frantic appeals to the crowd Le-
low for assistance.
Failed tn Break Their Awful Fall.
rs the flames gathered about them |
they became more and more terror |
stricken. and presently some Of them |
stood upon the narrow window sills /
and beckoned to the spectators that !
they were about to leap. Men collect !
ed upon the sidewalks ready to render |
any assistance they could. and in tie /
mean time some of the women LEFT the /
window sills and dropped TO the streets. |
I'm most instances the efforts to catch |
them and break their awful fall were 1
for they struck the siGc.
walk. and in most cases broken limbs |
were the result.
Many Cases Of Heroic Rescue.
rs soon as the firemen could GET |
their scaling ladders into position they
climbed the sides of the building ard |
entered at every window where there
was an unfortunate guest appealing
for assistance. and many cases OF
heroic rescue were witnessed by the
thrunc i'm the streets.
Taken To Helen GOuId'S Residence.
At the corner of FOrty-scventh street
md Fifth avenue, directly across from
.hc hotel is the home of Miss Helen
Gould. and at her direction many of
he injured were carried thee, and
we're treated by physicians and nurses
whom she had sent for. In the mean
time the chief of police had telephoned
10 every hospital in the city asking J
hat assistance be sent. Ambllances
forced their way through the crowds
Is quickly as possible, and the injured
people who had made the trightfui
caps from the hotel windows were
placed il them and removed to tie
hospitals
Leaped from Windows and Roof.
Several occupants of the hotel ap-