The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1922-04-26
HOTEL FIRE iROUTS
GUULIDGE AND OTHERS
More than Six Hundred Guests of the
New Willard Forced Out Of Bed at
Enrly IIOur

Early Hour.
Washington, April 23.-Vica- Presi-
dent Coolidge, several members of the
Senate and House Of Representatives
and many other persons prominent in
n public, business and social life. were
Aamong some 600 guests of the Now
Willard Hotel who were routed out
of their beds at an early hour this
lS>morning by fire which swept the ton
tSfloor cof the ten-story structure Mt
pennsylvania avenue and Fourteenth
street
The blaze had its origin in the ball
NGoom on the tenth floor, where q few
hours before PresideDt Harding, Mr.,
Coolidge and members of the cabinet
and seantors and representatives for
eign diplomats and others had sat
'around the banquet board as guests
Of the Grid!ron Club at it's annual
spring dinner and flplic. The fire was
confined to that floor and the roof
above, but tons OF water poured into
the flames scepcd through to the floors
below, causing much damage.
There was some confusion and ex-
citement as hotel attaches, police
men and firemen puunded on doors
and the telephone operator on duty
called room after room, but all those
in the hotel got out OF their apart
mcnts to the corridors and lobbes in
safety. Many went to other hotels
carrying at least part of their lug
gage with them, but scores remained
at the New Willard and returned to
their rooms after the, fire had been
cextinguishcd.
How the fire started may never be
determined, but one theory is that a
cigarette or cigar stump cast aside at
the close of the gridiron dinner found
n lodging place underneath a rug or in
IL fold Of heavy drapery. 1t was 5:45
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, inform
ing the night clerk
Several fire companies were On the
scene in few minutes. The clatter
of their gongs woke Vce-President
Coolidge. who, upon going to window
saw apparatus drawing up across the
street. He called Mrs, Coolidge, re-
marked that there was a fire in the
neighborhood and suggested that they
talking they learned that the fire was
in the hotel Leaving their apartment
on the third floor they descended to
the lobby and Mrs. Coolidge was sent
to the home Of the vice-president's
secretary, Edward II. Clarke.
e W.. Coolidge remained at the hotel,
Where he was again Joined in the af-
ternoon by Mrs. Coolidge. He is the
ySGe United States to have experienced
a fire at the New Willard. blaze hav-
ing routed out the vice president and
Mrs. Marshall late ono n,gn. nearly
four years ago.
Brigadier General c. e. Sawyer,
personal physician to President Hard
Ing, and Mrs. Sawyer were awakened
by attendants and later found shelter
at the White House. Their apartment
was considerably damaged by water.
Other prominent guests in the
hotel included General Charles G.
Dawes, director Of the budget; Gen
eral II. Coleman DUPONT senator from
Delaware; senators McNary, Oregon,
and Rawson, Iowa; John II. Adams,
of Iowa, chairman Of the Republican
national committee; Mrs. George May
nard Minor, president-general Of the
Daughters OF the American Revolu-
ton; John Philip Sousa, and Olga
Petrova.