New-York tribune., 1899-07-28
FIRE IN DOWNTOWN HOTEL.
LAUNDRY DEPARTMENT OF SMITH &
M'NELL'S DESTROYED-FRIGHT-
ENF,D WOMEN RESCUED.

There was scarcely a vacant seat in the res
taurant Of Smith g. McNelrs hotel which covers
the greater part Il the block bounded py Wasn'ns-
ton and Greenwich SITS and vesey and Fulton sts.'
at few minutes after yesterday when the
cry OF fire from the top floor of the extensive
structure. A stampede for the street followed. out
the diners. on discovering that the fire was con-
fined 10 the top story and series Of small struet-
ures used for laundry purposes built on the root'
returned TO their seats and finished their meals
The blaze was a threatening one, but the hremen.
when they got their lines OF hose stretched ana the
pumps going made short work Of the flames
The fire started. from some unknown cause, In the
servants quarters. in a wing Of the building which
fronts at No 70 Vesey-st. II had gained consid-
cradle headway before making its appearance IN the
halls and in an instant gained the staircase Inere
were about sixty girls at work In the laundry AT
the time and all except two Of them ran screaming
down the stairs. The other two. Nora Dreen and
Mary Hussey, managed TO reach the roof How they
succeeded in cropping their way through the smoke
they cannot tell. They rushing franticaly
about when Detective Sergeant Oppenheimer' VINO
happened to be in the neighborhood. noticed them'
The frightened laundresses were preparing 10 jump
to the pavement when the detective who had MADE
his way TO the roof by means of outside hre
escapes grabbed them With the assistance OF
several Washington Market butchers. Oppenhelmer
got the girls safely to the street.
Another girl, named Winfred Mitchell. was penned
in a room on the Fulton-st. side by the smoke and
flames. She shouting for help at the window
when the hremen arrived and responded to her
calls When they reached her she tainted She
was brought down a ladder to the street and
there was attended by ambulance surgeon. Al
though they were really In no immediate Danger
five of the servants preferred 10 be assisted out
Of a window on the Greenwich ST. side OF the hotel
rather than risk going down the stairway In the
centre Of the building They were aided by Pa
Of ha
station. Nellie Lee. cook. was SO overcome oy
excitement that she became hysterical, and had to
be removed to the Hudson Street Hospital
While the guests in the restaurant exhibited the
greatest coolness under the circumstances. the
laundresses and others of the female help en-
ployed in the place appeared to be helpless
The frail structures the roof burned like TIN
der and the cloud of smoke which rose high into
the air gave people at a distance the impression
that the entire hotel and restaurant were doomed
TO total destruction. Such. however. was not the
case The large force OF fremen summoned by
several alarms in less than twenty minutes had
the flames under control. Ten minutes later the
fire was practically out Half dozen rooms on
the Vesey-st side were destroyed The entire roof
will have TO be rebuilt and also the laundry de-
partment
There was n story In circulation that the fire was
caused by one OF the laundry girls dropping
lighted match in a waste paper basket This was
clared that the fire started In the servants ped-
rooms All the rooms the upper hoors were
flooded with water Excepting on the Nesey-st'
side. the flames did not get below the nth floor,
hasty survey made by the fire ofhclals ed Ied
them 10 believe that the structure can be repaired
for less than $1,000 Oilers Hotel at No %2
Greenwichst, which adjo,1s s Smith mi d. McNers
Smith & McNell's hotel is one of the best known WI
dining establishments in the lower part or me cry;
st SERIES is not of OF he which have been
taken in after the other as the pusIliess III
creased It is said that fully three thousand meas
are served daily in Smith q McNel Ia tba ax
After the fire had been suppressed ana the p eN
ciement died out other details connected win & the
outbreak were learned Maggie sullivan a COOK
twenty-two years old. had the most thrillhs eA.
fbe Hudson Street Hospitai. suffering from exten-
siye burns about the hands and face She was IN ~
her room on the third floor when me aiarn m aS waS
raised and the flames were fast making tneir way
tito the apartnent when Roundsman Muller, OF
the Church-st. station. appeared ana came 10 d ie
hep The girl was hysterical with lrlsnt' e aIIu
, neIled 10 drag her through the smoke anu ndhgs
and the poor girl In her fright fougnt MN. Ile
succeeded however in getting her 10 me te stLtei
and from there she hurried 10 the hospita
The room in which the fire is believed 70 nave ave d nau
lis origin was occupied II is said, by Eza SprouiS
/ the housekeeper of the hotel 40, 49,, ,,os
the total loss far in excess Of that mace oy e a. % III
surance mems hasty survey he says ina &c a @ba
not fan much short OF 5000 He estimates , tte \,
number OF rooms that have been mace useless Z, a.
nearly a hundred and adds that the Laundry depart
ment and linen rooms have been compieteiy de >
stroyei with their contents. Actng r fl.s nnd
Toter at not more than $500 The police report
the loss on the hotel at $4,000 <u .--o,+v
When the fire was frst noticen iufy force =" vera
members OF Smith & McNells night Iorce % WEI nd
asleep but the commotion aroused tnetn an abe tha
thev succeeded in gaining the street pelore uio
smoke and flames reached the halls