The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-12-07
Fire EnguIfs Hotel Quickly 
Many of Dead Lsoped iR Ponie From Rooms

packed Wlnecolf Hotel om Peaehtree Street today an1 five hours later the death eon stood at g2
 Many Of the dead leaped im panic Co the street. Others were trapped and died screaming zn the flames.
 It was the wOrs fre h AsaanaA@ history.
 Cause Unaesermansa
 In the last major hotel Gre. e persons died in ChicagoS xM Salle Hotel six months ago.
 The fire was touched oH-s9 bed not been determined how-0etween 3 and ( A. M. among the lover stories of the lS-foor ouiidlnR. M shot upward and downward within minutes.
 Most q the go gussas wEa trapped. All the W1necogK& A88 rooms were occupied. Many 0k them never had a chance and a huk of them took the quick way oHA~@ headlong through the window Ota&CAS SoS@A Ut b4AEA Wa4k48A& M4AA screamed until they fen back ol1ok~ ing in the flames and smoke.
 A few survived mirmcuA0usay eg swinging from window Co wzn1ow on bedSheets along the upper flnors. That way they were able to Ne8 to the few rooms the Ire o1am8 reach or climb b adiuaning hNfl4~ tngs
 EGtsle CSule ne Dsms
 Every piece of fire equlpmnmE ed every disaster unit an Atlanta w9m& into action. But there was nkzla they could do for those caught ~ the flames.
 By A. H. the llamss had husn extinguished. But the WtnecoEx. across Peachtree Street frum AA~ lsnta;s theater distxsck was a hlA& with black gOuges where 1as win1r ows had been.
 The bodies pouring anae 0Ee9g Hospital, which also nurTes es z1m lclky mOrKue, mostly were hazEme4 A broken beyond recognition
 F1remen and Bed Cnnms ms21H brought doxn victims froln the Npr per floors tn a steady stream TAa lobby was . tangle cx fire hnse az.A heaped clothing. 1t was under z&M a foot of water and Bt&1 hot.
 Many Kale shsppeEs wis1fmD
 And that was snpp0sad ko ha a freproof hotel" . fireman who hH9 been overcome by smoke and Eakm to the emergency first aid Btaza1m across the street said ny Go4. to think ce all those people 0ylzR up there. And there are a ANk 3 them up there yet"
 AS he spoke, an ambulamne &Nsw came by the door carrying 6 NX under a blanket. They uncovered it briefly to show the figure ok what had been a man- His once-Nzlzze shirt was splashed with fhe bl1eE of smoke and the red ek his blood so that 1t looked hks . lumbezmnn'z shirt.
 The guests included scurss q weekend Christmas shoppers st least 50 delegates to the Geo&Na Youth Assembly-giris and hoys and business people. The Winee0A was one of Atlanta's favorihe hns~ telries and although consparazlgNsE small ranked among the le4Nzu& hotels. It was in the absolufe no1zt of Atlanta
 Firemen used war surplus Navy haskets-eQuipment from the ha&ta&~ fields-to remove some 0f the aea1 from upper floors. A platform Wae built from the top fl0oE across 30 the Mortgage Guarantee Buzl1lH and bodies were slluttled across
 Spread Qniekiy
 The fire apparently started cu sae fifth floor and then swept upward to enesllf the upper floors within a few moments. It was discovered kg A Negro elevator operator HoHlas who smelled smoke and notified ins night manager.
 Many of those in hospitals wH critically burned and the Red ClpsE expedited reserve supplies ef slcea plasma. Doctors sent out an urgent appeal for whole blood to sage tkaR injured victims. Donors were NE<ea to leave their jobs ard faneir hanzes and go to the emergency wards
 Among the first relatives to Rs'< rive was Georgia Adjukaut 1eAe&Al Marvin Griffin of BainhEid9e. ca He began a search of naorgues faz hls daughter. i4-yeaF-old Patsy, wlaR Wea listed among the missing.
 Streets outside the hotel wnKe i'E~ tered with wearing appanel. passss- ularly Womenis shoes,
 Sheets Part, Enmam NaAlS
 Early in the fire, ypzmg Nezn4N appeared ct a window 0n fae rzxF floor and let down a rope pf sa2fEe Bremen begged her 10 wait nllz 4|zk was frantic.
 She lowered. heEnesf to a wimA@a ledge where rescueyx weEN NIa6 someone else on q ladder. OKl1v IeN l feet from safety. the slaeets n&s and she fell screaming to her ess4
 Another woman stepped fe *Nz= doW ledge 0n one Of the teN MN lpaused there a moment Wl<A lniRhtR0Wn shining MAiIe f
 flames. Then, the garment k fire. She leaped toward e lnet but missed, landing M astFide a power Elue. &1# Ihung in 6Rencs. szu1N elae
 hruaEe loose and fall io tAa aN
 About SIS A. M4 E1ez
 were placed Gog NHneU6 m lower windows, NIEnl7H zH4 linen on HlI1 Street u't waved lxmniteallF kn nhoVe fae HaEnHR H9a1esizaueHs zH0N zsa4 'pe11ed Eo 11Ezs8 EaN=S e