Evening star., 1946-12-09
Multiple Probe Pushed ii inecoff Fire;
II Dead in Blaze in Saskatoon Hotel

- 80 -
Investigators undble
TO Determine Origin
OF Atlanta Fumes
81 shs Associated Pssss
| ATLANTA. Dec. The Wine
lcOff Hotel fire death toll climbed
to 100 today as multiple illvesti-
CATIONS were ordered into Sat
|urday,s disaster which was the
Nations most costly hotel con-
| fiagration.
Three names were added to the
death list. Mrs. George p. Burch,
20, Of Chattanooga, died Of injuries
suffered when she fell 10 floors 70
4 canvas canopy when an impr0-
vised rope Of bed linen broke Her
husband, to whom she was married
last week, had descended three
floors to reach fire ladders.
Two other names which had es-
capped the Red Cross were recorded.
They were Charles tBiln berry Of
ICedartoWn, Ga, Southeastern bowl
ling champion. and Julia Hall Of Al
bany, Ga, 3 delegate TO . State
wide YMCA Youth Congress.
City, county and national investi-
ratioYas were ordered. They coincided
With demands for more stringent
safeguards against such tragedies.
Conferences Arranged.
r Solicitor General e. e Andrews
arranged conferences with the city
fire marshal, firemen, fire UNDER
writer's and Grand Jury Foreman
Henry Chandler He said 4 Fulton
County tAtIantal grand Jury would
study Saturdays pre-daWn fire to-
determine II there had been any
criminal negligence, The jury viii
meet tomorrow.
MI. Andrews said that for the
guidance 81 the grand jury he and
the foreman would seek to deter
mine facts from men who know m
contrast To shasty conclusions and
strong emotional reactions that a.
ways accompany great catastrophe
such as this. 1.
IT the hotel management IS free
Eof fault and negligence,p he added,
1T has the right to have this passed
upon by an official investigation. II
there was some fatal oversight, the
public has q right to know It.
Mayor William B. Hartsfield called
an afternoon meeting Of the City
Councils Fire Committee to question
o1iicials about the Nations most
deadly hotel IRE. The National Fire
Prevention Associa tion and the Ma
tional Conference Of Building On
GERS also planned Investigations.
Hospital Report Asked.
The city's Grady Hospital was
asked by Mayor Hartsfield for re-
port on the burns and gas poisoning
among the casualties in an effort to
determine the fires origin. The
speed with which the blaze spread
also has bafIled officials, although
one said open stairwells were q
major contributing factor. &
The Executive Committee Of the
National Society Of Professional
Engineers and Mayor Hartsfield
called for better regulations de-
signed to prevent such loss Of life
by fire, The engineers asked their
State societies to assist III review.
correction and enforcement Of local
construction safety standards. The
committee Was In convention In At
lanta at the time Of the fire.
City Fire Chief G. g. Styron, All
q. Hutson, assistant Grief engineer
of the National Board OF Fire Un-s
derwriters, and other officials stud
led the blackened wreckage on busy
Peachtree street yesterday. Thou
sands Of sightseers visited the site
in the downtown theatrical district
to see where many persons perished
in franctic plunges from the Is
story hotel to pavements below.
Most Werc Asphyxiated.
Chief Styron said most Of the 40
deaths iii the fire resulted from
asphyxiation because smoke and
fumes had no way TO escape from
the building.
Chief Styron said carbon dioxidel
gas pressure In the corridors, and
rooms prevented to some extent the
spread Of flames but took terrific
toll of life by smothering guests t1al
their rooms.
The fire chief said safety vents hi
the elevator shaft, the staircase and
from the halls would have allowed
the gas to escape. However, he add
sed, the open passageWay would have
to be fireproof TO prevent the spread
OF flames.
He said fire and gasses, II there Isl
no escape, will travel horizontally
through the halls and spread to|
other parts Of the burning building
This, he said, Is what occurred tn1
the Winecod
Chief Styron said N firernen Fere|
injured, most of them from fumes,
- they attempted 10 lsl1t their WV
through tlts ,oke- lled
Wayk
a etsts IN !ls,iring 81 eIsos
hotels ID install 4uto11natic sI
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