Evening star., 1946-12-07

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to the southwest side from the third
floor to the roof. The building faces
north. Bodies were found on every
floor above the third. Those not in
the direct path of the flames suffo-
Gated in their rooms.
Theer was no estimate of none
tary loss to the building which was
sold in 1943 for approximately $780,
600. Mrs. Annie Lee Irwin of At
lanta, the present owner, had it I'm.
der lease to Arthur F. Geele, sr.
Mayor Plans Investigation.
The hotel. though not one of the
largest in the city, was classed as
one of the city's leading hostelries.
Mayor william B. Hartsfeld an
nounced that an investigation to
determine the cause of the fire, the
most costly in lives in the city's his
tory, would begin Immediately.
w. H. Rogers, a city fireman.
told of finding 16 bodies on one
upper floor. The rooms in which
they were found were undamaged
by the flames, and all apparently
had died of suffocation. In one
room were the bodies of five young
girls, in another a woman and three
children.
Emergency Mortuaries Set Up.
Emergency mortuaries were set
up in various parts of the city, and
a count Of the dead was difficult.
The municipal morgue at Grady
Hospital reported it had "a bodies
and could take no more.
With the flames under control,
firemen kept up a steady procession
bringing the dead and injured from
the building Bodies from the up
per floors were removed via bridge
which was built across an alleyway
to an adjoining building.
The Red Cross set up a special
disaster staff headquarters for iden-
tification of the dead, but an official
said obtaining names would be diff
cult because most of the bodies
were in night clothes and many
were burned beyond recognition.
Police Chief M. A. Hornsby said
"at least Is or 80 persons were killed
by leaping from windows"
Nelson Thatch, chief room clerk,
who. lives on the sixth floor, told Of
pleading futilely with woman on
the fifth floor not to jump. He said
he later saw her throw herself from
the ledge apparently to her death
in a dark alley below.
Mr.. Thatch related that he saw
many others" jump also into the
recesses between the buildings. He
suffered badly burned hand.
Elevator Operator Gives Alarm.
Bill Mobley, the only bell boy on
duty at the time the fire started.
said he took ice to the fifth floor.
When he left the elevator there was
no sign of fire. He said he was
in the room about two minutes and
when he returned to the hall, 1t
was filled with smoke. He escaped
by a fire ladder.
Conner L. Rowan, the night clerk
at the hotel, said he first learned
of the fire from a colored girl ele-
vator operator. Mr.. Rowan said he
Immediately began arousing guests.
Mr.. Rowan said he flames appar-
emily started on the third floor and
trapped guests above that level.
Outside witnesses told of seeing
flames leaping from the windows.
An idea of the rapidity with which
the flames spread was given by Mr..
Rowan's wife, the hotel telephone
operator, who was relieved by her
husband.
Mrs. Rowan said she had just en-
tered her room on the fourth floor
when the telephone rang.
1T was my husband on the SWITCH.
board ! had just left" she said.
Climbed Onto Ladder.
"He told me the hotel was on fire
and said the situation was bad
desperate. I rushed out to the ele-
vators. None was in operation. I
ran to window and climbed out on
(See FIRE, Page A-2.)