Year: 1872

IOr uuy NJ naii-paBt SIX II. "a. anu um
relieved at halfpast six A. NJ; on the night
of the fre went up to the attic,
as usual, at halfpast ten O'Clock, and cried the
hour and then went on my rounds; was up In
the attic again, and ON coming down met the
superintendent, who was looking for me We stood
talking together on my hall, near the passageway
leading TO the servants staircase; asked the Su-
perintendent what time it was when we were
talking there and he said it was quarter
TO eleven; after leaving him went
around from the Twenty-fourth street side the
chambermaid who was sitting about the middle OF
the 'front.' hail, told me there was nre on the
her; first gave the alarm to the ONCE and then
in the direction OF the IRE. and saw smoke coming
stairway; got my hose out and turned on the
water, and then opened the door OF the passage
ana payea I wa.er on .e nre nn Inc smoke anq
first opened the door and put the hose in there
was thick smoke but no names up there; could
not get TO the attic for the smoke, but cried as
loud as could to alarm the girls; heard no noise
in the attic; have been employed in the house for
two years; there has been but one fire since have
been there; that occurred somewhere on this SER
wants. stairway, but it did not amount to much;
the watchmen in the house are drilled in the use
OF the hose several times a month by the engineer
and head porter the hose Is always attached to the
connections and the pipe is on the hOse all that
water and run my pipe right to the fre; the
door leading from my hall to the servants
stairway is . seltlocking door; it was unlocked by
me when carried the hose into the passageway;
cannot say that closed 1t when came from the
attic previous to the fire; sometimes leave 1t un
through that door have o key to it; am not
cwn ths Ss snwaS OF an% s roug ss'apss Ps
Of the girls on their way up stairs
while was talking to the superintendent; It is
men are doing their duty; his name Is Thomas
Reagan; he Is around the house until twelve O'Clock
at night, and after twelve O'Clock am required to
the office every fifteen minutes; If iail to do so
am obliged to give the night clerk a good reason
for my failure.


TESTIMONY OF CHARLES W. GRIswoLD


Charles W. Grlswold said:-I am one OF the pro.
the fire was IN my room, III, corner Of Broadway
and Twenty-third street, on the fourth floor; the
watchman on my moor lMorgan) came and gave
me the alarm; had passed In the immediate vicin-
ity OF where the fire originated three times be-
tween twenty minutes Of eleven and the time OF
about eleven O'Clock; went direct from the
oda onlce to to my room pom by the main ain stair, air,


i've i've minutes mute when % heard the aIalm; sent NOR
gan to call Mr.. Darling, who lives opposite the
hotel, 40 West Twenty-third street, and went
directly to the fire apparatus on my floor to turn
on the water; smoke was then coming out OF the
passage leading from the servants stairway; the
was filled with smoke and many people leaving
Their rooms; ! found four the hose gone, and have





below; looking from the windows Of the corridor
adjoining room 225 l could see the fire burning
then went to the office by the main staircase;
met Mr.. Evans on the staircase, ana said to him.
"Evans, go out and give the alarm, we have got q
terrific fire." going to the office, called two OF
the clerks, Mr.. Gage and Mr.. Villas, ana gave them
orders not to leave the office, and then went i'm
the % water did not run rom the connection in the
front part OF the sixth floor, l went Immediately
down stairs and met the fireman coming up; the
rpa fba Vafa n m a
was because they had brought all the force OF
the pumps to bear on the other main in the engine
room; on meeting the fireman turned back, and
when got to the roof found they had got water
from the main IN front.


John Webb said II am night clerk at the Fifth
Avenue HOtel retired on the night OF the fire at
ten minutes OF eleven; my room is 347 on the sixth
ing to the girls staircase; had gone to sleep and
was called by Mrs. Ellis, occupying 346; she told me
the house & was az on re opened the door M ana onnd
stairway on the Twenty-third street side and
found L could get down stairs without difficulty;
around to the stairs on Fifth avenue sde went
down one flight OF stairs and entered vacant
oGm m y 70 yep put oeseS al the
Just ten minutes past eleven; then went
back to the sixth noor and coupled the
hose at the Fifth avenue main; passed
the hose out the roof OF the dining room, bring
ing the to bear directly on the head OF the
Vent back to the main to see If the vaiYe WAS
flly open idipg this all right ran up to the pri-
vate attic to see X the stopcoQk was all right there;
heard several cry, where Is the fres ana saw the
Chief OF the Fire Department; led them through
the house to the roof OF the dining room building,
and they put stream directly In at the attic win
dow at the head OF the stairs; have repeatedly
instructed the watchman that, In case fire oc-
cured which was likely to endanger the servants in
the attic, to break open the doors leading from
their attic to the private attic McGnty one of the
watchmen, seeing the danger, ran up to the pri-
to ttro 1vvfth ou va fba dnnr


Testimony OF JOHN W. EVANS.


in ana otsar sands that come n NJ the Twenty
fourth street door OF the Fifth Avenue Hotel; my
room is 42l In the private attic; was In bed
the noise, cries OF Sire y and SO forth dressed
myself as rapidly as possible and started down
shnR on the G ftS oor on the stairs leading down
from that floor; he told me to give the alarm;
went down to the street by the front door to send
there were engines there already; had no Key to
the alarm box but was going to send the alarm
om aooq ap ones S hTuse IN Sa ne had
private alarm; have heard since the fire that
there key to the alarm box kept in the once;
was not aware OF this at the time OF the fre.


TESTIMONY OF JAMES MCDERMOTT.


James McDermott said am head fireman at
time OF the re; my room is S54 IN the mems attic
Twenty-fourth street side OF the house; was woke
quickly as possible and ran right down the back
stairway on the Twenty fourth street side; went
to the pump in the basement; found the hose
stretched through billiard room in the
direction OF the laundry; the pump was
not in motion; turned the valve and set the
pump going; went back upstairs by the main
stairway; think met Mr.. GriswOld on the fourth
floor, on which his rooms are located; he told me
to go and rap at the doors and give the alarm; |
did SO, and meeting one Of the fremen told him
to do the same; knew the fire was on the Twenty
third street side OF the house. as heard the girls
screaming while was on the way down stairs.


The investigation OF the Fire Marshal was here
concluded.


The Fire MarshaI's Opinion.


The following is the opinion OF Fire Marshal
Mcspedon regarding the origin and progress of the
fire.


After careful personal examination, and ex-