Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-19
Many Carried From New York
Apartment House.
DARING WORK BY FIREMEN
Occupants Rescued From Perilou.
Positions.
FLAMES UP ELEVATOR SHAFT
Injured Persons Carried Into the
Plaza Hotel Near BY and Then
Sent to Hospitals.

NEW YORK, March 19.-More than a
dozen persons were injured and MEM
bers of tWentyfour families experienced
narrow escapes from death by fire when
seven-story twin apartment building
known as the Fifth Avenue apartments.
at "a Central Park South. was burned
early today. The building was separated
from the Hotel Plaza only by a smaller
building. and the hotel Office was made
a hospital for the injured. while many
the blazing building from the hotel win
dows and doors. When the firemen reached
the scene men, women and children were
sitting on window lodges or hanging out
of the windows gasping for their breath,
and others, overcome by smoke. were
being held in position by their relatives.
One girl was standing on a window ledge
on the sixth floor, preparing to jump
into the street. despite the warnings of
pedestrians who gathered below.
Roll of the Injured.
The injured included:
Mrs. Francis Hillhouse. burned about
the head, arms and body.
Bertha HuiSWeth. governess for Mrs
Hilhouse. burned about the body
Mrs. J. w Simpson, burned about the
face, body and legs.
Miss Minerva Simpson, aged twenty
burned about the feet and legs.
Mrs. Margaret Merrill, slightly burned
Capt. Leland Potter. fireman. feet
crushed. internal injuries. caught be-
tween two fire trucks.
Benjamin Tracy, fireman, hit by stones
from cornice; possible fracture of skull.
Five firemen in all were injured. most
or them not seriously.
Flames Ascend Elevator Shaft.
Beginning in the base of the elevator
shaft at No. "a the flames went up the
shaft and spread out on the fourth. fifth,
sixth and seventh floors. the occupants
of which fled to the windows without
waiting to dress. Firemen raised extern
sion ladders TO the fourth floor and went
by scaling ladders to the sixth whence
they carried down Mr.. and Mrs John w.
Mcdonald and their son. John, and a
servant girl
On the third floor the escape of Mr.. and
Mrs. Francis IIillhouse. their son and
soverness was cut off by the flames.
but firemen carried Mrs. Hilhouse and
the governess down the ladders at the
front of the building while Mr.. Hillhouse
was trying TO escape by the rear fire
escape The ladders at the front had
been removed when Mr.. Hillhouse came
back and he hung by his hands to the
window sill until tiremen again raised
the ladders. Mrs Hillhouse and the gov
erness were painfully burned before the
tireinen could reach them. and Mr.. Hill
house was less seriously scorched.
Elevator Man Sticks to His Post.
There were two elevators in the build
ing and occupants of the lower floors
were carried down by one of the ele-
vators. the operator of which stuck to his
post as long as it was possible to operate
the elevator.
An hour and a half after the fire started
ali the floors collapsed and several fire.
men barely managed to reach the win
dows the floors dropped from under
them. The interior of the building was
burned out, causing loss Of about
$50 con. The homeless tenants were given
shelter i'm the offices and rooms of the
Plaza Hotel. where their injuries and
burns were treated by doctors. after
which they were taken to hospitals. All
are expected to recover.