The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-01-13

quests were awakened by MISS vera
Strawn, night telephone operator, who
sounded the alarm of fire over the
house telephones into each Of the
rooms.
A terrible death total might have re-
suited in more easily burned build
ing as result of the poor telephone
service rendered by the Cumberland
Telephone & Telegraph company, over
which night watchman attempted to
send an alarm of fire to the fire de-
partment After frantic efforts to get
a response from central, the watchman
turned the telephone over to another
man and sped to the corner of Gayoso
avenue and Main street, where he
sent in the alarm from the box located
there. The man on the telephone never
did get central.
When the downtown fire fighting
equipment arrived on the scene, with
Chief Fftzmorris and Assistant Chiefs
John Moore and Burney ONeil, sec
ond alarm at once was ordered. But
single hose line, from No engine,
sufficed to quench the flames.
Panic-stricken guests were reassured
by the busy firemen as they reached
the lobby from elevators, stairways and
fire escapes.
Guests Leap to Safety.
D. B. Phillips and B. l.. Hamlet who
from the origin of the fire were re-
ported to have leaned from their win
dow TO fire escane five feet away.
and TO have clambered over the rail to
the escape proper, and to safety,
Rooms Nos. 41S, 420 and 422, on the
the blaze was confined and rooms Nos
40, 42l and 42s, on the east side and
were damsqad % hv % tha flsmes U so Tho aoUI nop'
ridor runs to the north side Of the ho-
taI onenina anosita my ,;o Siue =, 'ne .hior
LEAD bs tp tbas tth 1pP9sotS fs tne d s.aits Wnlafn
Messenger elevator ,r0 eba Ssouiiu fts '"e main
Rooms Nos 41S and 49, f,arlsed room,
400 In xb}cb tha hia.o ar;S,irateh ato1'
Room No aiS was occ,',iad hu taif Ieu ~,
Hensan In Poo,,, NJ I9o ,, ~ NJ
and Wrs II 49,, n,,,,.n1, ~ S- rm mcne e.. WI.
renorte5 ~ have eScened r,ithey were @
tian ~ thar a..so -, ~ ppn
across tha haiI 81, ,it'., M
apad ,sn,, sIateas, ,,,hisss,, ia,,aS ti-
ceilings irha S,,rrtsr,i,,er ~ ", :
annarel IN rno,,, NJ a9n an wsa.lis ..,1s
Tha aio,. III ~ ~, ~ ~ msrg asstr1yeu;
Quickly a'a arousad T gosf spread ha 1q te nosei
fear awaitennd tbe ti,o,,ol,, de nt,,. a., T.
burning hotei usa a1,cl,onag 10 or peinH III
corridor ,foors on i,nner SIoors wte,, wnra
tbroun onon ard ~ ao,, uppei iHois VII
smoke yreeted ruesfs c,1uun attan,nti 81 acrta
escane Panic ssiged naann pe3 io io
their ha,1tiidar,,,,,,t ~, sano. a,.u M ~
cation of ninvotors H,sy lJ,Su. sne 10
ers win coolar hsods set tT,a; IN IN
Seatad w, nT ~ ros sn oin, ~, nlsn.,
ahoIt noon o1ad ~ IL 1oi, oaU uHsuaS
w q Wall, ar N r,,hnso rnor,, ~ Tit
started tolI ~ the aysn+s oV,,i mhich ehe M, nrae
cedad biS @ oScoo VI f, tne enIe.is ,I witch pre-
60 MS Escape ron NJ tlie burning ROOM
0InOke CnoKeS walker.
wallsar v,s o,od i, ~. rnao.<,o
l. - ~ ~ " rs
had left Ers dastro,adS u,S SS'ilie,tt intb ne
and hnrnad oil of tbe ,onn,, ms J,o.I.nS ~. hnS
with him soraa t7f ~ COO 'o"es i'e hau
81 went ~ ~ o. VI S9Oi E, u,,u.o
said "I ~ swaened al n nhn,Sro dinot, manher
ehollinp T tho,gbt asna,;t,,, ',e SiooM,
first cot nHt 81 hod and III sds & a.
81 nearly overcor,e 'ou anu ie''' was
INV first tho,Ight was IN cot n tho
hall Soor and o,,f ~ tbo naGs ~ s oe
l was bewiIdered for I learned after,
ona,od i''a thi,,1,t Was a. I1oset ~ uoor Mhicn
sbeat of flnr1,n ana dan " , ,.,e n"ii.
me baclf 'e anu uoi'00 '''ioNe oioNe
"T thougbt the bo11 ,yos .h1,zo ond