The Wilmington morning star., 1946-12-08
INFERNO SWEEPS.
ATLANTA HOTEI.
CONTINUED From Page one)

said the Winecoff had been in.
spected during the past week ane
had met Fire department regula.
tons. Atlanta hotels are inspected
once a month.
The national hotel guide LISTED
the Winescoff as tireproof, but
Phillips said he did not consider
any building in that category, onl,
fire resistant. As far as firemer
could find there were no fire es
capes.
An unidentified fireman believe
the fire Was caused by the ex
plosion OF some type of gas in tbs
interior of the building. Officially
there was no explanation.
Every ambulance within a q
mile radius of the city was. calico
to move the dead ard injuredSsoor
after the fire started before, dawn
Taxicabs were pressed in serv
ice as hearses, and this time the
meter hands were not pushed down
The Winecoff, located on tamou.
Peachtree street, was in the hear
OF the shopping and theater dis
trict. Most Of its guests were plan
ming to spend the day Christmas
shopping.
Forty-nine youngsters, here to1
the Georgia State Youth conferen.
ce, were registered at the hotel
Their closing meeting had been
planned for this morning and mos
of them had retired early. Then the
nightmare of the fire struck about
$3.50 a. NJ. -...
The final meeting Of the assem-
bly, was held on schedule, but il
was turend into a memorial serv.
ice for the one youth known. te
be dead and the Is still listed as
missing. Five others we're in hospi.
ia beds, their bodies Scared by
burns and broken by falls from the
flaming building.
Hospitals received emergency
supplies of plasma to treat the in.
jured, but even as nurses carried
it into operating rooms, doctors
sent out a call for whole blood
pints and quarts of it. Lines Of
donors began forming at the
city's principal hospitals in re.
spouse to radio appeals for blood.
The fire started between 3 and
4 am. at about the fourth floor Of
the Winecoff, and in a momen,
orange flames were billowing up
the elevator shafts and stairways.
Flames shot out from dozens Of
windows. 3
The fire was discovered by a
Negro elevator girl, Rosita, who
ran to night manager Conner L.
Rowan with word that she smell
ed smoke.
Rowan sent her away for the
bellhops while he jumped for the
telephone switchboard and began
phoning the rooms.
In the next few minutes, the
first screams Of the trapped
sleepers began to echo through. the
halls and bodies began hurting
from the upper floors.
Firemen, ordered to answer all
downtown calls with every piece
of equipment, came with life nets,
long ladders and high pressure
bumpers. They arrived within a
minute or two Of the alarm, but
already the flames yer raging out
of control.
Firemen heroically. plunged
through what seemed to be solid
walls of flames to effect miracu-
lous rescues.
They implored some of the trap
ped guests to stay where they were
until help arrived, but many were
too Mortified by the flames and
leaped to their deaths in the
streets below.
The Winecoff was scared as if
by a giant blow torch. Not a door
or window frame withstood the
scorching heat from the third
floor to the top of the building.
Downstairs in the plantation
room where guests had chatted
over their drinks the night before.
fresh linen and spotless silver
were out for today's customers
who did not show up.