The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1908-12-22
Warned by a Cool-Headed
Telephone Girl, They All
Get Out Safely.
CROWD IN BROADWAY.
Shoppers Block the Surround
ing Thoroughfares and Add
to General Excitement.

A minor blaze on the top floor OF the
Gilsey House. AT Twenty-nipth street
and Broadway. to-dn reused the guests
OF the somnolent old hosiery into un-
wonted activity in getting out of their
rooms and down the stairs, and brought
about the assemblage OF an immense
crowd that blocked traffic in Broadway,
Fifth avenue. Twenty eighth and Twen-
ty-nnth streets.
No one was hurt. but some Of the
women guests were badly frightened
and twenty-four Chambermaids with
rooms on the floor where the started
lost all their belongings.
The hotel went into the hands Of
Archibald Douglas as receiver last
week. but there were close to $50 guests
booked to-day. The fire originated in a
room on the Broadway side on the top
floor. occupied as a workshop by the
lhotel valet. It is believed that the
fumes from cleaning fluids he used in
treating clothing communicated with a
lighted gas jet and caused an explosion.
Passcrby Gives Alarm.
A citizen passing Wcbers Music Hall
happened TO look up toward the roof Of
the Gilsey and saw smoke pouring from
q window. He notified Policeman Dichl,
OF the Traffic Squad, on duty on the
Twcnty-ninth street corner. and DieAI,
sounding a signal 10 Policeman DAILY at
Twenty-eghth street to turn IN an
alarm, ran into the hotel.
The lobby loungers were reading their
papers or conversng. ignorant Of the
FIRE upstairs, and the clerks and bell
boys We're equally without knowledge Of
what was going on. Miss 'TOotlc' sui
liyan, the telephone operator, was the
flrst to sight Policeman Dical ana sense
that something was wrong,
Size followed him 10 the desk, and as
soon as she heard his story rushed back
TO the switchboard and began calling up
the guests In their rooms. AT the same
time Manager Heyman sent be!!5oys
and portors to the various floors with
Instructions to say that there was no
danger but that 1t might be well for
those in their rooms to get down to the
Office floor.
Actress Leila Vane Faints.
Leila Nane. an actress. was i'll in bed
in her rooms on the second floor and
was overlooked in the excitement. She
was aroused by hearing n fireman shout
In the hall. staggered out and promptly
fatnted Adelaide Hermann, the widow
of Hermann the magician, and Amelia
SummervIlle. the actress. cared for Miss
vane until the hotel people got around
20 her and put her back to bed,
BY this time firemcn and policemen
and porters carrying fire eNtinguishers
were pouring upstairs and guests We're
pouring down. Miss Summerville car
ried part of her clothing with her and
completed her toilet in one OF the din
ing rooms on the main floor The lobby
soon filled with excited guests and
shouting hremen.
Here you people," cried Miss Too
tie" sullivan, standing up on the desk
of her switchboard, how, do you sup
pose / can work this wilt II you don't
keep still?"
That settled the excitement, The calm
bearing of Miss Sullivan soothed every
body but the chambermaids. who had
found that the fire was threatening
their rooms and were making for the
roof by the stairways.
The Gilsey House has an od-fashioned
CONTINUED on Second Page,