The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-20
sEARcHERS' FUTILE EFFORTS.
HEAT AND SMOKE STILL PREVENT
FINDING OF BODIES.

work of DemOIishing the WfndsOr's
walls in PrOgress-Twe Tall
Cbtmneys blown Down With Dy-
uamite-Workmen ON ShaI1y
wall Had Marrow Escape-Mrs.
Price and the Others Injured Are
Improving.
New York, March 19.-In a drizzling
rain more than 800 men continued to-day
10 work among the debris and shoulder
ing ruins of the Windsor Hotel. searching
for the bodies of those who persisted in
the flames and 10 recover any valuables
that might have escaped the ravages of the
FIRE.
The efforts of the searchers were futile,
however, as the ruins were too hot to per-
nit much progress, and the smoke aris-
ing from the burning material was rem
dered more dense by the dampness of the
atmosphere At intervals during the night
flames burst forth from the burning en-
bers and drove back the workmen.
Work was begun this morning to de
moiish the fragmentary portions of walls
on the east and north sides of the burned
building. and later the number of workers
WAS reinforced and the work of removing
the rubbish pushed as vigorously as was
practicable.
The chimney, eight-five feet high, stand
ing on the Forty-sixth street side of the
ruins near Fifth avenue, was blown up to-
day Thirty pounds of dynamite were
placed under the base of this chimney and
electricity was used to explode it.
Heat and Smoke Interfere.
Smoke and steam still rise from the de-
bris and now and then tongues of flames
shoot up, even at this late hour after the
fire The workmen have been able to do
only a little superficial work. When they
dig down a little way the debris is so hot
that they are obliged 10 move to another
locality.
During the day workmen were engaged
in picking to pieces the siX-story wall that
is standing on the Forty-seventh street
side of the hotel site, in order TO make the
search in the ruins safe.
The second eighty-five foot chimney was
dynamited shortly after o'clock this aft
ernoon The explosion wrecked number
of plate glass windows and doors in near
by residences
A large force of men were at work dur
ing the afternoon on what was the main
entrance IS The hotel. 1t was expected
that DOdleS WOulu llfSt De IOunQ U0Sle. A
great many small articles, principally the
personal property of guests were found.
Had a Narrow Escape.
Daniel Sweeney the emergency wrecker
of the building department, and three
men, had a narrow escape from injury and
possibly death about 5 o'clock. The four
men were 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 suddenly, and Sweeney felt the wall
trembling beneath him. He cried out a
warning and the men hurried from their
dangerous perch. They were just outside
the danger line, when a great section OF
the wall thirty feet or more square, and
including that portion on which they had
been working, went down with roar. A
portion of it fell on the roof of the house
back Of the hotel, wrecking the roof The
house had been emptied by order of the
building department and nobody was in
jured
Mrs Alice M. Price, of Macon, Ga,
whose les IS fractured. is greatly improv-
ed, and the condition of most of the in
jured is reported satisfactory.
Searching for VaIuabIes.
The great value of jewels and jewelry in
tne wreck made The men work carefully
Zach shovel full of the refuse was care
IulIy examined before being placed in the
carts. Policemen, both in uniform and in
the guise of foremen. mingled with the
Workmen and carefully watched their ev-
cry movement. More than that, the men
were searched at the end of their shifts
Many of the men resented this, saying that
II was unnecessary, and protesting that
no man would think of taking such prop
erty, and especially under the circum-
Stances
Up to midnight no bodies had been dis
covered and no more deaths from injuries
received at the fire were reported from the
hospitals but number of The injured
were stll in a serious condition.
Death List Unchanged.
The death list remains the same as yes
terday-sixteen-and the list of missing has
been reduced 10 forty-three, as a number
Of those previously unaccounted for report
ed in person or had been located by
friends
Among the missing are Miss Dora Hoff-
man of Baltimore; Mrs. Patterson. wife of
Judge Patterson of Colorado; Mrs James
3. Stokes, widow of Gen. Stokes; Mrs.
DeMorasch DemoresD, Charles Ford,
MRS. J. D. Johnson, and Annette Uphan
of Vermont
MRS. 1. H. Purdy, of Purdy's Station,
~ y; Miss M. Wait, her granddaugh-
yer, and Eva Dressler, chamber maid, here
'oIore missing, are safe.
Inc following persons included In last
Hsht Saturday list of missing are safe:
MISS NJ. Wait, her granddaughter; Eva
DiTssler' chambermaid; Miss E. s. Adams
o. Boston. Mrs. Demorasch, Charles Ford,
Mrs D. j. Johnson, and Annette Upham
Of Vermont.