Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-04-24
Fire Routs Coolidge
lcontinued from Pace Qnel

4
Continued from Page One)
o'clock when a passing policeman no
ticed smoke coming from the tenth
floor windows. He turned in an
alarm and then rushed into the hotel,
! informing the night clerk.
! Several fire companies were on the
scene in a few minutes. The clatter
of their gongs awoke Vice President
Coolidge, who upon going to a WIN
dow, saw the apparatus drawing up
across the street. He called Mrs.
Coolidge, remarked that there was
! fire in the neighborhood and sug-
gested that they go out to see it.
While they were dressing they learned
that the fire was in the hotel Leav-
ing their apartment on the third floor
they descended to tho lobbey and
Mrs. Coolidge was sent to the home
of the Vice Presidents secretary, Ed
ward T. Clark.
Mr.. Coolidge remained at the hotel,
where he was again Joined in the af-
ternoon by Mrs. Coolidge. He is the
second successive vice president OF
the United States to have an expert
ence in a fire at the New Willard, a
blaze having routed out Vice Presi
dent Marshall and Mrs. Marshall late
one night nearly four years ago.
Brgadier General G. Z. Sawyer,
personal physician to President
Harding, and Mrs. Sawyer were
awakened by hotel attendants and
( later found shelter at the White
House. Their apartment was dam
aged by water and upon their return
to the hotel they were assigned to the
suite which has been occupied by a
number of prcsidentsel elect upon the
eve of their Inauguration.
Other prominent guests included
General Charles G. Dawes, director
of the budget; General r. Coleman
Dupont, senator from Delaware and
one of the owners of the hotel: Sen
ators McNary and Rawson; Repre-
sentatives Hucsted and Snyder of
New York: G. c. McChord, chairman
of the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion; John T. Adams of Iowa, chair
man of the Republican National
committee; Mrs. George Maynard
Minor president general of the
Daughters, of the American Revolu-
ton; John Philip Sousa, Olga Pet
rova, Adolph Zukor, Judge Robe4t w.
Bingham, publisher of the Louisville,
Kentucky, Courier Journal; Arthur
b. krock, editor of the Louisville
Times; Harry Chandler, publishar of
the Los Angeles Times; Edward A.
Dickson, publisher of the Los An
geles Express.
At these and other guests made
hasty toilets, firemcn from companies
that had been summoned from many
parts Of the city invaded the hotel by
scores to begin their four hours bat
tie with the flames. Meantime hotel
attendants hurried from room to
| room aiding in the removal of trunks
and other luggage. Some of the
women came down with arms laden
with sirken lingerie which they
dumped into chairs in the celebrated
peacock alley" and in the adjacent
"Dlue room" where later they set I'D
and packed their wardrobe trunks.
Nearly all the guests, men and wom-
en- alike, carried their most priced
possessions with them from the
rooms. One man arrived in the
alley clutching the neck Of a large
bottle of color and shape well
known in the pre-Volstead DAYS. In
the case of one woman guest n poodle
) dog pceped out from the folds of a
! cape.
Those who had taken refuge in the
"biue room" found that it was only
a poor shelter. for soon water which
:. mad poured down the stairs and
across halls, damaging costly carpets
IN It's course, began to sccp through
upon them. Before that it had found
lis way into the elevator shafts and
mail chutes, filing up and overflow
ing the mail boxes on the main floor.
invading the mezzanine the water
seeplng through .crcviccs. tricklcd
down the sides Of the huge onyx
columns In the main lobbv.s The
main dining room remained drv.
however, and as the flremen hattlcd
nine stories above, scores of guests
ate breakfast, laughing and chatting
as II nothing unusual had happened.
While unofficial estimates of the
damage ranged all the way from $780,
oOa, to 100000, Frank J. Hight. man
aging director OF the hotel. said the
loss could not be determined until n
more thorough examination could be
made by experts. Everything on the
| 10Th floor was wiped out, the flames