New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-12
AMMONIA FUMES CAUSE
EXIT At DELMON|C0'S
Woman at Switchboard Warns
Guests by Phone Until She
Has to Flee.
SEVERAL EMPLOYEES FAINT
Engineer, Overcome Once, Forces
Past Firemen, Returns to
Cellar and Shuts Off
Leaking Pipes.

Mrs. Dorothy Stewart telephone op-
orator Of Delmonicos restaurant. at
Fifth avenue and 44th street. was seated
at the switchboard on the sixth floor
shortly after , O'Clock Yesterday after
noon. when sne detected the odor OF
ammonia. She knew at once that the
refrigerating plant in the sub-cellar was
out Of commission. Mrs. Stewart called
Samuel Neis. acting manager Of the
restaurant. and informed him Of the
odor. He told her to warn every one in
the building.
Mrs. Stewart slipped the plugs into the
switchboard and was fulfilling her duty,
when the ammonia fumes became
stronger and she was compelled 10
hurry 10 the roof garden. where a num-
Der Of diners had assembled, and where
the fumes were plainly noticeable. The
pungent odor had pervaded the lower
rooms OF the restaurant. and guests were
hurrying 10 the street or were being
quickly taken to the roof in the eleva-
tors.
In the mean while Mr. Neis had left
his office and had warned the book
keepers on the third floor OF the res
taurant and several guests who had
gathered in the private bathrooms on
that floor. He ran up the stairways TO
the fourth and fifth floors, where the
laundry and the living rooms OF the
hotel employees are situated. Mr.. Neis
found several of the laundresses stag
gering through the upper corridors, ana
a few had tainted. The employees We're
assisted 70 the roof garden. and re-
mained there until the atmosphere in
the lower rooms had cleared.
The guests in the dining room, on the
ground floor. had hurried 70 the street and
a still alarm OF fire was given. The fire.
men brought oxygen helmets. which they
slipped over their heads before descend
ing into the sub-cellar. They found
William Heafy. the chief engineer, and
three frenen groping about The chief
engineer had succeeded in turning off
one Of the cocks controlling the am
nonia pipes and was searching for the
two others. He was dragged out and
warned By the fremen not 10 return.
The moment he had fully revived, he
leaped 10 his feet and. waving aside the
proffered oxygen helmet, ran down into
the basement His iremen had been
overcome, and had been pulled out of
the pungent, choking air. Heafy felt his
way along the walls Of the sub-cellar
and succeeded in finding the two other
cocks, which he turned of. The flow OF
ammonia was stopped, and gradually the
air became clarified. No one was in
tured. and the manager Of the res
taurant reported that the damage was
tri1ing.
The main dining room had been
cleared by the head waiter, and the
guests and employees upon the upper
floors had crowded 10 the roof garden.
where they were held prisoners for more
than an hour. The arrival OF the fire
apparatus attracted a crowd OF more
than five thousand persons 10 the corner
Traffic was blocked by the throng. and
police reserves had difficulty in keeping
the crowd in check.
When the atmosphere in the res
taurant finally cleared. the guests re-
turned to the dining rooms and resumed
their meals