The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-03-31

eve had to fight for our lives number
of times After that mysterious eXplo-
sion the flames seemed to shoot. out from
every door and window along the han,
and the lightning's flash was hardly quick
er than the tongues OF flame that darted
out at US.
Tho guests of the hotel got in our
way. Instead of getting out OF the hotel.
they stood around and crowded us uniii
the place got SO hot they had to get out.
In a little while we found that our little
party was hcmnled in. We were working
on the Jefferson-Street side, and found
the greatest difficulty in making any pro-
sress along the hall. We had to pull some
OF the guests out OF their rooms and force
them to leave and it is the greatest Won
der in the world that there WAS not
many nero casualties.
DRIVEN By FLAMES.
"At one time we were cut off complete
Iv Chief Pilller was with us, and we hau
to rush from room to room with the llercc
blaze chasing us and forcing us to aban-
don many Of the tools that we carried.
Several OF the men had to climb out and
scale the outside walls from one window
sill to another, like so many squirrels.
The heat was something fierce. put
never saw men battle so braVeiy IN my
life In this retreat we lost louf iit"ocis
and a number Of picks.
."rhe guests did not seem to think that
the fire would amount to much. They hau
the greatest confidence in our aoliitt 70
sion il. bit we realized that a big hsht
,y,. ahead Of US. and we wanted 10 get
those guests out Of our way
..T believe my life WAS saved by one o.
+be po!icen:en on duty on the Jeiie'soh-
street side I was at work near t'e
ground. when he shouted TO me 10 iooh
our I lodged and just as did So, "a
great mass of bricks fell slSat Oh ,'e
enot where I had stood Il moment pe-
fCre. ;oI-s
one partv of iiremen, with axes and p!'hS,
r,nra cut off in the Main-Street END, ana
fonnd themselves in a serious POSITION.
rbev were saved by finding the line OF
hose placed III position by the hotei men.
With wet handkerchiefs over their taces
they followed the line of hose INTO tis
west hallway, through scorchlng neat ana
sitting smoke. The hall was in hardly
less serious condition than the rooms they
had inst left for the smoke was so dense
that nothing could be seen. and wicked
tongues of flame darted out from the
doors and down from the ceiling. but
the men got down on a}l-fours ana as
rapidlv as possible made for the other
end Of the hall, where there was COM
parative safety
CHEERS FROM CROWD.
When the east wall fell on the Jeffer-
son flats and crushed the roof like 1t
would have done an eGs-shell, a hrcmah
on the rear of the building narrowly es-
caped. No one could tell his name, but
there was his stalwart silhouette out
against the glare from the burning build
incs and as the roof went down his hg-
ure standing there was seen by the crowd.
and a cheer went up; for it was feared
that he had gone down with the roof.
All night long Friday the tiremen
worked and during yesterday several en-
e;nes were kept constantly at work sub
DUNG the flames that ever and anon
burst forth from the mass inside the
charred and gaunt walls.
Those who lost their baggage are, prob
ably, TO be blamed themselves, for there
was any amount of time in which TO get
things out The porters and bell-boys
worked hard in assisting the guests who
wished to get their possessions out, but
MANY of them merely locked their trunks
and doors and sauntered QUITO see the
firemen work. and when they realized that
they must get their baggage from the
building it was too late. All the trunks
! in the baggage-room were taken out and
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