Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1899-03-23

in ruins and TN |n three sides
OF the building were NJ with debris
from the fallen walls ami chimneys,
while the streams of water which were
being poured on the inferior O. the
ruins had no more effect than to fill
the air with clouds of scalding steam,
making it impossible for anyone to
approach near enough to search for the
bodies of those who persisted. The
fire was the most spectacular that can
be imagined. When it broke out 5th
avenue was crowded with people wit
Messing the st. Patricks Gay parade
and every window in front of the hotel
facing 5th avenue was filled with spec
tators. AS soon as the flames were
discovered shooting from the windows,
that part of st. Patricks day parade
which was near the building came to a
halt in a few minutes and the parade
was oisbanded, for the police as far as
they were able, drove the people from
the streets. In addition to the regular
guests of the hotel, the windows were
crowded by large number of specta-
tors, residents of this city, who had
congregated there to witness the pa
rade. Soon after the fire alarm was
given the people on the lower floors of
the hotel commenced to pour out of
the building in great numbers, but it
very soon became apparent that a
great majority of the occupants of the
hotel were either panic-stricken or un-
able to make their way to the ground
floor. Windows were thrown open on
every side of the building and guests,
mostly women, made frantic appeals
for assistance. AS the flames gathered
about them they became more and
more terror-stricken. Presently some
of them stood on the narrow window
stills and beckoned to the spectators that
they were about to leap. Men collect
ed upon the sidewalks ready to render
any assistance possible as some of the
women dropped to the streets. In
most instances efforts to break their
awful fall were unavailing AS soon as
1.-THE firemen could get their
scaling ladders into position they en-
tered every window where an unfortu-
nate guest appealed for assistance, and
many cases Of heroic rescue were wit
messed by the throng in the streets
Directly across the street from the ho-
tel is the home of Miss Helen Gould
and at her direction many of the in
jured were carried there and treated
by physicians and a number of women
she sent for. Ambulances forced their
way through the crowds and the in
jured people who made frightful leaps
from the hotel windows were placed in
them and removed to hospitals. Sew
eral of the occupants of the hotel ap-
peared at the windows of the sixth and
seventh stories and even on the roof
and leaped to the streets from those
points. Few or them escaped either
instant death or injuries which re-
suited in death short time later.
Within 40 minutes after the fire first
broke out the walls on the 5th avenue
side showed indications of falling and
presently, with an awful crash, they
struck the asphalt street, causing hun
dreds of people standing there to scat
ter in every direction. The walls on
the 46th and 47th street sides followed
moment later. Doorsteps and iron
fences in front of the houses on the
opposite side of the street from the
hotel were wrecked by the falling
walls ana the amount of debris piled
in the streets is SO great that travel
will be impeded for several days. The
adjacent buildings, including Miss
Gould's residence, were in imminent
danger but the flames were brought
under control before they were
reached.
There were many thrilling scenes in
the hotel during the early stages of
the fire. A hall boy discovered the
flames while he was passing along the
fourth floor, Immediately over the
rooms occupied by President McKin-
leys brother, Abner Mckinley and
family. The boy pulled the chain at
tached to the fire alarm, but the chain
broke. Then he cried out an alarm of
fire and ran to the floor below, alarm
ing the occupants of the dining rooms
and main floor. Then the boy rushed
into the basement and alarmed the
women at work in the laundry. 1t is
is believed that all of them escaped.
One of the most daring rescues effected
by the firemen occurred on the fifth
floor in the 5th avenue front. An
elderly woman was seen at window.
Two firemen succeeded in reaching the
window Immediately underneath.
One climbed to the coping of the win
dow of which she was standing then
swung the woman clear of the window
and landed her safely in the arms of
his companion, who with the assist
ance of several other firemen passed
her down to the street.
How many persons are buried in the
ruins is not known, but at least three
or four persons were seen n Jump,
whose bodies have not been recovered