The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-08-10

news. Mr.. Mitchell got his clothing and
Mrs Mitchell got her jewels and they went
to another hotel
John Nanamaker assisted in taking sew
eral American women from the fifth floor
Billie Burke. the actress. was among the
first TO get out of the hotel and she and
her mother sat calmly in n taSicab in
Trafalgar Square watching the fire. She
says she wss dressing when she heard a
noise and saw the smoke. SHINE one came
and said that everything would be all
right in a few minutes. hut when she saw
sparks blowing past her door she knew
that IL was time to he getting away from
there. OF course Miss Burke did not lose
;he opportunity to lose her jewels This
is the way she told all about IL
"When we saw those sparks my French
maid was nearly crazy. Mother wanted
TO take the elevator down as her knees
are rather st,ff but the smoke rushed from
the lift 40 I said to mother, You just
come on down stairs. We had just
got out when mother eaid. What about
your jewels? Newer mind the jewels.
l said to mother. just as calmly as that
and by that time we were on the second
floor. Mother said that she just couldn't
60 bit further. she was going to jump the
rest Of the way or course | wouldn't
let her jump. and we managed to get
down to the first floor.
Il was dressed only in a peignoir. but
some one wrapped q coat around mo in
the cloakroom and a nice woman stuck a
few hAirpins in my hair and came out
here with mother to sit and read until it
vas all over. The firemen looked jusB'
splendid, moving about so calmly and
telling one quietly where to go. Really.
felt quite angry when saw a wretched
American woman on the stairs and heard
her crying Murder let me out"
Ex-Gov. Frank Brown of Maryland and
his son, who were on the second floor.
started down to dinner when they smelled
the smoke. They returned to their room.
gathered some clothing and went to
another hotel. Mr.. Brown said that the
people behaved remarkably well and
that there was very little panic.
Miss Jessie Gardiner. Mrs. c. W. Shippy
and her son Of Chicago had a particularly
hard experience. They arrived at the
hotel from Oxford after o'clock and
within an hour were without their ward
robes.
When James r. keene's valet told him
that there was fire he descended to the
hallway. where he calmly watched the
operations. He was found by THE Suns
correspondent calmly smoking a cigar.
MIR. Keene said:
This doesn't look like much Of a fire -"
He commented upon the "disgraceful
slowness of the fire brigade" which he
said had been fully twenty five minutes
in getting water on the flames. Mr..
keene remained about the hotel for an
hour before he went elsewhere. He
was not in the least worried about his
clothes or his personal belongings.
A. ". Preston, head Of the fruit trust,
was in the smoke room when the fire
started. He went to his room and secured
his things without difficulty. Other Amer
leans who were registered at the Carl
ton were F. W. Woolworth. the five and
ten cent store man; W. c. Breed of Phil
adelphia. Stevenson Scott of Chicago
Ansel Oppenhein Of New York, Jameson
Lee Finney. the actor: Mr.. and Mrs
George Barton French. F. B. Harvey OF
Baltimore and Mr.. and Mrs. +. ". Parquy
OF Pittsburg
Altogether there we're about 200 guests
mostly Americans.
Thomas A. Edison left the hotel thi.
morning for Boulogne. Many o,hel
Americans sailed for home or left for he
Continent to-day. No dinner or suppc'
was served in the restaurant, but the
smoke room and bar were continued II
business. They were havens for thos.
who had had exciting times escaping
the flames. while throughout the progress
Of the fire some in evening dress and other
in every stage Of undress remained
in the flooded hallway. which was crowded
with trunks. boxes and valuables.
A. l.. Pratt and Mrs Pratt We're dre>alns
for dinner on the top floor when thei
attention was attracted by the crowd il
the street Mr. Pratt said that ther,
was fire somewhere They saw spark'
and smoke and they hurried 10 the street,
Mrs Pratt was unable TO save any o
her valuahles
George Ernest Holems of Saskatoon
Canada who was on his first visit Il
London. escaped lightly clad He saic
that he could no, say too much for th
frenen
They asked us quickly and court eousl !,
to 20 here and there and were as quick a
lightning he said
r. NJ. Huxer Of Philadelphia was on tn
third floor just finishing dressing II
rang for his valet several times and wen
out into the passage. whore he saw IN
flames roaring up at the door Of pantr
At the end OF the hall.
The guests were leaving their rooms
said Mr.. Huxer. "and we connected tn
hose with the fire hydrant outside m
door and helped the fremen. who wer
rushing up. me, Lord Pouett and on
or two other men and together we ey
plored the floors above to the fifth, find
ing everywhere that the people were he
having with the utmost GOODNESS and work
ing hard to put out the flames
Lord Poulett helped rescue severa
ladies who were choking with smoke an
carried them downstairs to the otfcs
The smoke on the sixth floor was to
bad to penetrate. Everybody kept hand
ing out wet towels and sponges to tn
fremen who appeared at the windows
Mr.. Edison, who left the hotel thi
morning. went to join his wife for a 81
weeks motor trip on the Continent
L. l.